Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 3 notes

Chapter 3 Transformations of Functions (1)

1. Relation and Function

Relation – an identified pattern between two variables that may be represented as ordered
pairs, a table of values, a graph, or an equation.

A function is a relation in which each value of the independent variable x corresponds

to exactly one value of the dependent variable y.

You can use the vertical-line test to check whether a graph represents a function. A
graph represents a function if every vertical line intersects the graph in at most one
point. This shows that there is only one element in the range for each element of the
domain.

To write a function using function notation, the form f(x) =… is used to indicate a
function, f, which independent variable x. The notation f(3) means the value obtained
when x = 3 is substituted, and it is read as “f at 3” or “f of 3”.

The symbols g(x) and h(x) are often used to name the outputs of functions, but other
letters are also used, such as v(t) for velocity as a function of time.

We call y the value of f at x or the image of x under f. We also say that f maps x to y.

Example
If h(x) = 2 – 3x and g(x) = x2 + 1, find:
a) h(2) – 3g(1)
b) g(h(2))
c) x when h(x) = g(x)

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 3 notes

2. Domain and Range of Functions

Domain – set of values of the independent variable (x-values) of the relation.

Range – set of the dependent variable (y-values) of the relation.

For a function, for each given element of the domain there must be exactly one element
in the range.

Functions can be represented in various ways: in words, a table of values, a set of

ordered pairs, a mapping diagram, a graph, or an equation.

1) State the domain and range of the following relation. Is the relation a function?

{(2, –3), (4, 6), (3, –1), (6, 6), (2, 3)}

This list of points, being a relationship between certain x's and certain y's, is a relation.
The domain is all the x-values, and the range is all the y-values. Please list the values
without duplication:

domain: {2, 3, 4, 6}
range: {–3, –1, 3, 6}

While this is a relation (because x's and y's are being related to each other), you have two
points with the same x-value: (2, –3) and (2, 3). Since x = 2 gives you two possible
destinations, then this relation is not a function.

2) State the domain and range of the following relation. Is the relation a function?

{(–3, 5), (–2, 5), (–1, 5), (0, 5), (1, 5), (2, 5)}

List the x-values for the domain and the y-values for the range:
domain: {–3, –2, –1, 0, 1, 2}
range: {5}

It is a function since there is only one y value for each x.

There is one other case for finding the domain and range of functions. They will give you
a function and ask you to find the domain (and maybe the range, too).

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 3 notes

3) Determine the domain and range of the given function:

The domain is all values that x can take on.
The only problem you have with this function
is that you cannot have a negative inside the
square root. So set the insides greater-than-or-
equal-to zero, and solve. This will be the
domain:

–2x + 3 > 0
–2x > –3
2x < 3
x < 3/2 = 1.5

Then the domain is "{x| x < 3/2, x   } ".

The range is all negative square root, which is always negative since the square root is
always positive. The range is {y| y < 0, y   }.

The domain and the range can also be found from the graph. While the graph goes down
very slowly, you know that, eventually, you can go as low as you like (by picking an x
that is sufficiently big). Also, from your experience with graphing, you know that the
graph will never start coming back up.

4) Determine the domain and range of the given function:

y = –x4 + 4
This is just a garden-variety polynomial. There are no denominators
(so no division-by-zero problems) and no radicals (so no square-root-
of-a-negative problems). There are no problems with a polynomial.
There are no values that you can't plug in for x. When you have a
polynomial, the answer is always that the domain is "{x| x   }".

The range will vary from polynomial to polynomial. The graph goes
only as high as y = 4, but it will go as low as you like. Then: The range
is "{y| y < 4, y   }".

Interval notation
The interval of numbers between a and b, including a and b, is often denoted [a, b]. The
two numbers are called the endpoints of the interval.
To indicate that one of the endpoints is to be excluded from the set, the corresponding
square bracket can be replaced with a parenthesis.

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 3 notes

In both styles of notation, one may use an infinite endpoint to indicate that there is no
bound in that direction. Specifically, one may use or (or both). For
example, (0, +∞) is the set of all positive real numbers, and (−∞, +∞) is the set of real
numbers.

The union of sets is the set of elements that is in the first set “or” the second set. The

symbol for Union is .

= “or” .

