Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Lecture 1

MATH10070 - Introduction to Calculus

H. Render
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

About MATH10070

• MATH10070 is a 5 credit Stage 1 module

• This module is offered each semester
• This offering (semester 2) of MATH10070 is principally for
B.Agr.Sc. students
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Learning

• Lectures: 30 hours
• Practicals (tutorials): 5 (every second week)
• Begin: next week
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Resources

• Lecturer
• Dr Hermann Render
• Room 23, School of Mathematical Sciences (2nd floor,
Science Lecture Building)
• hermann.render@ucd.ie

• Your programme office

• Mathematics Support Centre
• Course Web Page
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Assessment

• Final exam: 55% (May 2010)

• Mid-term: 30%
• Continuous Assessment: 15% Webwork (computer based
system)
• Homeworks in each tutorial but not part of assessment
• Exam questions are based on the homeworks and the
Webwork
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

What is Calculus?

• Calculus is the quantitative science of change, motion,

growth and decay
• Introduced by Isaac Newton (1642-1727) (and
independently by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716)) in
his study of planetary motion
• Initially used primarily in physics and engineering
• calculus now used in all physical sciences, finance,
ecology, biology and medicine, population modelling, and
much more. . .
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

In this course you will get an introduction to some of the basic

ideas and techniques of the Calculus.

By the end of the course, you should have some understanding

of what the calculus is and how it is used.

You should have also mastered some of the basic computations

and rules of the calculus.
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

What is a function?
Informal definition: A FUNCTION assigns to each element of an
input set a unique element of an output set.

A precise definition is:

• Specify the input set A, also called the domain.

• Specify the output set B.
• For each x ∈ A we have to define an element f (x) in the
set B.

f (x) is called the function value of f at x.

Read f (x) as "f of x".

Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

An example

A function from a set A to a set B can be given by explicitly

providing a unique element of B for each element of A.

Define the domain (input set) by A = {Curly, Moe, Larry},

define the output set by B = {Chocolate, Vanilla}.

Now define a function f : A → B (read: a function f from A to B)

by

f (Curly) = Chocolate, f (Moe) = Chocolate, f (Larry) = Vanilla.

Here we think that Chocolate and Vanilla are the favourite

ice-cream flavours.
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Favourite ice-cream flavours for students in

MATH10070
Now let us define A as the set of all MATH10070 students, and
the output set B = {Chocolate, Vanilla}.

Each student in A is asked what he perfers: chocolate or

vanilla.

We define a function f : A → B by

f (x) := favourite ice-cream flavour of student x ∈ A.

Here we define f (x) by means of a variable x.

If we are dealing with a very big set (e.g. the natural numbers)
then this is the only way one can define a function.
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Examples of functions

Usually we write: Let f : A → B be a function and let f (x) for

x ∈ A be defined by a mathematical formula.

• f : R → R, f (x) = 2x + 3,
• g : Z → N, g(x) = x 2 + 1,
• h : {MATH10070 students} → R,
h(x) = height of x in metres.
• s : {MATH10070 students} → R,
s(x) = student identity number of x.
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Variables

Letters are used a lot in mathematics, and they seem to scare

people!

If you see an x or a y in mathematics it is just standing in for an

unspecified number.

This is a lot like using “he” or “she” in English, instead of full

names.
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Z The letters ‘x’ and ‘y ’ and ‘z’ are often

used for variables. Functions are usually
denoted by f or g and sets by A, B or C.

But there are worse examples:

• ε means epsilon
• δ means delta
• α means alpha
• β means beta
• γ means gamma
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Set Notation
A set is a collection of well-defined elements (G. Cantor 1870).

• Example: {1, 2, 3} is the set of the elements 1, 2, 3.

• Use curly brackets for describing a set.
• Membership (“is an element of”)

73 ∈ N
• Do not confuse ∈ with ε.
• Union
A ∪ B = {x : x ∈ A or x ∈ B}.
• Intersection

A ∩ B = {x : x ∈ A and x ∈ B}.
• Subset: A ⊂ B means the set B contains all the elements
of A. N ⊂ R
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

6 + 2 × 3 + 4 =?

There are four basic arithmetic operations – multiplication,

division, addition and subtraction and there is a precedence in
the order which these are to be carried out.

Z First multiplication and division, then ad-

dition and subtraction.

So 6 + 2 × 3 + 4 equals 16.
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

To change the order in which operations are performed,

brackets are used;

(6 + 2) × 3 + 4 = 28,
(6 + 2) × (3 + 4) = 56
6 + 2 × (3 + 4) = 20.

Brackets are especially important when dealing with variables.

For example, 3 multiplied by x + y is written 3(x + y ) and not
3 x + y , otherwise we could be replacing 3(4 + 5) = 27 with
3 × 4 + 5 = 17.

6 6+4
Similarly be careful writing fractions: 3 + 4 6= 3 .
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Laziness...

We don’t often use the multiplication sign ×.

The multiplication x × y is usually abbreviated to x · y or just xy .

But can’t shorten 3 × 4 to 34. Can write it as 3(4).

Note that 3.4 is a decimal.

Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Expanding

Getting rid of brackets (called EXPANDING) is done by using the

distributive law:
3(x + y ) = 3x + 3y .
For example, 3(4 + 5) = 3 × 4 + 3 × 5

The general form of the distributive law is

x(y + z) = xy + xz

and
(x + y )z = xz + yz.
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Example

Expand (3 + 4)2 .

(3 + 4)2 = (3 + 4)(3 + 4)
= (3 + 4)3 + (3 + 4)4
=3·3+4·3+3·4+4·4
= 32 + 3 · 4 + 3 · 4 + 42
= 32 + 2 · 3 · 4 + 42
= 9 + 24 + 16 = 49.
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Example

Expand (x + y )2 .

(x + y )2 = (x + y )(x + y )
= x(x + y ) + y (x + y )
=x ·x +x ·y +y ·x +y ·y
= x 2 + xy + xy + y 2
= x 2 + 2xy + y 2 .
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Another approach...
There is a geometrical way of looking at the formula
(x + y )2 = x 2 + 2xy + y 2 .

Figure: (x + y )2 = x 2 + 2xy + y 2
Preliminaries Chapter 1- Functions

Theorem of Pythagoras

Figure: Area of Red = Area of Yellow

p
That is, h2 = x 2 + y 2 (or h = x 2 + y 2)