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Function Operation: Definition &

Overview
Chapter 14 / Lesson 13

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Instructor: Sarah Spitzig

Sarah has taught secondary math and English in three states, and is currently living and working in
Ontario, Canada. She has recently earned a Master's degree.
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In this lesson, we will define a function and determine how to use specific rules to solve addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division of functions.

Definitions
Function
A function is another way to think of an equation that has an x and a y value. I like to think of x as the
input value, or the value we plug into the equation to get the result, and I like to think of y as the
output value, or the value we get (the result) when we plug x into the equation.
For example, y = 3x where x is the input and y is the output is an equation. If we substituted 2 in
for x as the input, than the output, or y, would be 3(2) = 6.
Another example of an equation is y = -2x where x is the input and y is the output. If we substituted 5
in for x as the input, the output, or y, would be -2(5) = -10.
The only difference between an equation and a function is that instead of writing y as the output
value, we write f(x).
The two equations y = 3x and y = -2x could be written as functions by changing the y to f(x).
f(x) = 3x is a function
f'(x) = -2x is a function

When we see f(x) = 2x - 3 this means that we want to find 2x - 3 for certain values of x. If I needed to
find f(3), I would plug 3 into the equation as the input in order to get the output, so f(3) = 2x - 3 = 2(3)
- 3 = 3.
Function Operation
Function operations are rules that we follow to solve functions. There is a certain way to deal with the
addition, multiplication and division of functions.

Examples

Function Addition Rule: If f(x) = 3x - 2 and g(x) = 4x -1, find (f + g)(5).

First, we use the function operation rules to find (f + g)(x) = f(x) + g(x). Then, we use the functions we
were given, f(x) and g(x), and substitute = 3x - 2 + 4x - 1, which can be simplified to = -1x - 3 by
grouping terms.
Then, we find (f + g)(5) by plugging 5 into our new function, so (f + g)(5) = -1(5) - 3 = -8.

Function Subtraction Rule: If f(x) = 3x - 2 and g(x) = 4x -1 find (f- g)(5)

First, we use the operation rules to find (f - g)(x) = f(x) - g(x). Then, we use the functions we were
given, f(x) and g(x) and substitute = 3x - 2 - (4x - 1), which can be simplified to = -1x -1 by grouping
terms.
Then, we find (f- g)(5) by plugging 5 into our new function, so (f - g)(5) = -1(5) - 1 = -6.

Function Multiplication Rule: If f(x) = 3x - 2 and g(x) = 4x -1 find (f * g)(5)

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ACT Prep: Tutoring Solution

43 chapters | 385 lessons
1 - ACT - About the Test: Tutoring Solution
2 - ACT English - Section Overview: Tutoring Solution
3 - ACT English - Punctuation: Tutoring Solution
4 - ACT English - Grammar and Usage: Tutoring Solution
5 - ACT English - Sentence Structure: Tutoring Solution
6 - ACT English - Rhetorical Strategy: Tutoring Solution
7 - ACT English - Organization: Tutoring Solution
8 - ACT English - Style: Tutoring Solution
9 - ACT Math - Overview: Tutoring Solution
10 - ACT Math - Pre-Algebra: Tutoring Solution
11 - ACT Math - Algebraic Expressions: Tutoring Solution
12 - ACT Math - Radicals: Tutoring Solution
13 - ACT Math - Linear Equations: Tutoring Solution
14 - ACT Math - Functions: Tutoring Solution

