General Mathematics VU

Functions and Quadratics Topic 2

• Definition: A mapping between two sets A and B is simply a rule for relating elements of one set
to the other. A mapping is also called a relation.

• Types of Relations:

o One-One Relations are mappings where each member of the pre-image is mapped to
exactly one member of the image.

o Many – Many Relations are the mappings where many members of the image are
images of more than one member of the pre-image, and members of the pre-image are
mapped to more than one image.

© Copyright Virtual University of Pakistan 1

General Mathematics VU

o Many - One Relations are the mappings where two or more members of the pre-image
are mapped to exactly one member of the image.

o One-Many Relations are mappings where one member of the pre-image is mapped to
two or more members of the image.

• Definition: Many-One and One-One relationships are called functions.

• Definition: The set consisting of members of the pre-image or inputs of a function is called its
domain. For a given domain the set of possible outcomes or images of a function is called its
range.

o It is important to note that to define a function we need two things: One, the formula for
the function, and two, the domain.

© Copyright Virtual University of Pakistan 2

General Mathematics VU

• Examples:

o f ( x ) = 2 x + 1 ; Domain: x = R, Range: f(x) = R

1
o g ( x) = ; Domain: x = R – {2}, Range: g(x) = R
x-2
o h( x) = x - 3 ; Domain: {x ϵ R | x ≥ 3}, Range: h(x) ≥ 0

o q ( x) = ( x + 1) + 2 ; Domain: x = R, Range: q(x) ≥ 2

2

• Definition: A function is called an even function if its graph is symmetric with respect to the
vertical axis, and it is called an odd function if its graph is symmetric with respect to the origin.

• Theorem:

o If f(-x) = f(x), then f is an even function

o If f(-x) = -f(x), then f is an odd function

Example: f ( x) = x is an even function

2
•

Example: f ( x) = x is an odd function

3
•

• Definition: The sum, difference, product and quotient of the functions f and g are the functions
defined by

o (f + g)(x) = f(x) + g(x)

o (f – g)(x) = f(x) – g(x)

o (fg)(x) = f(x)g(x)

o (f/g)(x) = f(x)/g(x), provided g(x) ≠ 0

• Definition: Given functions f and g, then the function fog is a composite function, where g is
performed first and then f is performed on the result of g.

• Example: Consider 2 function s f ( x) = 3 x + 2 and g ( x) = x 2. The function fog may be found

using a flow diagram as follows:

Thus f og = 3x 2 + 2

 Remember, the domain of fog is the set of all real numbers x in the domain of g where g(x) is in
the domain of f.

© Copyright Virtual University of Pakistan 3

General Mathematics VU

The domain of fog cannot always be determined simply by examining the final form of (fog)(x). Any
numbers that are excluded from the domain of g must also be excluded from the domain of fog.

Example: Given f ( x) = 4 - x 2 and g ( x) = 3 - x find ( f og )( x ) and its domain.

Solution: Now Domain of f: -2 ≤ x ≤ 2 and Domain of g: x ≤ 3.

( f og )( x ) = f ( g ( x )) = f ( 3 - x )
= 4 - ( 3 - x ) 2 = 4 - (3 - x) = 1 + x

Even though 1 + x is defined for all x ≥ -1, we must restrict the domain of fog to those values
that are also in the domain of g. Thus, Domain fog: -1 ≤ x ≤ 3

 Definition: If f is a one-one function, then the inverse of f, denoted by f-1, is the function obtained
by reversing the order of f. In other words, if f(a) = b then f-1(b) = a.

 If a function is to have an inverse which is also a function then it must be one-one. This means
that a horizontal line will never cut the graph more than once; i.e. we cannot have f(a) = f(b) if a
≠ b. Two different inputs (x values) are not allowed to give the same output (y value).

 Example: f(x) = x2 with domain x is not one to one. So, for example, the inverse of 4 would
have two possibilities: -2 or 2. This means that the inverse is not a function. We say that the
inverse function of f does not exist. However, if the Domain is restricted to x ≥ 0, then the
function would be one to one and its inverse would be f-1(x) = √x , x ≥ 0

 Properties of Inverse Functions:

o Domain of the inverse is equal to the Range of f.
o Range of inverse is equal to the Domain of f.

 Steps for finding inverse of a function f:

o Find the domain of f and verify that f is one-to-one. If f is not one-to-one, then stop as the
inverse does not exist.
o Solve the equation y = f(x) for x. i.e. make x the subject.
o Interchange x and y in step two. This will give the inverse function in terms of x.
o Find the domain of the inverse function.
o Check that the inverse function is correct.

 Example: Find the inverse of the function y = f(x) = (x-2)2 + 3 , x ≥ 2. Sketch the graphs of y =
f(x) and y = f-1(x) on the same axes showing the relationship between them.

