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3.5 Relations and Functions: Basics

1. The document discusses relations and functions, including defining relations as sets of ordered pairs, domains and ranges, and what distinguishes functions from other relations. 2. To determine if a relation is a function, one can make a "mapping table" listing inputs and their corresponding outputs to check for multiple outputs per input. 3. Functions can also be represented graphically using the "Vertical Line Test" where the graph is a function if a vertical line intersects the graph at most once.

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Sarthak
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75 views

3.5 Relations and Functions: Basics

1. The document discusses relations and functions, including defining relations as sets of ordered pairs, domains and ranges, and what distinguishes functions from other relations. 2. To determine if a relation is a function, one can make a "mapping table" listing inputs and their corresponding outputs to check for multiple outputs per input. 3. Functions can also be represented graphically using the "Vertical Line Test" where the graph is a function if a vertical line intersects the graph at most once.

Uploaded by

Sarthak
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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3.

5 Relations and Functions: Basics

A. Relations

1. A relation is a set of ordered pairs. For example,

     
      

    
2. Domain is the set of all first coordinates:

      
so 

 
3. Range is the set of all second coordinates:

    
 
so 

B. Functions

A function is a relation that satisfies the following:

each  -value is allowed only one  -value



Note: (above) is not a function, because has  -values and
(violates our condition!)


bad!

1
C. Testing Relations To See If They Are Functions

We make a “mapping table”. We do this as follows:

1. List all the  -values on the left.

2. At each  -value, draw an arrow–one arrow pointing to each  -value it has.

3. If you see a situation where an  -value has two or more arrows


branching to  -values, then it is not a function.

Examples:

Check to see if the following relations are functions:

              


            

Solution
Make a mapping table for :
 

 


Thus we see that is a function.


Make a mapping table for :

 




Thus we see that is not a function!

2
C. Graphs and Functions

To check to see if a graph determines a function, we apply the Vertical Line Test.

Vertical Line Test:

If a vertical line moved over allowed  -values intersects the graph


exactly once (each time), the graph is a function; otherwise; it is not.

Example:

not a function!

3
D. “Function Machine”

Since each  -value is allowed only one  -value (in a function), we can think of a function
as a machine that “eats”  -values and spits back  -values–so that the machine only spits
out one output for any input.

  

YES NO

E. Function Notation

We call our “machine” that changes  -values into  -values a function operator, written .

In other words, represents the function

              


Thus, since is a function, we can write

  
   
  
 

4
F. Comments on Function Notation

1. here is not multiplication; it is function operation.

2. To avoid confusion with variables, we write functions in cursive.

    
Thus, we write  rather than  .

3. In general:

  
 

 : the output  : the input


: the function operator

 
4. Note: is the function operator; but  is the output (same as  !)

5
G. Function Evaluation

 
Sometimes a function has an output formula given by .

To evaluate the output for , given an input:

We just plug in the input, wherever we see  .

     
Example 1: Given    . Find and .

Solution

 
: plug in where you see  :

       


  
: plug in where you see  :

         


 
   
 
Example 2: Given      . Find and .

Solution




: plug in where you see  :


  
   
  
  



   

6
  
 
 : plug in where you see  :

     
    
   

 
  



 

  

 



      
Example 3: Given   . Find   .

Solution

     
  : plug in   where you see  :

      
   

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