LESSON 5: Operations on Functions

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, the students are expected to accomplish the
following:
perform operations on functions;
determine the domain and range of given functions
determine the domain and range of the resulting functions after
performing the operations on functions; and
define a composite function and give its domain.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
Teachers are encouraged to discuss and recall all the examples in this
lesson. After the discussion, exercises may be solved by the students using the
cooperative learning approach. Let students work together in a small group,
maybe four to five members per group, to help each other learns and try to
assign one member that shows excellence in the class to lead the group. To
evaluate or to asses students understanding. The teacher may choose randomly
one member per group to solve a problem on the board. e sure to explain the
procedure of this activity beforehand to ensure the group, as a whole, will be
responsible for the individual learning of each member.
DISCUSSION OF THE TOPICS:
!rom given functions, a new function may be formed by adding, subtracting,
multiplying or dividing these functions. These new functions are called the sum,
difference, product and "uotient of the original function.
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Let f and g be functions with domains #
f
and #
g
, respectively. Then
i$ their sum, denoted by f % g, is the function defined by
&f % g$&x$ ' f&x$ % g&x$
with domain
#
f%g
: #
f
#
g
ii$ their difference, denoted by f ( g, is the function defined by
&f ( g$&x$ ' f&x$ ( g&x$
with domain
#
f (g
: #
f
#
g
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iii) their r!duc", denoted by f g, is the function defined by
&f g$&x$ ' f&x$ g&x$
with domain
D
f g
: D
f
D
g

iv) their #u!"ien", denoted by f g, is the function defined by

g&x$
f&x$
x$
g
f

,
_

(
with domain
g f
g
f
D D D

,
_

excluding values of x for which g&x$')

And
f
g
, is the function defined by
f&x$
g&x$
x$
f
g

,
_

(
with domain:
g f
f
g
D D D

,
_

excluding values of x for which f&x$')

v$ their c!m!si"i!n func"i!n, denoted by f g, is defined by
&f g$&x$ ' f&g&x$$
with domain as the set of all x in the domain of g such that g&x$ is in
the domain of f or in other words, whenever both g&x$ and f&g&x$$ are
defined,
and g f is defined by :
&g f$&x$ ' g&f&x$$
with domain as the set of all x in the domain of f such that f&x$ is in
the domain of g, or, in other words, whenever both f&x$ and g&f&x$$ are
defined.
*xample +.,. -iven f&x$ ' x . + and g&x$ ' x
/
. ,, define the following functions
and determine their domain:
a$ f % g; b$ f . g ; c$ f g; d$
g
f
; e$
f
g

0olution: #omain determination of f and g.
#
f
: &(, $ and
#
g
: &(, $
a$ f % g : &f % g$&x$ ' f&x$ % g&x$
' x . + % x
/
. ,
' x
/
% x . 1
#
f%g
: #
f
#
g

#
f%g
: &(, $
b$ f ( g: &f ( g$&x$ ' f&x$ ( g&x$
' x . + . &x
/
. ,$
' (x
/
% x . 2
#
f%g
: #
f
#
g

#
f%g
: &(, $
c) f g: &f g$&x$ ' f&x$ g&x$
' &x . +$&x
/
. ,$
' x
3
. +x
/
. x % +
#
f%g
: #
f
#
g

#
f%g
: &(, $
d$
g&x$
f&x$
x$
g
f
g
f

,
_

( :
'
, x
+ x
/

#omain of &f4g$&x$ ' #omain of f&x$ #omain of g&x$. *xclude the values of x
for which g&x$ ' ), that is, x
/
. , ' ) or x ' t,

34
Therefore,

,5 6 # # #
g f
g
f
t

,
_

or
,5 6 #
g
f
t +

,
_

) , (
f$
f&x$
g&x$
x$
f
g
f
g

,
_

( :
'
+ x
, x
/

#omain of &g4f$&x$ ' #omain of g&x$ #omain of f&x$
' &(, $
such that f&x$ ), that is, x . + ) or x +.

Therefore,
6+5 # # #
g f
f
g

,
_

or
6+5 #
f
g
+

,
_

) , (
*xample +./. -iven the two functions f and g defined by f&x$ ' , x + and g&x$ '
2 x , find: a$ f % g; b$ f . g; c$ f g; d$
g
f
. #etermine also
the domain of the resulting functions.
0olution:
To determine the domain of f&x$
, x + must be real, that is,
x % , ) or x (,.
Therefore, #f : 7(,, $.
To solve determine the domain of g&x$
2 x must be real, that is,
x ( 2 ) or x 2.
Therefore, #g : 72, $.
35
a$ f % g : &f % g$&x$ ' f&x$ % g&x$
' , x + % 2 x
#f%g ' 7(,, $ 72, $
#f%g : 72, $
b$ f . g: &f ( g$&x$ ' f&x$ ( g&x$
' , x + ( 2 x
#f(g ' 7(,, $ 72, $
#f(g : 72, $
c) f g: &f g$&x$ ' f&x$ g&x$
' , x + 2 x
#f(g ' 7(,, $ 72, $
#f(g : 72, $
d$
g&x$
f&x$
x$
g
f
g
f

,
_

( :
'
2 x
, x

+
'
2 x
, x

+
.
2 x
2 x

&rationali8e$
'
2 x
2 x 3 x
/

9ote: !rom the 7(,, $ 72, $ exclude x ' 2 sice f4g is not defined for
this value of x. :ence,

,
_

g
f
#
: &2, $.

