1
Graphs of Elementary Functions
y
1. Constant Function f : R R; f ( x) k
D f R & R f {k}
yk
y
yx
2. Identity Function: f : R R ; f ( x) x
Df R & Rf R
f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about origin.
y
3. f : R R;f(x) = x2
D f R & R f [0, ]
f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about y-axis
y x2
y
3. f : R R;f(x) = x3
Df R & Rf R
y x3
f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about origin.
y
4. f : R R;f(x) = x
y x4
D f R & R f [0, ]
f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about y-axis
x
Graphs of Elementary Functions
y axis if n is even
Graph of f ( x) x n , n N is symmetrical about
origin if n is odd
Comparison of Values of x, x2 , x3 , x4 , ........
For
The relative values are
x (1, )
x x 2 x3 x 4 ......
x (0,1)
x x 2 x3 x 4 ......
x (1, 0)
x x3 x5 ..............
x 2 x 4 x6 ............
x x3 x5 ..............
x 2 x 4 x6 ............
x (, 1)
Comparison of Graphs of x, x 2 , x3 , x 4 ,.......
x4
x2
-1
x3
x
Graphs of some rational functions:
1
1. f : R - {0} R ; f(x) =
x
D f R ~ {0}& R f R ~ {0}
f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about origin.
y
y
1
x
y
2. f : R - {0} R ; f(x) =
1
x2
D f R ~ {0}& R f R
f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about y-axis.
1
x2
Graphs of Elementary Functions
y
3. f : R - {0} R ; f(x) =
1
x3
f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about origin.
Graph of f ( x)
Comparison of Values of
For
x (1, )
x (0,1)
x (1, 0)
1
x3
y axis if n is even
1
,
n
N
is
symmetrical
about
xn
origin if n is odd
1 1 1 1
, , , , ........
x x 2 x 3 x4
The relative values are
1 1
1
1
2 3 4 ......
x x
x
x
1 1
1
1
2 3 4 ......
x x
x
x
1
1
1
1 1
1
4 6 .......& 3 5 .......
2
x x
x
x
x
x
(Positive Values)
(Negative Values)
x (, 1)
1
1
1
1 1
1
4 6 .......& 3 5 .......
2
x x
x
x
x
x
(Positive Values)
(Negative Values)
y
Comparison of Graphs of
1 1 1 1
, , , , ........
x x 2 x 3 x4
1
x2
1
x
x
1
x3
Graphs of Elementary Functions
Irrationa Functions:
1. f : R {0} R ; f ( x) x
D f R
{0}& R f D f R
y
y x
{0}
x
y
3
2. f : R R; f ( x) x
D f R; R f R
3
y x
y
3. f : R
{0} R ; f ( x) 4 x
D f R {0}& R f D f R
{0}
x
4. f : R R; f ( x) 3 x
D f R; R f R
Graph is very simialr to that of 3 x .
Comaprison of x , 3 x , 4 x , 4 x ........
For
The Relative Values are
x (1, )
x 3 x 4 x 5 x ......
x (0,1)
x 3 x 4 x 5 x ......
x (1, 0)
x 5 x 7 x 9 x ......
x (, 1)
x 5 x 7 x 9 x ......
Comaprison of Graphs of
x , 3 x , 4 x , 4 x ........
x
4
Graphs of Elementary Functions
y x
Modulus Function: f : R R such that
f ( x) | x |
x : if x 0 max( x, x)
x : if x 0
yx
D f R & R f [0, )
f ( x) f ( x) | x | is even function and
symmetrical about y-axis.
Piece Wise Defined Functions:
1. Signum Function (sgn(x)) f : R R
y 1
1 : if x 0
Such that f ( x) sgn( x) 1 : if x 0
0 : if x 0
x
| x |
: if x 0
x : if x 0 | x |
y 1
0 : if x 0 0 : if x 0
Here D f R & R f {1,0,1}
Indicate that the point (0,1) &(0,-1) are not on the graph
Indicates that the point (0,0) is on the graph.
2.Greatest Integer Function or Step Function:
f : R R such that
f ( x) [ x] n if n x n 1; n I
Df R & Rf I
sin x is odd function. Graph
is symmetrical about origin
sin( x 2 ) sin x therefore
sin x is periodic function with
period 2 .