More examples of functions with use of interval notation

f(x) = x2 f(x) = sin x

1
f(x) = x  3 f(x) =
x 1

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 3 notes

3. Parent Function
In mathematics, every function can be classified as a member of a family. Each
member of a family of functions is related to the simplest, or most basic, function
sharing the same characteristics. This function is called the parent function.

Parent functions include, but are not limited to,

Each has unique characteristics that define the shape of its graph.

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 3 notes

4. Horizontal and Vertical translation of Functions

1) Horizontal translation: y = f (x − a)
If we begin with the formula y = f (x) and we replace x with x−a where a is a constant,
then we get the formula y = f (x − a). The graph of y = f (x − a) is obtained by translating
the graph of y = f (x) to the right by a units if a is a positive number or to the left by |a|
units if a is a negative number. If the point (x, y) is on the graph of y = f (x), then the
point (x + a, y) is on the graph of y = f (x − a).

Example 1:
Starting with the formula y = x , if we replace x with x − 3, then we get the formula

y = x  3 . The graph of y = x  3 is obtained by translating the graph of y = x to

the right by 3 units.

Example 2:
Starting with the formula y = x , if we replace x with x − (−3) = x+3, then we get the

formula y = x  3 . The graph of y = x  3 is obtained by translating the graph of

y = x to the left by 3 units.

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 3 notes

2) Vertical translation: y = f (x) + a.

If we begin with the formula y = f (x) and we replace y with y −a where a is a constant,
then we get the formula y − a = f (x) which can also be written as y = f (x) + a. The graph
of y = f (x) + a is obtained by translating the graph of y = f (x) up by a units if a is a
positive number or down by |a| units if a is a negative number. If the point (x, y) is on the
graph of y = f (x), then the point (x, y + a) is on the graph of y = f (x) + a.

Example 3:
Starting with the formula y = x , if we replace y with y − 3, then we get the formula y

−3 = x which can also be written as y = x +3. The graph of y = √x + 3 is obtained by

translating the graph of y = x up by 3 units.

Example 4:
Starting with the formula y = x , if we replace y with y − (−3) = y +3, then we get the

formula y + 3 = x which can also be written as y = x − 3. The graph of y = − 3 is

obtained by translating the graph of y = x down by 3 units.

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 3 notes

3) Horizontal and Vertical Transformations:

y = 4 x  6 − 5.

Starting with a “basic” function such as y = x , we can perform a sequence of

transformations to obtain the graph of a similar but “less basic” function. As an example,

let us perform a sequence of transformations that lead to the graph of y = 4 x  6 − 5.

Step 1.
We begin with y = √x and replace x with x − 6 to obtain y = 4 x  6 . The graph of y =

x  6 is a translation of the graph of y = x to the right by 6 units.

Step 2.
We begin with y = x  6 and replace x with 4x to obtain y = 4 x  6 . The graph of y

= 4 x  6 is a horizontal compression of the graph of y = x  6 by a factor of 1/4.

Step 3.

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 3 notes

We begin with y = 4 x  6 and replace y with y + 5 to obtain y + 5 = 4 x  6 which is

the same as y = 4 x  6 − 5. The graph of y = 4 x  6 −5 is a translation of the graph of

y = 4 x  6 downward by 5 units.

5. Reflections

1) Reflections through the y Axis

If we begin with the formula y = f (x) and we replace x with −x, thenwe get the formula
y = f (−x). The graph of y = f (−x) is obtained by reflecting the graph of y = f (x) through
the y axis. If the point (x, y) is on the graph of y = f (x), then the point (−x, y) is on the
graph of y = f (−x).

Example 5
Starting with the formula y = x , if we replace x with −x, then we get the formula

y = x . The graph of y = x is obtained by reflecting the graph of y = x through the

y axis.

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 3 notes

3) Reflections through the x Axis

If we begin with the formula y = f (x) and we replace y with −y, then we get the formula
−y = f (x) which can also be written as y = −f (x). The graph of y = −f (x) is obtained by
reflecting the graph of y = f (x) through the x axis. If the point (x, y) is on the graph of y
= f (x), then the point (x, −y) is on the graph of y = −f (x).

Example 6
Starting with the formula y = x , if we replace y with −y, then we get the formula y =

− x . The graph of y = − x is obtained by reflecting the graph of y = x through the

x axis.

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