1.1 Functions and function notation  (Page 2/21)

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Determining if menu price lists are functions

The coffee shop menu, shown in [link] consists of items and their prices.

1. Is price a function of the item?
2. Is the item a function of the price?
1. Let’s begin by considering the input as the items on the menu. The output values are then the prices. See [link] .

Each item on the menu has only one price, so the price is a function of the item.

2. Two items on the menu have the same price. If we consider the prices to be the input values and the items to be the output, then the same input value could have more than one output associated with it. See [link] .

Therefore, the item is a not a function of price.

Determining if class grade rules are functions

In a particular math class, the overall percent grade corresponds to a grade point average. Is grade point average a function of the percent grade? Is the percent grade a function of the grade point average? [link] shows a possible rule for assigning grade points.

 Percent grade 0–56 57–61 62–66 67–71 72–77 78–86 87–91 92–100 Grade point average 0.0 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0

For any percent grade earned, there is an associated grade point average, so the grade point average is a function of the percent grade. In other words, if we input the percent grade, the output is a specific grade point average.

In the grading system given, there is a range of percent grades that correspond to the same grade point average. For example, students who receive a grade point average of 3.0 could have a variety of percent grades ranging from 78 all the way to 86. Thus, percent grade is not a function of grade point average.

[link] http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/lisn100.shtml. Accessed 3/24/2014. lists the five greatest baseball players of all time in order of rank.

Player Rank
Babe Ruth 1
Willie Mays 2
Ty Cobb 3
Walter Johnson 4
Hank Aaron 5

1. Is the rank a function of the player name?
2. Is the player name a function of the rank?

a. yes; b. yes. (Note: If two players had been tied for, say, 4th place, then the name would not have been a function of rank.)

Using function notation

Once we determine that a relationship is a function, we need to display and define the functional relationships so that we can understand and use them, and sometimes also so that we can program them into computers. There are various ways of representing functions. A standard function notation is one representation that facilitates working with functions.

To represent “height is a function of age,” we start by identifying the descriptive variables $h$ for height and $a$ for age. The letters $\text{\hspace{0.17em}}f,\text{\hspace{0.17em}}g,$ and $\text{\hspace{0.17em}}h\text{\hspace{0.17em}}$ are often used to represent functions just as we use $x,\text{\hspace{0.17em}}y,$ and $z$ to represent numbers and $A,\text{\hspace{0.17em}}B,$ and $C$ to represent sets.

Remember, we can use any letter to name the function; the notation $\text{\hspace{0.17em}}h\left(a\right)\text{\hspace{0.17em}}$ shows us that $\text{\hspace{0.17em}}h\text{\hspace{0.17em}}$ depends on $\text{\hspace{0.17em}}a.\text{\hspace{0.17em}}$ The value $\text{\hspace{0.17em}}a\text{\hspace{0.17em}}$ must be put into the function $\text{\hspace{0.17em}}h\text{\hspace{0.17em}}$ to get a result. The parentheses indicate that age is input into the function; they do not indicate multiplication.

what is set?
a colony of bacteria is growing exponentially doubling in size every 100 minutes. how much minutes will it take for the colony of bacteria to triple in size
I got 300 minutes. is it right?
Patience
no. should be about 150 minutes.
Jason
It should be 158.5 minutes.
Mr
ok, thanks
Patience
100•3=300 300=50•2^x 6=2^x x=log_2(6) =2.5849625 so, 300=50•2^2.5849625 and, so, the # of bacteria will double every (100•2.5849625) = 258.49625 minutes
Thomas
what is the importance knowing the graph of circular functions?
can get some help basic precalculus
What do you need help with?
Andrew
how to convert general to standard form with not perfect trinomial
can get some help inverse function
ismail
Rectangle coordinate
how to find for x
it depends on the equation
Robert
yeah, it does. why do we attempt to gain all of them one side or the other?
Melissa
whats a domain
The domain of a function is the set of all input on which the function is defined. For example all real numbers are the Domain of any Polynomial function.
Spiro
Spiro; thanks for putting it out there like that, 😁
Melissa
foci (–7,–17) and (–7,17), the absolute value of the differenceof the distances of any point from the foci is 24.
difference between calculus and pre calculus?
give me an example of a problem so that I can practice answering
x³+y³+z³=42
Robert
dont forget the cube in each variable ;)
Robert
of she solves that, well ... then she has a lot of computational force under her command ....
Walter
what is a function?
I want to learn about the law of exponent
explain this
what is functions?
A mathematical relation such that every input has only one out.
Spiro
yes..it is a relationo of orders pairs of sets one or more input that leads to a exactly one output.
Mubita
Is a rule that assigns to each element X in a set A exactly one element, called F(x), in a set B.
RichieRich