36
*xample +.3. ;f f&x$ ' / . +x, h&x$ ' x
/
. 3x % +, g&x$ ' x
/
. /x and <&x$ '
3 x , find: a$ &f % h$&/$, b$ &g h$&(,$ c$
( ) x
f g
h <

,
_

and
d$
$ / $& f < h &
0olution:
a$ &f % h$&/$ ' f&/$ % h&/$
' (= % 3
' . +

Alternative 0olution:
0olve for &f % h$&x$ ' f&x$ % g&x$
' / . +x % x
/
. 3x % +
' x
/
. =x % >.
Then &f % h$&/$ ' /
/
. =&/$ % >
' (+.
b$ &g h$&(,$ ' g&(,$ h&(,$
' &3$&?$
' />

This problem may be solved also by applying the same principle with the
alternative solution in problem +.3a but you are expected to think when
you reach the point of multiplying x
/
. /x by x
/
. 3x % +.
c$
( ) x
f g
h <

,
_

'
$ x & f $ x & g
$$ x & h & <
$ x $& f g &
$ x $& h < &

'
) 5 2 ( ) 2 (
) 5 3 (
2
2
x x x
x x j

+
'
x x x
x x
5 2 2
3 ) 5 3 (
2
2
+
+
'
/ x 3 x
/ x 3 x
/
/
+
+
37
d$ To take the composite of three or more functions, the composite function
f < h
is found by first replacing x by f&x$ in <, then use this result to
replace x in h, that is,

$$$ x & f & < & h $ x $& f < h &
' h&<&/ . +x$$
' h&
3 $ x + / &
' h& x + , $
' + x + , 3 $ x + , &
/
+
' . , . +x . 3 + x + , + or
' x x 5 1 3 5 4
Then
$ / $& f < h &
' 2 ( +&(/$ (3
) 2 ( 5 1
' 2 %,) (3 10 1+
' ,2 (3 9
' +
Alternative 0olution:
$ / $& f < h &
' h&&<&f$$$&(/$
' h&<&f&(/$$
' h&<&,/$$
' h&3$
' +

*xample +.2. *xpress @&t$ ' t sin in terms of two functions f and g such
that f g.
0olution:
0ince @&t$ ' t sin , from @&t$ ' &f g$t ' f&g&t$ the formula @ says that g&t$
be defined first, in terms of sin t, then its s"uare root is taken. Thus,
let g&t$ ' sin t
f&t$ ' t ,
Then
&f g$&t$ ' f&g&t$$ ' f&sin t$ ' t sin .
38
*xample +.+. ;f f&x$ ' /x % + and h&x$ ' x . ,, find g&x$ such that a$ g f ' h
and b$ f g ' h.
0olution:
a$ &g f$&x$ ' g&f&x$$ ' h&x$
g&f&x$$ ' x .,
g&/x % +$ ' x . , since f&x$ ' &/x % +$
expressing &x . ,$ in terms of &/x % +$, that is,
x . , '
/
>
$ + x / &
/
,
+ .
And &/x % +$ can be replaced by a function of AxB, that is,

/
>
x
/
,
.
Therefore, g&x$ '
/
>
x
/
,
.
b$ &f g$&x$ ' f&g&x$$ ' h
f&g&x$$ ' x . ,.
0ince f&x$ ' /x % + and g&x$ is the unknown function, f&g&x$$ means
substitute x in &/x % +$ by g&x$, that is
/g&x$ % + ' x . ,
/g&x$ ' x . 1
g&x$ '
/
1 x

g&x$ ' 3 x
/
,
.

E$ERCISES:
39
,. ;n the following exercises, f and g are defined. #etermine the domain of
the resulting function indicated below.
f % g; f . g; f g; f4g; g4f; f g; g f ; g g
a$ f&x$ ' x . + g&x$ ' x
/
. ,
b$ f&x$ ' x g&x$ ' x
/
% ,
c$ f&x$ '
, x
, x

+
g&x$ '
x
,
d$ f&x$ ' / x g&x$ '
x
,
e$ f&x$ '
, x
/

g&x$ ' , x
/. -iven the function f defined by

'

< <

> x
> x /
/ x
if
if
if
$ 1 x & /
C , x C
x
/ x
$ x & f
/
/
*valuate &f f$&1$.
3. @se the table to evaluate each expression:
x ) , / 3 2 +
f&x$ + 2 2 , 3 /
g&x$ / 3 3 ) + ,
a$ f&g&)$$ d$ &f % g$&+$<
b$ g&g&,$$ e$ &g
$ / $& g g
c$ g&f&,$$ f$ &f g$&3$$
2. *xpress the function in the form ! : - .
a$ D&x$ '
/
x
+ /
b$ E&t$ ' t csc
2
c$ L&y$ '
3
3 y +
+. ;f g&x$ ' x % 2 and h&x$ ' 2x . ,, find a function f such that g f ' h.
1. ;f g&x$ ' /x % , and h&x$ ' 2x
/
% 2x % >, find a function f such that f g 'h.
40
>. (Research Work): ;f you are given the graph of two functions, say f and g,
and you are ask to find the point on the graph of h ' f g that
corresponds to x ' a, how to solve graphically for h&a$.
41