Cubic Functions.

Any function of the form

Constant Functions. Constant function is a linear function of the form y = b, where b is a constant. It is also written as f(x) = b. The graph of a constant function is a horizontal line. Examples of Constant Function y = 10, y = - 3, y = 11 are some examples of constant functions. The graph shows a constant function y = 12.

is referred to as a cubic function. This function is also called the "parent" and the following graph is a sketch of the parent graph.

The value of the y is 12 for any x.

Absolute Value Functions.

Greatest Integer Functions. Greatest Integer Function is a step function written as f(x) = [x], where f(x) is the Even Functions. greatest integer less than or equal to x. for which the left half of the Moreover, a greatest integer These are functions function rounds any number down the right half plane looks like the mirror image of to the nearest of the plane. integer. Mathematically, we say that Function f(x) is Examples of Greatest Integer a function even if f(x)=f(-x) and is odd if f(-x)= The greatest integer less than or equal to f(x). the number [5.3] is [5]. The greatest integer less than or equal to the number [- 5.3] is [- 5].

This is the Absolute Value Function: Periodic Functions. Periodic functions are functions that repeat over and over, or cycle on f(x) = |x| period. A function a specific is periodic if "there exists some number p>0 such It is also sometimes all possible that f(x)=f(x+p) for written: abs(x) values of x" [1.7,p.112] This is its graph: The fundamental period of a function is the length of a smallest continuous portion of the domain over which the function completes a cycle. That is, it's the smallest length of domain that if you took the function over that length and made an infinite number of copies of it, and laid them end to end, you would have the original function.

f(x) = |x| It makes a right angle at (0,0) It is an even function.

Onto Functions. A function f from A to B is called onto if for all b in B there is an a in Asuch that f (a) = b. All elements in B are used. Odd Functions. Such functions are referred to as surjective. Odd functions are functions where the left half of By definition, to determine if a function the plane looks like the mirror image of the right is ONTO, you need to know information about half of the plane, only upside-down. both set A and B. When working in the coordinate plane, the sets A and B may both become the Real numbers, stated as .

One to One Functions. A function is said to be a One-to-One Function, if for each element of range, there is a unique domain. Inverse Functions. More about One-to-One Function An One-to-one function satisfies both vertical invertible function is a function that can be inverted. Antest as well as horizontal line test. the line invertible function must satisfy condition that each element incalled as One-to-one function is also the domain corresponds to one distinct element that no other injective function. element in the domain corresponds to. That is, all Example of One-to-One Function and range are of the elements in the domain paired-up in monogomous relationships - each element in the domain pairs to only one element in the range and each element in the range pairs to only one element in the domain. Thus, the inverse of a function is a function that looks at this relationship from the other viewpoint. So, for all elements a in the domain of f(x), the inverse of f(x) (notation: f-1(x)) satisfies: -1 f(a)=b given figure, every element of range has In the implies f (b)=a And, if you do the slightest bit of manipulation, unique domain. So, the given function is oneto you find that: f-1(f(a))=a one function Yielding the identity function for all inputs in the domain.

Inverse Functions. When we graph functions and their inverses, we find that they mirror along the line x=y. This is only logical. From our definition, we know that for each (a,b) in f(x) there will be a (b,a) in f-1(x): Signum Functions. Syntax Y = sign(X) Description Y = sign(X) returns an array Y the same size as X, where each element of Y is: 1 if the corresponding element of X is greater than zero 0 if the corresponding element of X equals zero -1 if the corresponding element of X is less than zero For nonzero complex X, sign(X) = X./abs(X). 1. For all x 2. For all x , sgn(x)=sgn(x) , x =sgn(x)x Signum Functions. Moreover, the signum function is often defined simply as 1 for x 0 and 1 for x 0 . Thus, at x=0 , it is left undefined. See for example [1]. In applications such as the Laplace transform this definition is adequate, since the value of a function at a single point does not change theanalysis. One could then, in fact, set sgn(0) to any value. However, setting sgn(0)=0 is motivated by the above relations. On a related note, we can extend the definition to the extended real numbers )=1 . by defining sgn( =

)=1 and sgn(

3. For all x =0 , ddx x =sgn(x) .

Quadratic Functions. These are functions of the form: y = a x 2+ b x + c, where a, b and c are constants. Their graphs are called parabolas. This is the next simplest type of function after the linear function. Falling objects move along parabolic paths. If a is a positive Rational Functions. number then the parabola opens upward and if a is aThese functions are the ratiothe two polynomials. negative number then of parabola opens downward. One field of study where they are important is in stability analysis of mechanical and electrical systems (which uses Laplace transforms). When the polynomial in the denominator is zero then the rational function becomes infinite as indicated by a vertical dotted line (called anasymptote) in its graph. For the example to the right this happens when x = 2 and when x = 7. When x becomes very large the curve may level off. The curve to the right levels off at y = 5.

Linear Functions. These are functions of the form: y = m x + b, where m and b are constants. A typical use for linear functions is converting from one quantity or set of units to another. Graphs of these functions are straight lines. m is the slope and b is Rational Functions. the y intercept. If m is positive then the line rises to This graph shows another the right and if m is negative then the line falls to example of a rational the right. function. This one has a division by zero at x = 0. It doesn't level off but does approach the straight line y = x when x is large, as indicated by the dotted line (another asymptote).