-1
y
o
o
-3
-2
-1 0
o
o
o1
o
o
Trigonometric Functions:
1.sine function
f : R R such that f ( x) sin x
D f R & R f [1,1]
Note: Any number x can be written
x [ x] ( x) where [x] is known
as integral part of x & (x) is known
as fractional part of x. 0 ( x) 1
sin( x) sin x therefore
3
2
y 1
3
2
Graphs of Elementary Functions
2.cosine function
f : R R such that f ( x) cos x
D f R & R f [1,1]
cos( x) cos x therefore
cos x is even function. Graph
is symmetrical about y-axis.
cos( x 2 ) cos x therefore
cos x is periodic function with
period 2 .
y 1
3
2
3
2
x
2
y 1
y
sinx
cosx
f ( x) will be undefined at the points where
3. f(x) = tanx =
cos x 0 i.e. x (2n 1)
,n I
3
2
Thus D f R ~ (2n 1) , n I & R f R
2
tan( x) tan x , therefore tan x is
symmetrical about origin.
tan( x) tan x , therefore tan x is periodic with period .
1
4. f(x) = cosecx =
y
sinx
f ( x) will be undefined at the points
where sin x 0 i.e. x n , n I
y 1
3
2
Thus D f R ~ n , n I and
R f (, 1] [1, )
cos ec( x) cos ecx , therefore
cos ecx is symmetrical about origin.
As cos ec(2 x) cos ecx therefore
coe sec x is periodic with period 2 .
2
2
y 1
3
2
Graphs of Elementary Functions
1
cosx
y 1
Here f ( x) will be undefined
at the points where cos x 0 i.e.
x (2n 1) , n I
2
2
Here D f (2n 1) , n I and
2
R f (, 1] [1, )
5. f(x) = secx =
3
2
o
2
3
2
y 1
sec( x) sec x , therefore sec x is symmetrical about y-axis.
As sec(2 x) sec x therefore sec x is periodic with period 2
cosx
sinx
Here f ( x) will be undefined at the
points where sin x 0
6. f(x) = cotx =
i.e x n , n I
cot( x) cot x , therefore cot x is
symmetrical about origin.
As cot( x) cot x, therefore cot x
is periodic with period .
3
2
Graphs of Elementary Functions
Graph of Exponential Function:
Here D f R & R f R
f(x) = a x
y ax
y
y
a 1
cx
ax
x
bx
Here 1 a b c
bx
ax
y ax
cx
a 1
o
Here 0 a b c 1
Comparison of graphs of a x ,b x ,cx
For
1 a b c
(0, )
ax bx cx
(, 0)
ax bx cx
0 a b c 1
ax bx cx
ax bx cx
Another Important Feature of graph of a x
Nature of the function
lim a x
x
0 a 1
Decreasing
0
a 1
Increasing
Graphs of Elementary Functions
lim a x
y ex
An important case of exponential function is f ( x) e x
y
1
Here e lim 1
n
n
1
1
lim 1 nC1 nC2 2 .......
n
n
n
n(n 1) n(n 1)(n 2)
lim 1 1
.......
n
2!.n.n
3!.n.n.n
1 1 1 1 2
lim 1 1 1 1 1 .....
n
2! n 3! n n
1 1 1
1 .............
1! 2! 3!
2.714.........
e 2.714..
D f R & R f R
O
x
Graph of Logarithmic Functions:
Here f ( x) log a x a (0,1) (1, ) . D f (0, ) & R f R
y
logb x
logc x
y log a x
log a x
x
O
a b c 1
a 1
log a x
logb x
log a x
x
0 a 1
10
Graphs of Elementary Functions
0 a b 1
Important Features of Graph of f(x) = loga x
0 a 1
log a x is decreasing
i.e log a log a
a 1
log a x is increasing
i.e log a log a
lim log a x
lim log a x
lim log a x
lim log a x
x 0
log a x 0 for 0 x 1 and
log a x 0 for x 1
x
x 0
log a x 0 for 0 x 1 and
log a x 0 for x 1