© Copyright Virtual University of Pakistan 4

General Mathematics VU

Solution
o Step 1: In order for the function to be one to one, we must restrict its domain to x ≥ 2.
The Range of f is y ≥ 3 and so the domain of f-1 will be x ≥ 3.
o Step 2: Make x the subject. y – 3 = (x-2)2  √(y –3) = x-2 x = 2 + √(y –3)
o Step 3: Interchange x and y in the above equation to get y = 2 + √(x –3). So Final
Answer is: f-1(x) = 2 + √(x –3) , x ≥ 3
o Step 4: Verification: f[f-1(x)] = f[2 + √(x –3)] = {[2 + √(x –3)] -2}2 + 3
= [√(x –3)] 2 + 3 = (x –3) + 3 = x. And f-1[f(x)] = f-1[(x-2)2 + 3] = 2 + √([(x-2)2 + 3] –3)
= 2 + √(x-2)2 = 2 + (x-2) = x

Graph: Reflect in y = x to get the graph of the inverse function.

• Definition: A function of the type y = ax2 + bx + c where a, b, and c are called the coefficients, is
called a quadratic function.
The graph of a quadratic function will form a parabola. Each graph will have either a maximum
or minimum point. There is a line of symmetry which will divide the graph into two halves.

• What happens if we change the value of a and c?

• When a is positive, the graph concaves downward.

• When a is negative, the graph concaves upward.

• When c is positive, the graph moves c units up.

When c is negative, the graph moves c units down

• Solving Quadratic Equations: Since y = ax2 + bx +c, by setting y=0 we set up a quadratic equation.
To find the solutions means we need to find the x-intercept. Since the graph is a parabola, there will
be at most two solutions.

• Graphing Method: In this method, we use a scientific calculator and graph the equation. Then we
read the x-intercepts from the graph.
•

© Copyright Virtual University of Pakistan 5

General Mathematics VU

o Example: x2 - 2x = 0
o To solve the equation, write y = x2 - 2x into your graphing calculator. Find the x-
intercepts. The two solutions are x=0 and x=2.

• Factorization Method: To solve a quadratic equation we get it in the standard form y = ax2 + bx
+c and see if it will factorize.
o Example: x 2 = 5 x - 6  x 2 - 5 x + 6 = 0  ( x - 3) ( x - 2 ) = 0
 x - 3 = 0 or x - 2 = 0
 x = 3 and x = 2

• Completing the Square Method: For this method we need the coefficient of x2 to be 1. We then
divide the take the coefficient of x and add and subtract the square of half of the coefficient of x
from the equation to form a perfect square on one side of the equation.
o Example: x + 6 x + 3 = 0. . This does not factorize. So we will use the completing the
2

square method here.

x 22 + 6 x = -.3The coefficient of x is 6. So, the square of 6/2 is 9.
x + 6 x + 9 = -3 + 9 . We added 9 to both sides of the equation
x 2 + 6 x + 9 = 6 . The left side becomes a perfect square.

( x + 3)
2
= 6  x + 3 = � 6  x = -3 � 6

x = -3 + 6 �-0.55 And x = -3 - 6 �-5.45

• Formula Method: Using the completing the square method, we get the general quadratic
formula. Given ax + bx + c = 0, the quadratic formula is:
2

-b � b 2 - 4ac
x=
2a
Example: x + 6 x + 3 = 0
2
o
Here, a = 1, b = 6 and c = 3. So, using the formula, we get:

-b � b 2 - 4ac -6 � 62 - 4(1)(3) -6 � 24
x= = = = -3 � 6
2a 2(1) 2

© Copyright Virtual University of Pakistan 6

General Mathematics VU

• Note that the expression b2 – 4ac under the square root – called the discriminant -
determines how many solutions (if any) the quadratic equation will have.

o If b - 4ac > 0, there will be two distinct real solutions.

2

o If b - 4ac = 0, there will be exactly one real solution.

2

o If b 2 - 4ac < 0, , there will be no real solutions.

• Examples: In each of the following cases determine if the equations has one, two or zero real
solutions.
o 2 x2 + 7 x + 4 = 0
b 2 - 4ac = 7 2 - 4(2)(4) = 49 - 32 = 17 > 0
Therefore, there are two distinct real solutions

o 2 x2 + 4 x + 2 = 0
b 2 - 4ac = 42 - 4(2)(2) = 16 - 16 = 0
Therefore, there is exactly one real solution

o 3x 2 + 4 x + 2 = 0
b 2 - 4ac = 42 - 4(3)(2) = 16 - 24 = -8 < 0
Therefore, there are no real solutions.

© Copyright Virtual University of Pakistan 7

General Mathematics VU

© Copyright Virtual University of Pakistan 8