LESSON 2: Piecewise Defined Functions

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, the students are expected to accomplish the
following:
define piecewise defined functions;
evaluate piecewise defined functions, and
enumerate some of the common functions that can be defined as
piecewise defined functions.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
The concept of a piecewise defined function is extremely important but it is
given less attention and where problems involving this matter occurs without the
introduction of its concepts to students. This approach is not quite bad but a
more effective approach can be done to improve the students understanding
about functions. Focus on transformation of absolute value functions into
piecewise defined functions by maybe, discussing example . and example .!
and allowing students to solve exercise "# as a group by focusing on one
problem per group. $ive them time to explain briefly this solution in class.
DISCUSSION OF THE TOPICS:
%ometimes a function is defined by more than one rule or by different
formulas. This function is called a piecewise define function.

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A piecewise defined function is a function which is defined symbolically
by using two or more functions.
&xample .#. A function f is defined by

+
=
x !
x '
! x
( x ) f

if
if
if

x '
' x '
' x
<

<

&valuate: f)"*(, f)+(, and f)#+(.
%olution:
To evaluate the function at the given value of x, consider the formula based
on the value of x to which the function is to be evaluated.
For instance, to evaluate f)"*(, consider the first formula, since x , -* is
less than ',
f)x( , x . ! if x / "'.
Then,
f)"*( , "* . ! , "!.
To evaluate f)+(, consider f)x( ,

x ' which is the second formula since -

' x '.

+ ' ( + ) f = , '.
0 why f)+( , ' and not ' considering ' ' = 1 2.
&valuating f)#+(, we shall consider f)x( , ! - x, the third formula, since ' / #+,
f)#+( , ! - x
, ! - #+
, "3.
&xample .. 4efine g)x( , 5x5 as a piecewise defined function and evaluate g)"
(, g)+( and g)(.
%olution:
From the definition of 5x5,

<

=
+ x
+ x
if
if
x
x
( x ) g
.
Therefore,
g)"( , ")"( ,
g)+( , +
g)( , .
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&xample .!. 4efine F)x( , 5x - #5 " 5x . #5 without absolute value bars,
piecewise in the following intervals: )", "#(, 0"#, #(, 0#, .(.
%olution:
From the definition of absolute value function,

<

=
+ # x
+ # x
if
if
( # x )
# x
5 # x 5
or

<

=
. # x
# x
if
if
# x
# x
5 # x 5
Also,

< +
+
+
+
= +
+ # x
+ # x
if
if
( # x )
# x
5 # x 5
or

<


+
= +
. # x
# x
if
if
# x
# x
5 # x 5
6f
( # , ) x
, 5x - #5 , "x . # and 5 x . #5 , "x - #
and
5x -#5 " 5x . #5 , "x . # - )"x -#(
, " x . # . x . #
, .
6f
( # , # 0 x
, 5x - #5 , "x . # and 5 x . #5 , x . #
and
5x -#5 " 5x . #5 , "x . # - )x .#(
, " x . # " x "#
, "x.
15
6f
( , # 0 x +
, 5x - #5 , x " # and 5 x . #5 , x . #
and
5x -#5 " 5x . #5 , x " # - )x .#(
, x " # " x " #
, ".
Therefore, the required piecewise defined function F)x( is defined as

<
<

=
. # x
# x #
# x
if
if
if

( x ) F
Aside from absolute value function, there are other functions that can be
defined as piecewise defined functions such as signum function and unit"step
function. %ee exercise #. numbers and 7 for definition of these functions.
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EXERCISES:
#. 8ompute the indicated values of the given functions:
a.
7 t
7 t 7
7 t
if
if
if
t
# t
!
( x ) f
>

<

+ =
,
f)"*(, f)"7( and f)#*(
b.

>

<

=
x
x
x
if
if
if
!
#
7
( x ) h
,
h)"!(, h)"(, h)9(, h)e

( and h)(.
c.

=
! x
! x
if
if

7 x
( x ) F

,
f)7(, f)+(, f)"!( and f)"9!(
. A unit step functin of x denoted by :, is defined as

<
=
x +
+ x
if
if
#
+
( x ) :
.
Formulate a piecewise defined function for :)x - #( and evaluate :)"#(,
:)+( and :)#(.
17
!. 4efine ;)x( as a piecewise defined function and evaluate ;)#(, ;)(, ;)!(,
;)+( and ;)"( given by,
;)x( , x " 5x - 5.
7. $iven a function h)x( , x - sgn)x( where sgn)x(, called si!nu"
functin, is defined as

<
=
<
=
x +
+ x
+ x
if
if
if
#
+
#
( x sgn)
.
&valuate: h)"(, h)+( and h)(.
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'. For a given outside temperature T and wind speed v, the windchill index
)<86( is the equivalent temperature that exposed s=in would feel with a
wind speed of 7 mi9hr. An empirical formula for the <86 based on
experience and observation is

< <

+ =
7' v
7' v 7
7 v +
, '' T * . #
(, 737 . + v !+7 . + v ++! . + () T 7 . ># ) 7 . >#
, T
<86
where T is the air temperature in
o
F, v is the wind speed in mi9hr, and <86
is the equivalent temperature in
o
F. Find the <86 if the air temperature is
'
o
F and a( v , ! mi9hr, b( v , 7* mi9hr and c( v, #' mi9hr.
*. The number F)t( of fast food chains and related enterprises in the
?hilippines can be approximated by the following functions of time t in
years since #>>':
8)t( ,

<

+
t '
' t +
if
if
7++ , t !++ , #
@++ t '+
a( &valuate 8)+(, 8)'( and 8)3( and interpret the results.
b( ;ow fast was the number of fast food chains in the ?hilippines
growing in #>>3 and ++#1
c( :se the model to estimate when there were ',7++ fast food chains
in the ?hilippines.
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