MATHS UNIT 1 GRAPHS AND FUNCTIONS

JULY 2011

Graphs and Functions

Basic Graphs
1. Straight line
Geometrically, the graph of y = f(x) = x is simply a 45 line through the origin:

domain: x
range: y

2. Quadratic graph (parabola)

If we plot a few points, the function f ( x) x 2 yields the following graph:

Three points that capture the basic shape are (-1, 1); (0, 0) and (1, 1). This shape is called
a "parabola."
This graph has these basic properties:
domain: x
range: [0, )
x-intercept: (0,0);
y-intercept: (0,0)
3. Cubic graph
If we plot a few points, the function f ( x) x 3 yields the following graph:

Three points that capture the basic shape are (-1, - 1); (0, 0) and (1, 1). This shape is
called a "cubic."
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MATHS UNIT 1 GRAPHS AND FUNCTIONS

JULY 2011

This graph has these basic properties:

domain: x
range: y
x-intercept: (0,0);
y-intercept: (0,0)
4. Quartic graph

domain: x
range: y [0, )

5. Reciprocal graph
If we plot a few points, the function f ( x)

1
yields the following graph:
x

Four points that capture the basic shape are (-1, - 1); (- 1/2, - 2); (1/2, 2) and (1, 1). This
shape is called a "hyperbola."
Special Notes: This graph "breaks apart" at the y-axis (x = 0) since the function
formula won't allow us to plug in x = 0. Similarly, the graph "breaks apart" at the x-axis
1
(y = 0) since the equation 0 has no real solution.
x
This graph has these basic properties:
domain: x \{0}
range: y \{0}
x-intercept: none;
y-intercept: none
the line y = 0 is a horizontal asymptote for the graph
the line x = 0 is a vertical asymptote for the graph

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MATHS UNIT 1 GRAPHS AND FUNCTIONS

6. Quadratic reciprocal graph, y

JULY 2011

1
x2

domain: x \{0}
range: y (0, )

7. Square root graph

If we plot a few points, the function

yields the following graph:

Three points that capture the basic shape are

(0, 0) ; (1, 1) and (4, 2).
Special Note: This graph "lives" only in Quadrant I, because we can't
plug a negative x-value into the function formula for the
square root.
This graph has these basic properties:
domain: x 0
range: y 0
x-intercept: (0,0);
y-intercept: (0,0)
the graph does not have x-axis or y-axis symmetry,

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MATHS UNIT 1 GRAPHS AND FUNCTIONS

JULY 2011

8. Exponential graph, y e x

domain: x
range: y 0
the line y = 0 is a horizontal asymptote for the graph

9. Logarithmic graphs, y log e x

domain: x 0
range: y
the line x = 0 is a vertical asymptote for the graph

10. Trigonometry graphs

(a) y sin x

domain: x
range: y [1,1]

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MATHS UNIT 1 GRAPHS AND FUNCTIONS

JULY 2011

(b) y cos x

domain: x
range: y [1,1]

(c) y tan x

domain: to be given
range: y

11. Absolute graph

If we plot a few points, the function

yields the following graph:

Three points that capture the basic shape are ( -1, 1) ; (0, 0) and (1, 1).
This graph has these basic properties:

domain: x
range: y [0, )
x-intercept: (0,0);

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y-intercept: (0,0)
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MATHS UNIT 1 GRAPHS AND FUNCTIONS

JULY 2011

12. Circle function, x 2 y 2 r 2

domain: x [1,1]
range: y [1,1]

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