Basic Functions, Functions and Graphs

By Mirna Zepeda

Twelve Basic Functions: Identity Function

The graph to the right side is called an Identity Function. Which is f(x)=x. As you see the x and y are the same number so the input is unchanged. The x and y is identically the same number.

Ex 1: How to graph y=x Since it is a y = x graph, all x and y values will be same. Next is take any three points and graph them on the plane. The points would be (-1,-1), (0,0), (1,1)and so on. All points along that line are solutions to y=x.

The squaring Function

The graph to your left is called a Squaring Function. The squaring function is a Parabola which is a curve where any point is at an equal distance from a fixed point and a fixed straight line. The Domains are real numbers and it is an even function. The input axis is labeled as x. The output axis is labeled as y. The graph itself is labeled as y=f(x).

The Cubing Function

The graph on the right is a cubic function. The cubic function is y = x. When x is negative, y is negative: Odd powers of a negative number are negative.

The Reciprocal Function

The picture in the left is a Reciprocal Function. The reciprocal functions are in the format, y = 1/ax or x = 1/ay , Where, a is a constant. First you convert the given equation as y=1/ax, or x =1/aythen you assume first type y=1/ax. Since the given equation is a function of x, let y =f(x). Therefore f(x) = 1/ax. You then substitute various values for x and find corresponding f(x). Then you tabulate the values as columns x & f(x). The values of x as -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 and for f(x), their corresponding values.then you graph and connect the points to find the shape of the function

The Square Root Function

The picture in the right is the square root function. How to find the domain is you first need to set the expression inside the square root greater than or equal to zero. We do this because only nonnegative numbers have a real square root, in other words, we can not take the square root of a negative number and get a real number, which means we have to use numbers that are greater than or equal to zero. You then solve the equation you found. If you multiply or divide by a negative number, you must reverse the direction of the inequality symbol. then you write the answer using interval notation.

The Exponential Function

The function defined by f (x) = e^x is called the natural exponential function. -e is an irrational number, approximately 2.71828183, named after the 18th century Swiss mathematician, Leonhard Euler Inverse of f (x) = e^x: Since f (x) = ex is a one-to-one function, we know that its inverse will also be a function. But what is the equation of the inverse of f (x) = e^x ? To solve for an inverse algebraically: set the equation equal to y swap the x and y solve for y by rewriting in log form log base e is called the natural log, ln x. The inverses for other exponential functions are found in this same manner.

The Natural Logarithm Function

The graph to the left is the natural logarithm function. The logarithm with base e is called the natural logarithm, and it is denoted ln. Natural Logarithm of x = ln x = loge^x

The Sine Function

The picture on the right is called the sine function. We first start with the graph of the basic sine function. f (x) = sin (x). The domain of function f is the set of all real numbers. The range of f is the interval [-1,1]. -1<=sin(x)<=1 Function f is periodic with period equal to 2pi.The graph of f over one period can be sketched by first finding points that give important information such as x intercepts, y intercept. The choice of the values of x in the table correspond to x and y intercepts. These are useful points to graph the sine function over one period [0 , 2pi]. To graph f, we first graph the points in the table then join these points

The Cosine Function

The graph on the left is the cosine function. The graph shows that the curve repeats itself every 360 degree. cos(x + 360degrees.n) = cos(x + 2pn) = cos x where n is a positive or negative integer. From the graph we also observe that cos x does not pass through the origin. The maximum and minimum values of cos x are +1 and -. As x increases from 0degree to 90degrees cos x decreases from 1 to 0, as x increases from 90degrees to 180degrees cos x decreases from 0 to -1, as x increases from 180degrees to 270degrees cos x increases from -1 to 0, as x increases from 270degrees to 360degrees cos x increases from 0 to 1. Cos x is period and has a period 2p.

The Absolute Value Function

The graph on the right is and absolute value function. It is sometimes written abs(x). An absolute function is a function that contains an algebraic expression within absolute value symbols. The absolute value of a number is its distance from 0 on the number line.The absolute value parent function, written as f(x) = |x|, is defined as:

The vertex of the graph is (0, 0). The axis of symmetry ( x = 0 or y -axis) is the line that divides the graph into two congruent halves. The domain is the set of all real numbers. The range is the set of al real numbers greater than or equal to 0.Thexintercept and the y-intercept are both 0.

The Greatest Integer Function

The graph in the left is the greatest integer function. It is written as f(x) = [x], where f(x) is the greatest integer less than or equal to x.A greatest integer function rounds any number down to the nearest integer. Example: If [x] represents the greatest integer function, then evaluate . Solution: Step 1: Let x = 2 - h, then as and as , 2 - h = 1. Step 2:

The Logistic Function

The graph in the right is the logistic function. If growth begins slowly, then increases rapidly and eventually levels off, the data often can be model by an S-curve, or a logistic function. The growth is exponential so its actually proportional to the size of the function value. Another exponential growth is called bounded exponential growth. It takes a decaying exponential and subtracts it from a fixed bound. As the decaying exponential dies out, the difference rises up to the bound. This kind of function models growth that is limited by some fixed capacity.