The sum f + g

 f  g x  f x  gx

This just says that to find the sum of two functions, add
them together. You should simplify by finding like terms.

f x   2 x  3 2
g x   4 x  1
3

f  g  2x  3  4x 1
2 3 Combine like
terms & put in

 4x  2x  4
3 2 descending
order
 The difference f - g
 f  g x  f x  gx
To find the difference between two functions, subtract
the first from the second. CAUTION: Make sure you
distribute the – to each term of the second function. You
should simplify by combining like terms.

f x   2 x  3
2
g x   4 x  1
3

f  g  2x  3  4x 1
2
 3
 Distribute
negative

 2 x  3  4 x  1  4 x  2 x  2
2 3 3 2
 The product f • g
 f  g x  f x g x
To find the product of two functions, put parenthesis
around them and multiply each term from the first
function to each term of the second function.

f x   2 x  3
2
g x   4 x  1
3


f  g  2x  3 4x 1
2
 3
 FOIL

Good idea to put in

 8 x  2 x  12 x  3
5 2 3
descending order
but not required.
 The quotient f /g
f f x 
 x  
g g x 
To find the quotient of two functions, put the first one
over the second.

f x   2 x  32
g x   4 x  1
3

f 2x  3 2
 3
Nothing more you could do
here. (If you can reduce
g 4x 1 these you should).
So the first 4 operations on functions are
pretty straight forward.
The rules for the domain of functions would
apply to these combinations of functions as
well. The domain of the sum, difference or
product would be the numbers x in the
domains of both f and g.
For the quotient, you would also need to
exclude any numbers x that would make the
resulting denominator 0.
 COMPOSITION
FUNCTIONS

“SUBSTITUTING ONE FUNCTION INTO ANOTHER”

 The Composition
Function
 f  g x  f gx
This is read “f composition g” and means to copy the f
function down but where ever you see an x, substitute in
the g function.

f x   2 x  3
2
g x   4 x  1
3

f  g  24 x  1  3
3 2 FOIL first and
then distribute
the 2
 32 x  16 x  2  3  32 x  16 x  5
6 3 6 3
 g  f x  g f x
This is read “g composition f” and means to copy the g
function down but where ever you see an x, substitute in
the f function.

f x   2 x  3
2
g x   4 x  1
3

You could multiply

g  f  42 x  3  1
2 3 this out but since it’s
to the 3rd power we
won’t
  f  f x  f  f x
This is read “f composition f” and means to copy the f
function down but where ever you see an x, substitute in
the f function. (So sub the function into itself).

f x   2 x  3
2
g x   4 x  1
3

f  f  22 x  3  3
2 2
 The DOMAIN of the
Composition Function
The domain of f composition g is the set of all numbers x
in the domain of g such that g(x) is in the domain of f.

f x   g x   x  1
1
x
1 The domain of g is x  1
f g 
x  1 domain of f  g is x   : x  1
We also have to worry about any “illegals” in this composition
function, specifically dividing by 0. This would mean that x  1 so the
domain of the composition would be combining the two restrictions.
 The DOMAIN and RANGE
of Composite Functions
f x   x  5 g x  
1
g  f ( x)  ?
x 1
We could first look at the natural domain and range of f(x)
and g(x).
y   : y  1 x  1
f x   x  5
g x  
For g(x) to cope with the output from f(x) 1
we must ensure that the output does not
include 1 x 1
Hence we must exclude 6 from the domain of f(x)
x   : x  6 y   : y  0
 The DOMAIN and RANGE
of Composite Functions
f x   x  5 g x  
1
x 1
Or we could find g o f (x) and determine the domain and
range of the resulting expression.
1
g  f ( x) 
x6
Domain: x   : x  6 Range: y   : y  0
However this approach must be used with CAUTION.
 The DOMAIN and RANGE
of Composite Functions
f x   x  5 g x  
1
f  g ( x)  ?
x 1
We could first look at the natural domain and range of f(x)
and g(x).
y   : y  0 x  0
g x  
1
x 1
For f(x) to cope with the output from g(x) f x   x  5
we must ensure that the output does not
include 0
Hence we must exclude 1 from the domain of g(x)
x   : x  1 y   : y  5
 The DOMAIN and RANGE
of Composite Functions
f x   x  5 g x  
1
x 1
Or we could find f o g (x) and determine the domain and
range of the resulting expression.
1
f  g ( x)  5
x 1
Domain: x   : x  1 Range: y   : y  5
However this approach must be used with CAUTION.
 The DOMAIN and RANGE
of Composite Functions
f x   x g x   x 2
g  f ( x)  ?
We could first look at the natural domain and range of f(x)
and g(x).
y   : y  0
f x   x x  0
g x   x 2

