Domain &

Range of
Functions
Overview
#1: Understanding of functions #2: Domain/Range of common functions
(particularly quadratic and trigonometric)

#3: Domain/Range of other functions #4: Constructing a function based on a given

domain/range.
Check Your Understanding

𝑓 ( 𝑥)=𝑥 2+2
Q1 What does this function do?
It squares the input?then adds 2 to it.

Q2 What is ?
f(3) = 32 + 2 = 11 ?
Q3 What is ?
f(-5) = 27
?
Q4 If , what is ?

So ?
Algebraic Inputs
If you change the input of the function (), just replace each occurrence of in the
output.

If what is: If what is:

𝑓 (𝑥 −1)=( 𝒙 −𝟏)+𝟏=𝒙 𝟐
?
?

𝑓 (𝑥 −1)=( 𝒙 −𝟏) −𝟏
?
? ?
?

If what is: ?

𝑓 ( 𝑥 −1)= 𝟐 ( 𝒙 −𝟏)
?
?
?
Check Your Understanding
A If , determine:
(a) ?
(b) ?
(c)
?
B If , solve

2
2 𝑥 +1=51 ?
1 [AQA Worksheet] . Work out when 5 [AQA Set 2] The function is defined as

(a) Work out the value of

[AQA Worksheet] . ?
2 If , determine the value of . ?
(b) Work out the value of
(b) Solve ?
[AQA Worksheet]
? (only 2 within domain)
Show that (which is in domain)
3 ?
If determine:
[June 2012 Paper 2] for all values of . (a)
Solve 6 (b)
? (c) ?
(d) ?
4 ?
(e) Solve
?
?

?
Domain of a Function
Range of a Function
Domain & Range
Inputs Outputs
-1 1

0 0

𝟐
𝒇 ( 𝒙 ) =𝒙
1.7 2.89
2 4

3.1 9.61
... ...

 The domain of a function is the set of  The range of a function is the set of
possible inputs. possible outputs.
Example
𝑦
2
𝑓 ( 𝑥 ) =𝑥 Sketch:
𝑥

Domain: for all?

The domain is the set of x-values on the graph.
We can use any real number as the input here.

Range: 𝑓 ( 𝑥? ) ≥ 0
Look at the values on the graph.
The output has to be positive, since it’s been squared.

Pro Tip: Note that the domain is in terms of and the range in terms of .
Test Your Understanding
𝑦
𝑓 ( 𝑥 ) =√ 𝑥 Sketch:
?
𝑥
Domain: 𝑥≥
? 0
Presuming the output has to be a real number, we
can’t input negative numbers into our function.

Range: 𝑓 (𝑥
? )≥0
The output, again, can only be positive.
Test Your Understanding

?
Exercise
Work out the domain and range of each function. A sketch may help!

1 2 3
Domain For all Domain For all Domain For all except 0
Range For all Range Range For all except 0
? ? ?
4 5 6
Domain For all Domain For all Domain For all
Range Range Range For all

? ? ?
7 8 9
Domain For all except 2 Domain Domain
Range For all except 1 Range Range

? ? ?
Check Your Understanding

?
Check Your Understanding

?
Check Your Understanding

?
Range of Quadratics
A common exam question is to determine the range of a quadratic.

The sketch shows the function where .

𝑦 Determine the range of .

We need the minimum point, since

from the graph we can see that
(i.e. ) can be anything greater than
3 this.
𝑥
?
The minimum point is thus the
range is:

(note the rather than )

An alternative way of thinking about it, once you’ve completed the square, is that anything
squared is at least 0. So if is at least 0, then clearly is at least 3.
Test Your Understanding
𝑦
The sketch shows the function where .
Determine the range of .

𝑥
Therefore ?
( 1 , −9 )

𝑦
The sketch shows the function where .
( 2 , 25 ) Determine the range of .

𝑥 Therefore
?
Range for Restricted Domains
Some questions are a bit jammy by restricting the domain. Look out for this, because
it affects the domain!

Determine the range of .

𝑦
Notice how the domain is .

When
Sketching the graph, we see that
? when , the function is increasing.
Therefore when

−3 −1 1 𝑥
Test Your Understanding
Determine the range of . Determine the range of .

𝑦
When
When

Range:
?
? 𝑥
−2

When
As decreases from -2, is
increasing. Therefore:
 Range of Trigonometric
Functions

90 ° 180° 270° 360°

Suppose we restricted the domain in different ways.

Determine the range in each case (or vice versa). Ignore angles below 0 or above 360.

Domain Range
For all (i.e. unrestricted) ?
?
?