1.4 Defining New Functions from Old

Summary

Given a small number of basic functions, we can produce many more functions by stretching, shifting (both horizontally and vertically), and adding, just to mention a few of the possible operations on the basic set. In this section, we are going to study these and other standard ways to produce new functions from old ones, and the corresponding effects on the graphs.

By the end of your studying, you should know:

How to identify various kinds of symmetry and reflections in graphs.
How to scale a graph by modifying the function.
How to shift a graph by modifying the function.
How to define the sum, difference, product, and quotient of two functions (including the domains).
How to define the composition of two functions (including the domain).
How to determine if a function is one-to-one.
How to determine if an inverse function exists.
How to define the inverse of a function.

On-screen applet instructions: "Enter a function" means "type the function followed by the Enter key." Use the pull-down menu to see examples of how to indicate operands such as "*" for multiplication, "/" for division, etc.