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Chapter
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FUNCTIONS
1. Functions: The Building Blocks of Mathematical Models
Mathematical modeling relies on identifying relationships that describe
how one variable changes with respect to another. These relationships
can be described in words as well as with equations. Mathematics provides
tools for analyzing relationships between variables and building models that
can help us make educated guesses about the future.
Mathematical models are based on relationships between quantities
that can change; for example, the relationship between wind speed and stress
on a bridge or the relationship between worker productivity and unemployment.
These relationships are described by mathematical tools called functions (A
function describes how a dependent variable change with respect to one or
more independent variables).
Dependent and Independent Variables
An independent variable is the factor you change or control in an experiment to see how
it affects something else. It does not depend on other variables.
A dependent variable is the factor that you measure or observe in an experiment. It
depends on the independent variable.
Suppose we want to model the variation in temperature over the course of a day,
based on the data in Table 9.1. The first step is to recognize that two quantities
are involved in this model: time and temperature. Our goal is to express the
relationship between time and temperature in the form of a function.
The quantities related by a function are called variables because they change, or
vary. In this case, temperature is the dependent variable because it depends on
the time of day. Time is the independent variable because time varies
independently of the temperature. We say that the temperature varies with
respect to time. Notice that there is exactly one value of the temperature for
each time of day.
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Writing Functions
We often write related variables in the form of an ordered pair, with the
independent variable first and the dependent variable second:
(time, temperature)
IV DV
We use special notation to represent functions. For example, we might use x to
represent the independent variable and y to represent the dependent variable.
Then we write y = f(x), read “y is a function of x,” which means that y is related to
x by the function f . In the case of our (time, temperature) example from Table
9.1, we let t represent time and T represent temperature. We write T = f(t) to
indicate that temperature varies with respect to time, or that temperature is a
function of time.
Rate of Change:
The Slope of a Line
Mathematicians have developed a useful measure of the steepness of a line, called
the slope of the line.
Rate of change is the amount by which one quantity changes for each unit
change in another quantity. In simpler words: It shows how fast something
increases or decreases when something else changes.
A linear function has a constant rate of change and a straight-line graph. For all
linear functions,
• The rate of change is equal to the slope of the graph.
• The greater the rate of change, the steeper the slope.
• We can calculate the rate of change by finding the slope between any two
points on the graph (Figure 9.10):
𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒚
rate of change = slope = =
𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒙
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If time is the independent variable and rain depth is the dependent variable, then rate of
change (slope) can be found as:
𝟏 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔
rate of change = slope = = 1 in/hr
𝟏 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔
Example 1:
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9.15.1 Some Special Types of Functions
In this section we shall discuss some special types of functions which play a
very prominent role for the development of the subsequent text.
1. Single Valued Function.
When a function has only one value corresponding to each value of the
independent variable, the function is called a single valued function. If it has two values
corresponding to each value, then it is called a two valued function. is called a single
valued function. In case a function has several values corresponding to each value of the
independent variable, it is called a multi valued function. For example,
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(i) if y = x3, y is a single valued function of x.
(ii) if y2 = x, y is a two valued function of x.
2. Explicit and Implicit Function.
A function expressed directly in terms of the dependent variable is said to be an
explicit function, e.g., y = x2 – 2x + 3
The functions which are not directly expressed in terms of dependent variable is
said to be an implicit function, e.g., x2 + y2 = 16 so that
y = ±√16 − 𝑥 2 and x = ±√16 − 𝑦 2
3. Polynomial Functions.
Polynomial functions are functions of a single independent variable, in which
that variable can appear more than once, raised to any integer power. For example, the
function
f(x) = 8x4 − 4x3 + 3x2 − 2x + 22
is a polynomial. Polynomial functions are sums of terms consisting of a numerical
coefficient multiplied by a unique power of the independent variable.
We generally write these terms in decreasing order of the power of the variable, from
left to right. Exponents can only be 0,1,2,...but cannot be with minus signs or fractions
values.
4. Linear Function.
A polynomial function with degree 1 is called a linear function. The general form
of linear function is f(x) = 3x – 2. The graph of linear function is always a straight line.
5. Exponential Function.
A function having a variable base and a constant exponent, viz., y = x, x4, x7 etc. is
called a power function while a function having a constant base and a variable exponent
is known as an exponent function. For example, y = ax (a > 0).
6. Logarithm Function.
A logarithmic function is expressed as y = loga x, where a ≠ 1 and x > 0 is the base.
It is read as y is a logarithm to the base a of x. This can also be written as x = ay. Which
shows that the inverse of an exponential function is a logarithmic function.
7. Even and Odd Functions.
A function f(x) is said to be even if f(–x) = f(x)
For example if f(x) = x4, replacing x by –x
f(–x) = (–x)4 = x4 = f(x)
A function f(x) is said to be odd if f(–x) = – f(x)
For example, if f(x) = x3, replacing x by –x
f(–x) = (–x)3 = – x3 = – f(x)
8. Parametric Function.
A function in which x and y are expressed as functions of a third variable is called
a parametric function. For example, the function defined by the equations
x = at2 …. (1) y = 2at ….. (2)
is a parametric function. Equations (1) and (2) are called the parametric equations and
the variable t is also called the parameter.
9. Rational Function.
𝑃(𝑥)
A function R defined by 𝑅(𝑥) = 𝑄(𝑥)
, where both P(x) and Q(x) are polynomial
functions and Q(x) ≠ 0, is called rational function.
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Draw the graph of the equation Y = 3 – 5X
Draw the graph of the equation Y = 6 – 2X