Chapter 1

Preliminaries
The resources used in this course are from internet and the following materials：
1. Accomplishments by advanced mathematics teaching and research team of Northwestern
Polytechnical University.
2. G.B. Thomas, M.D. Weir, J. Hass, F.R. Giordano (2004). Thomas’s Calculus (11th edition). Addison
Wesley.
3. J. Stewart (2015). Calculus (8th edition). Brooks Cole Cengage Learning.
4. R. Larson, B. Edwards (2017). Calculus (11th edition). Brooks Cole Cengage Learning.

Ying ZHANG
目 1 Real Numbers and the Real Line

录
C O N T E N T S

2 Lines, Circles, and Parabolas

3 Functions and Their Graphs

4 Identifying Functions
 Part One

Real Numbers and the Real Line

1 Real Numbers and the Real Line

The numbers that can be expressed in

Rational numbers the form of a fraction m/n , where m and
n are integers, and n≠ 0.
decimal expansions （terminating ，eventually repeating）
Real numbers

Real numbers that are not rational

Irrational numbers
numbers, such as π , 2

1 2
Real line
0 2
1 Real Numbers and the Real Line
The Subset of the real line
Finite intervals or Infinite intervals
Intervals
Closed or Open

Notation Type Set description Picture

(a, b) Open {x | a < x < b} a b
(a, b] Half open {x | a < x ≤ b} a b
[a, b) Half open {x | a ≤ x < b}
a b
[a, b] Closed {x | a ≤ x ≤ b}
a b
*Two kinds of Notation：by using inequality or brackets
1 Real Numbers and the Real Line
The Subset of the real line Finite intervals or Infinite intervals
Intervals Closed or Open

Notation Type Set description Picture

(a, ∞) Open {x | a < x} a
[a, ∞) closed {x | a ≤ x} a

(−∞, b) open {x | x < b} b

(−∞, b] Closed {x | x ≤ b} b

(−∞, ∞) Open and closed R

 Part Two

Lines, Circles, and Parabolas

2 Lines, Circles and Parabolas

Rectangular （ Cartesian）coordinate system

2 Lines, Circles and Parabolas

Definition
If a particle moves from the point ( x1 , y1 ) in the plane to another point ( x2 , y2 )，the
net changes in its coordinates are called Increments.
x = x2 − x1 and y = y2 − y1

Example In going from the point A=(2, 5) to the point B =(4, 9) the increments
in the x- and y-coordinates are Initial point
Terminal point
x = 4 − 2 = 2 y = 9 − 5 = 4
2 Lines, Circles and Parabolas

Definition
Let P1 ( x1 , y1 ) andP2 ( x2 , y2 ) be points on a nonvertical line L,
the Slope of L rise y y2 − y1
tan  = m = = = .
run x x2 − x1

Notes
• m>0, L goes uphill
⚫ As x increases • m<0, L goes downhill
( x  0 ) • m=0, L is a horizontal line, where ∆y=0

y
⚫ If x =0, m = is undefined, L is a vertical line.
x
2 Lines, Circles and Parabolas

Definition
When L1 and L2 are nonvertical lines, if they are
⚫ Parallel ⚫ Perpendicular
then m1 = m2 then m1m2 = −1. Negative Reciprocal
2 Lines, Circles and Parabolas

⚫ Vertical Lines x=C

⚫ Horizontal Lines y=D
⚫ Two-Point Equation
y − y1 y2 − y1
= =m
x − x1 x2 − x1
⚫ Point-Slope Equation
y − y1 = m ( x − x1 )
⚫ Slope-Intercept Equation
y = mx + b ( b is y - intercept )

⚫ General Linear Equation

Ax + By = C ( A and B not both 0 )
 2 Lines, Circles and Parabolas

Definition A Circle of radius a is the set of all points P(x, y) whose distance from some
center C(h, k) equals a.

Distance Formula for Points in the Plane

The distance between P(x1, y1) and Q(x2, y2) is

d= ( x ) + ( y ) = (x − x1 ) + ( y2 − y1 )
2 2 2 2
2

When replacing d by a constant a, the standard

equation of a circle with center (h, k) can be obtained:
( x − h) + ( y − k ) = a2 ,
2 2

Where a is the radius of the center.

2 Lines, Circles and Parabolas

Definition

⚫ The Graph of y = ax 2 + bx + c, a  0 is
a parabola.

⚫ The parabola opens upward if a>0

and downward if a<0.
b
⚫ The axis is the line x = − .
2a
 Part Three

Functions and Their Graphs

3 Functions and Their Graphs

Definition
⚫ Set is a well defined collection of distinct objects.
⚫ Element is the objects that make up a set.
⚫ A Function from a set D to a set Y is a rule that assigns a unique element f ( x)  Y to
each element x  D .