x   : x  0
y   : y  0
 The DOMAIN and RANGE
of Composite Functions
f x   x g x   x 2

Or we could find g o f (x) and determine the domain and

range of the resulting expression.

g  f ( x)  x
x   and y  
Not:

Domain: x   : x  0 Range: y   : y  0

However this approach must be used with CAUTION.

 The DOMAIN and RANGE
of Composite Functions
f x   2 x g x   x  2 f  g ( x)  ?
We could first look at the natural domain and range of f(x)
and g(x).
y   : y  0 x  0
g x   x  2
f(x) can cope with all the numbers in the f x   2 x
range of g(x) because the range of g(x)
is contained within the domain of f(x)

y   : y  0
f o g (x) is a function for the natural domain of g(x)
x   : x  2
 The DOMAIN and RANGE
of Composite Functions
f x   2 x g x   x  2 g  f ( x)  ?
We could first look at the natural domain and range of f(x)
and g(x).
y   x  
f x   2 x
g(x) cannot cope with all the numbers in g x   x  2
the range of f(x). Need to restrict the
domain f(x) to give an output that g(x)

y   : y  0
can cope with.
 The DOMAIN and RANGE of
Composite Functions

f x   2 x g x   x  2 g  f ( x)  ?
g o f (x) is not a function for the natural domain of g(x) unless we
We could first look at the natural domain and range of f(x)
restrict the domain of f(x)
and g(x).
yy:y2 xx: x2
f x   2 x
g(x) cannot cope with all the numbers in g x   x  2
the range of f(x). Need to restrict the
domain f(x) to give an output that g(x)

y   : y  0
can cope with.
x   : x  1
 A MathXTC Example of
Composite Functions

f x   x  5 g ( f ( x))  2 x  13x  14
2

g ( x)  ?

Try it !!
 Method 1
f x   x  5 g f x   2 x  13x  14
2

g f ( x)  2 x  13x  14
2

g ( x  5)  2 x  13x  14
2

g ( x  5)  2( x  5)  ???
2

 2 x  20 x  50  ???
2

g ( x  5)  2( x  5)  7 x  36
2

 2( x  5)  7( x  5)  1
2
 Method 1
f x   x  5 g f x   2 x  13x  14
2

g f ( x)  2 x  13x  14
2

g ( x  5)  2 x  13x  14
2

g ( x  5)  2( x  5)  ???
2

 2 x  20 x  50  ???
2

g ( x  5)  2( x  5)  7 x  36
2

 2( x  5)  7( x  5)  1
2
 Method 1
f x   x  5 g f x   2 x  13x  14
2

g ( x  5)  2( x  5)  7 x  36
2

 2( x  5)  7( x  5)  1
2

 g ( x)  2 x  7 x  1
2
 Method 2
f x   x  5 g f x   2 x  13x  14
2

Let y  f ( x)  x  5  x  y5
g f ( x)  2 x  13x  14
2

g ( y)  2 x  13x  14
2

g ( y )  2( y  5)  13( y  5)  14
2

 2 y  20 y  50  13 y  65  14
2

 2 y  7 y 1
2
 Method 2
f x   x  5 g f x   2 x  13x  14
2

g ( y )  2( y  5)  13( y  5)  14
2

 2 y  20 y  50  13 y  65  14
2

 2 y  7 y 1
2

 g ( x)  2 x  7 x  1
2