What is a Function: Basics and Key Terms7:57

Inverse Functions6:05

Applying Function Operations Practice Problems5:17

How to Compose Functions6:52

How to Add, Subtract, Multiply and Divide Functions6:43

What Is Domain and Range in a Function?8:32

Functions: Identification, Notation & Practice Problems9:24

Compounding Functions and Graphing Functions of Functions7:47

Understanding and Graphing the Inverse Function7:31

Polynomials Functions: Properties and Factoring7:45

Polynomials Functions: Exponentials and Simplifying7:45

Explicit Functions: Definition & Examples7:36

Function Operation: Definition & Overview

5:53
Next Lesson

Function Table in Math: Definition, Rules & Examples

Hyperbolic Functions: Properties & Applications

Increasing Function: Definition & Example

Parent Function in Math: Definition & Examples7:25

Go toACT Math - Functions: Tutoring Solution

15 - ACT Math - Absolute Value: Tutoring Solution

What is an Absolute Value?4:42

Solving Absolute Value Practice Problems7:09

How to Solve an Absolute Value Equation5:26

How to Evaluate Absolute Value Expressions5:28

Go toACT Math - Absolute Value: Tutoring Solution

16 - ACT Math - Matrices: Tutoring Solution

17 - ACT Math - Inequalities: Tutoring Solution
18 - ACT Math - Probability: Tutoring Solution
19 - ACT Math - Data and Statistics: Tutoring Solution
20 - ACT Math - Exponents: Tutoring Solution
21 - ACT Math - Polynomials and Quadratics: Tutoring...
22 - ACT Math - Rational Equations: Tutoring Solution
23 - ACT Math - Sequences: Tutoring Solution
24 - ACT Math - Complex Numbers: Tutoring Solution
25 - ACT Math - Exponentials and Logarithms: Tutoring...
26 - ACT Math - Coordinate Geometry: Tutoring Solution
27 - ACT Math - Conic Sections: Tutoring Solution
28 - ACT Math - Triangles: Tutoring Solution
29 - ACT Math - Plane Geometry: Tutoring Solution
30 - ACT Math - Logic in Mathematics: Tutoring Solution
31 - ACT Math - Trigonometry: Tutoring Solution
32 - ACT Science Reasoning - Overview: Tutoring Solution
33 - ACT Science Reasoning - Fundamentals: Tutoring Solution
34 - ACT Reading - Overview: Tutoring Solution
35 - ACT Reading - Question Types: Tutoring Solution
36 - ACT Reading - Understanding Passages: Tutoring Solution
37 - ACT Reading - Literary Terms: Tutoring Solution
38 - ACT Reading - Practice: Tutoring Solution
39 - ACT Writing - Overview: Tutoring Solution
40 - ACT Writing - Essay Skills: Tutoring Solution
41 - ACT Writing - Essay Parts: Tutoring Solution
42 - ACT Writing - Planning: Tutoring Solution
43 - ACT Writing - Advanced Skills: Tutoring Solution

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Operations on Functions

First you learned (back in grammar school) that you can add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers. Then
you learned that you can add, subtract, multiply, and divide polynomials. Now you will learn that you can
also add, subtract, multiply, and divide functions. Performing these operations on functions is no more
complicated than the notation itself. For instance, when they give you the formulas for two functions and
tell you to find the sum, all they're telling you to do is add the two formulas. There's nothing more to this
topic than that, other than perhaps some simplification of the expressions involved.

Given f(x)
find (f

= 3x + 2 and g(x) = 4 5x,

+ g)(x), (f g)(x), (fg)(x), and (f / g)(x).

To find the answers, all I have to do is apply the operations (plus, minus, times, and divide) that
they tell me to, in the order that they tell me to.

(f + g)(x) = f(x) + g(x) = [3x + 2] + [4 5x] = 3x 5x + 2 + 4 = 2x + 6

(f g)(x) = f(x) g(x) = [3x + 2] [4 5x] = 3x + 5x + 2 4 = 8x 2
(fg)(x) = [f(x)][g(x)] = (3x + 2)(4 5x) = 12x + 8 15x2 10x

= 15x2 + 2x + 8

Given f(x)
find (f

= 2x, g(x) = x + 4, and h(x) = 5 x3,

+ g)(2), (h g)(2), (f h)(2), and (h / g)(2).

To find the answers, I can either work symbolically (like in the previous example) and then
evaluate, or I can find the values of the functions at x = 2 and then work from there. It's probably
simpler in this case to evaluate first, so:

f(2) = 2(2) = 4
g(2) = (2) + 4 = 6
h(2) = 5 (2)3 = 5 8 = 3
Now I can evaluate the listed expressions:

(f + g)(2) = f(2) + g(2) = 4 + 6 = 10

(h g)(2) = h(2) g(2) = 3 6 = 9
(f h)(2) = f(2) h(2) = (4)(3) = 12
(h / g)(2) = h(2) g(2) = 3 6 = 0.5
If you work symbolically first, and plug in the x-value only at the end, you'll still get the same results.
Either way will work. Evaluating first is usually easier, but the choice is up to you.

You can use the Mathway widget below to practice operations on functions. Try the entered exercise, or
type in your own exercise. Then click "Answer" to compare your answer to Mathway's. (Or skip the widget
and continue with the lesson.)
(Clicking on "View Steps" on the widget's answer screen will take you to the Mathway site, where you can
register for a free seven-day trial of the software.)

Given f(x)
at h

= 0:

= 3x2 x + 4, find the simplified form of the following expression, and evaluate

Copyright Elizabeth Stapel 2005-2011 All Rights Reserved

This isn't really a functions-operations question, but something like this often arises in the
functions-operations context. The simplest way for me to proceed with this exercise is to work in
pieces, simplifying as I go; then I'll put everything together and simplify at the end.
For the first part of the numerator, I need to plug the expression " x + h" in for every "x" in the
formula for the function, using what I've learned about function notation, and then simplify:

f(x + h) = 3(x + h)2 (x + h) + 4

= 3(x2 + 2xh + h2) x h + 4
= 3x2 + 6xh + 3h2 x h + 4
The expression for the second part of the numerator is just the function itself:

f(x) = 3x2 x + 4
Now I'll subtract and simplify:

f(x + h) f(x) = [3x2 + 6xh + 3h22 x h + 4] [3x2 x + 4]

= 3x2 3x2 + 6xh + 3h2 x + x h + 4 4
= 6xh + 3h2 h
All that remains is to divide by the denominator; factoring lets me simplify:

Now I'm supposed to evaluate at h

= 0, so:

6x + 3(0) 1 = 6x 1
Simplified form:
Value at h

6x + 3h 1

= 0: 6x 1

That's pretty much all there is to "operations on functions" until you get to function composition. Don't let
the notation for this topic worry you; it means nothing more than exactly what it says: add, subtract,
multiply, or divide; then simplify and evaluate as necessary. Don't overthink this. It really is this simple.

Oh, and that last example? They put that in there so you can "practice" stuff you'll be doing in calculus.
You likely won't remember this by the time you get to calculus, but you'll follow a very similar process for
finding something called "derivatives".