Composition

of Functions


What are composite functions?

Sometimes a given function has the same effect as two simpler functions evaluated
in succession. For example, consider
h(x) = (x + 1)2

To evaluate h(x) we first compute x + 1 and then square the result. In other
words, if we consider the functions g and f given by
Es
g(x) = x + 1 and f (x) = x
2

gfunction is inside f function
f
2
Then h(x) = (x + 1)2 = ⎡⎣ g(x) ⎤⎦ = f (g(x))

Thus, h has the same effect as g and f evaluated successively. Loosely speaking, h is
composed of the two functions f and g.

The composition of f with g, denoted by f ! g , is the function defined by
( f ! g ) (x) = f (g(x))

• f ! g takes elements from the domain of g and assigns them values in the
range of f.
• ( )
f ! g is defined as f ! g ( x ) or more simply, f g ( x ) .
• To find the domain of f ! g we must also consider the domain of g (see the
first point). The domain of f ! g is the set of all real numbers x in
the domain of g ( x ) such that g ( x ) is in the domain of f .


Draw a diagram showing how the rule for the composite function f ! g can be
obtained from the rules of both f and g.

f geo -1-
 gu 3
Examples
Is 36721 2

a. Given f ( x ) = 3x 2 − 1 and g ( x ) = x − 3 , find (1) f ! g ( 2 ) and g ! f ( 4 ) .
141
31413
of

fogbe
f
gooo gofers 3 2 1 3 347

322 4 471 47 3
fog
64 31 372 1
g
gof 4 31432 4 44

312 332 1 2
fog
2
1
b. Given f x = 2 ()x +4
()
and g x = x − 3 , find f ! g ( x ) and D f !g . domain offog'd

flyer

fogs
ty Domain of gin a k 112




Dfg selzer

hmmm É53
y.y.nl

1232
c. Given f ( x ) = x − 2 and g ( x ) = 3x , find the domain of f ! g ( x ) and g ! f ( x ) .

Keir
4312612 Dg
figs

togas


814

zu EIR
Sofia gtfo
z Dg x 232

Dgof x 232,261123 2 DC


d. Let f ( x ) = x 2 and g ( x ) = x − 3 . Find the domain of f ! g ( x ) and g ! f ( x ) , then
find f ! g (5) and g ! f ( −7 ) .

seein

fogs x 372 3 33 22 602 9 Dfg

KEIR

goton zz 3 Dgof
gofC77 46

fog s 4

-2-
 K 2 NEX E 2
1230 1 2 2154
e. If f ( x ) = x and g ( x ) = 2 − x , find the following functions and their

insist
domains:

(1) f ! g (2) g ! f (3) f ! f (4) g ! g

Tofte NIT

fogin
if gofer iz ni at 25 32

IT DEIR
Dgp 405 54

42 x Ein
Dff 04230 car
Dfg oil seszpeir

f. Find f ! g and the domain of f ! g if f (x) = x 2 + 3 and g(x) = x


fog
2x NJ t 3 restriction for
glad Dg x a
open

sothesame restriction must apply to fog

021 30 ER
Dfog
Composition of 3 or more functions

()
If f x =
x
x +1
() ()
, g x = x10 and h x = x + 3 , then find f g h x . ( ( ( )))


Chin s sets
g
acts
i fly


hea s
Gt3 t I


Recognizing a composition of functions
might use this in calculus
If F ( x ) = 4 x + 9 , find the functions f and g.


Fem
fogh NG NGA


fun fi JI

geo dat stg
-3-
 Consider the following applications

1. Karl is shopping at Kaufhof during a sale.
He is looking for trainers and noticed they were
marked down 35%. Today, all shoes had an
extra markdown of 40% on the sale price. What
function can be used to work out the sale price
today, from the original price of the trainers?


f 0.65
205 0.6 0 650

211 O bx
0.39


bit off



2. A Berlin taxi company charges 5.50€ flag fall and
1.25€ per km. A Canadian tour company wants to
build an app to help their travelers determine their
cost of the taxi rides in Berlin. it costs 3.50 CAD to
draw money from a Canadian account and the
exchange rate is 1 CAD = 0.64 EUR. Determine a
function that will give the cost of a taxi ride of x km.

Currency conversion
Tin CAD
t 3.5
glad

Ey

Taxi cost
137 5 3.5


xf L 25 x t 5.5

1 25205.5
g f

We need x 3.5


0.64


1.95 712.09



Exercise 4J page 177

-4-