Independent variables Dependent variables

3 Functions and Their Graphs

Definition
⚫ Set is a well defined collection of distinct objects.
⚫ Element is the objects that make up a set.
⚫ A Function from a set D to a set Y is a rule that assigns a unique element f ( x)  Y to
each element x  D .

⚫ The set D of all possible input values is called the Domain of the function.
⚫ The set of all values of f (x) as a varies throughout D is called the Range of the function.
3 Functions and Their Graphs

Graph
The points (x, y) in the plane whose coordinates are the input-output pairs of a
function y=f (x) make up the function’s graph.

Increasing(Decreasing) Function
If y rises (falls) as x moves from left to right on x-axis.

Even Function
f (−x) = f (x) Symmetric about the y-axis

Odd Function
f (−x)= − f (x) Symmetric about the origin
3 Functions and Their Graphs

Definition
Sums, Differences, Products, and Quotients
If f and g are functions, then for every x
that belongs to the domains of f and g, we
define functions f + g, f − g, f g and f / g by
the formulas
( f + g )( x ) = f ( x ) + g ( x )
( f − g )( x ) = f ( x ) − g ( x )
( fg )( x ) = f ( x ) g ( x )
 f  f ( x)
 ( x) =
g ( x)
( where g ( x )  0 )
g
3 Functions and Their Graphs

Definition
If f and g are functions, the composite function( f ∘ g ) is defined by

(f g )( x ) = f ( g ( x ) )

The domain of f ∘ g consists of the numbers x in the domain of g for which g(x) lies in
the domain of f.

x f∘g f (g(x))

Composite of g and f
* Apply Order
3 Functions and Their Graphs

⚫ Vertical Shifts
y  b = f ( x )( + : down; − : up ) b units

⚫ Horizontal Shifts
y = f ( x  a )( + : left; − : right ) a units

⚫ Combining Shifts
y  b = f ( x  a)
3 Functions and Their Graphs

Vertical and horizontal Scaling and Reflecting Formulas

⚫ For c > 1, the graph is scaled:
y = cf ( x ) Stretches the graph of f vertically by a factor of c
1
y = f ( x) Compresses the graph of f vertically by a factor of c
c
y = f ( cx ) Compresses the graph of f horizontally by a factor of c
y = f ( x / c) Stretches the graph of f horizontally by a factor of c
3 Functions and Their Graphs

Vertical and horizontal Scaling and Reflecting Formulas

⚫ For c > 1, the graph is scaled:
y = cf ( x ) Stretches the graph of f vertically by a factor of c
1
y = f ( x) Compresses the graph of f vertically by a factor of c
c
y = f ( cx ) Compresses the graph of f horizontally by a factor of c
y = f ( x / c) Stretches the graph of f horizontally by a factor of c

⚫ For c = −1, the graph is reflected:

y = − f ( x) Reflects the graph of f across the x-axis
y = f (−x) Reflects the graph of f across the y-axis
 Part Four

Identifying Functions
4 Identifying Functions

Linear functions

A function of the form

f(x)=mx+b, for
constants m and b.
4 Identifying Functions

Power
A function y= xa
where a is a constant, is
called a power function.
4 Identifying Functions

Power
A function y = xa
where a is a constant, is
called a power function.
4 Identifying Functions

Power
A function y = xa
where a is a constant, is
called a power function.
4 Identifying Functions

Power
A function y = xa
where a is a constant, is
called a power function.
 4 Identifying Functions

Polynomials
A function of the form
f (x) = anxn+an-1xn-1
+…+a1x+a0, where n is
nonnegative integer and
the numbers a0 , a1 , a1 , …
, an are real constants.
4 Identifying Functions

Rational Functions
A rational function is a
quotient or ratio of two
polynomials:
p ( x)
f ( x) =
q ( x)
 4 Identifying Functions

Polynomials Rational Functions Algebraic functions

A function of the form A rational function is a A algebraic function is a
f (x) = anxn+an-1xn-1 quotient or ratio of two function constructed
+…+a1x+a0, where n is polynomials: from polynomials.
nonnegative integer and p ( x)
the numbers a0 , a1 , a1 , … f ( x) =
q ( x)
, an are real constants.
4 Identifying Functions

Trigonometric functions

sinx, cosx, tanx, ctanx

secx, cscx…
4 Identifying Functions

Trigonometric functions Exponential Functions Logarithmic functions

Functions of the form These are the functions
sinx, cosx, tanx, ctanx f(x)=ax, where the base f(x)=logax, where the
secx, cscx… a>0 is a positive base a ≠1 is a positive
constant and a≠1 constant.
Summary
5 Summary

One Two Three Four

Real Numbers Lines, Circles, Functions and Identifying
and the Real and Parabolas Their Graphs
Line Functions
 Ying ZHANG, Dongping JIANG, Lizhi NIU

THANK YOU