H2 Maths (Syllabus 9740) Functions and graphs

Functions and graphs (I)

1. What is a function?
It maps a set of elements (input) to a set of images (output), so that we can find out what the
unique image (output) is from the element (input).

x1 f y1

Element x1 x2 y2 Image of x1

x3 y3

x4 y4

Set X Set Y
Domain Range
(Co-domain)
2. Which is a function?

g h
-1 1 1 -1

0 0 0 0

1 1

2 4 4 2

Domain of g = {-1,1,0,2}
Range of g = {1,0,4}
Domain of h = ___________
Range of h = ___________

For each element in the domain of g, can you find the corresponding image?
Can you do the same for h?

Hence, ___ is a function but ___ is not a function.

Page 1 of _
© 2011 by Liw Wenyan
H2 Maths (Syllabus 9740) Functions and graphs

3. How to write a function in notation?

f g
1 2 -1 1

2 4 0 0

3 6 1

4 8 2 4

If we let the elements in the domain of f be x, then we can express the images as f(x).
We can see that x and f(x) are related by f(x) = 2x. We may also write this relation as the rule
f:x 2x, which means f maps x onto 2x.
We must also state the domain of f, because function f is only valid for x = 1, 2, 3, 4.

Hence, to fully define the function f, we write

f(x) = 2x, x = 1, 2, 3, 4 OR f:x 2x, x = 1, 2, 3, 4

Can you define the function g in both forms?

4. How to find the range of a function?

Given f : x x2 +1, x ϵ R+, find the range of f.
Quick test: What is f(3)?
What about f(-3)?
Step 1: Sketch the graph of y = f(x).

Step 2: Read the range of possible y values from the graph.

Hence, range of f is ______________
Alternative notation: [1, ∞)
Include 1 Exclude infinity
Page 2 of _
© 2011 by Liw Wenyan
H2 Maths (Syllabus 9740) Functions and graphs

5. How to show whether a relation given is a function or not?

Explain why an ellipse defined by
2
 x −3
 + y = 1 is not a function.
2

 3 
Method 1: By using 1 particular value of x.
For x = 3, y = 1 or -1. Since there is a value of x that does not have one unique image, the
ellipse is not a function.

Method 2: By using the graph to visualize.

Step 1: Sketch the graph.

Step 2: Add in a vertical line x = k that cuts the graph at more than one point.
Step 3: Conclude
Using the vertical line test, there is a line x=k that cuts the graph at more than one point,
hence the ellipse is not a function.

NOTE: Only method 2 can be used to show that a relation IS a function.

Practice: Show that f : x x2 +1, x ϵ R+ is a function.

Page 3 of _
© 2011 by Liw Wenyan
H2 Maths (Syllabus 9740) Functions and graphs

6. What is an inverse function?

An inverse function maps the image f(x) back onto x, i.e. we can find what the original
element (input) is from the image (output).

Domain of f f Range of f

x y

Range of f-1 f-1 Domain of f-1

Look at f, g, and h. Which one(s) has an inverse function?

f g h
1 2 -1 1 1 -1

2 4 0 0 0 0

3 6 1 1

4 8 2 4 4 2

Hence, for there to be an inverse function, the relation must be 1-to-1.

7. How to show whether a given function has an inverse or not?

Does f : x x2 +1, x ϵ R have an inverse?
(Hint: Every y value should correspond to a unique x value.)

How about f : x x2 +1, x ϵ R+?

Alternative way of showing f is 1-to-1 using gradient:

Page 4 of _
© 2011 by Liw Wenyan