Precalculus Math 40S Module 1 Lesson 1 – The Foolproof Method

Consider the equation below. It can be applied to any function.

y = af(b(x + c)) + d

The Foolproof Method gives you a way of remembering how each variable a, b, c and d will
"transform" the base graph y = f(x).

Here is a summary of the Foolproof Method. Read it carefully and then be sure that you
understand the examples that follow because it is crucial to your success in several other
topics in this course.

The 'a' is located outside of the function and affects the y-values of the graph. The effect on the
graph is said to be the same.

The 'd' is located outside of the function and affects the y-values of the graph. The effect on the
graph is said to be the same.

The 'b' is located inside of the function and affects the x-values of the graph. The effect on the
graph is said to be opposite.

The 'c' is located inside of the function and affects the x-values of the graph. The effect on the
graph is said to be opposite.

The main thing you have to remember here is:

Outside the function → Affects the y-values → The effect is the same.

Inside the function → Affects the x-values → The effect is the opposite.

Notice that when a = 1, b = 1, c = 0, and d = 0, the function y = af(b(x + c)) + d reduces to

y = f(x), that is, there is no transformation.

Example

Let's take a look at the equation and see what affect each of the
numbers (transformations) has on the base graph of y = f(x) using the highlighted phrases above.
 • The is OUTSIDE the function → it affects the y-values of the graph → the effect is the
same…so

Multiply all the y-values of the function by .

• The -4 is OUTSIDE the function → it affects the y-values of the graph → the effect is the
same…so

Subtract 4 from all the y-values of the function.

• The 2 is INSIDE the function → it affects the x-values of the graph → the effect is the
opposite…since the mathematical operation is multiplied the opposite operation would be
to divide, so…

Divide all the x-values of the function by 2.

• The +1 is INSIDE the function → it affects the x-values of the graph → the effect is the
opposite…since the mathematical operation is addition the opposite operation would be
to subtract…so

Subtract 1 from all the x-values of the function.

Notice that we’ve made all these statements above without even knowing what the original
function f is! Let’s consider a simple linear function y = 3x – 2. Entering y = 3x – 2 into
Graphmatica yields the graph below:
Now apply the transformation to y = 3x = 2. Perhaps the best way to
see what happens is to look at a couple of specific points on the above graph, say (2, 4) and (0, -
2). We must divide the x-values by 2 and subtract 1, i.e., 2 → 0 and 0 → -1. We must divide the
8 10
y-values by 3 and subtract 4, i.e., 4 → − and 2 → − . The point (2. 4) is transformed to the
3 3
8 10
point (0, − ) and the point (0, -2) is transformed to the point (-1, − ). You can determine the
3 3
equation of the straight line passing through these transformed points algebraically to be
2 8 8 10
y = x − . Alternatively, use Graphmatica to graph the points (0, − ) and (-1, − ):
3 3 3 3

Enter the points into the Data Plot editor:

Ensure that Curve Fit is set to Polynomial of maximum order 1 (linear):

Apply Curve Fit and Graphmatica yields y = 0.6667x - 2.6667:

Caution: Many textbooks and online references consider the equation y = af(bx + c) + d rather
than the equation y = af(b(x + c)) + d presented here. While this only affects the value of c, it is
important to keep this in mind.

1
In the case of the example presented here, y = f (2( x + 1)) − 4 , the equation would have been
3
1
written y = f (2 x + 2) − 4 . So, the effect of the a, b, and d values remains the same as indicated
3
above, but the c value is now 2 instead of 1. That is,

• The +2 is INSIDE the function → it affects the x-values of the graph → the effect is the
opposite…since the mathematical operation is addition the opposite operation would be
to subtract…so
 Subtract 2 from all the x-values of the function.

Another Caution: The function y = f(x) is often considered as being shifted to

y = a f (b(x – c)) + d.

In particular, when you studied Quadratic Functions you started with the
simplest possible function, y = x2, and then proceeded to study y = ax2, y =
(x – h)2, y = x2 + k, and finally the general case y = a(x – h)2 + k.

Note that in the case of quadratics we don’t need to introduce another

coefficient b, i.e., y = a(b(x – h))2 + k as the function y = a(x – h)2 + k
provides us with full generality. Also, don’t confuse the ‘b’ mentioned
here with the b in the quadratic equation y = ax2 + bx + c from which the
form y = a(x – h)2 + k is derived by completing the square.

So why do we use ‘-h’ instead of ‘+h’? It’s really just convention so that a
positive value of h will cause the graph to shift in the ‘positive’ horizontal
direction (to the right), just as a positive value of k causes a vertical shift
in the positive direction (upwards). Similarly, a negative value of h causes
a shift in the negative direction (to the left).

Now let’s consider Lesson 1 Example 3 (page 5 of the M1_Transformations document).

In part (a) the entire graph is shifted 5 units to the right. (See the beginning of this document and
the description of how the c variable affects the graph of y = af(b(x + c)) + d..) There can be
frustration in not being given the equation defining the graph; it may seem a bit 'artificial' to be
given a graph without any idea where it came from, i.e., via an equation or a set of data points.
Once you have an equation, the whole approach to the problem changes. For instance, one
equation which yields a graph very close to that in Example 3 is y = sin(3.2x). The graph below
was created with Graphmatica:

The transformations in Example 3 are shown below superimposed on the original graph:

y = sin(3.2x) is the original graph (in red)

y = sin(3.2(x + 3)) is the answer for part a (in green)

y = sin(3.2x) + 2 is the answer for part b (in blue)

y = sin(3.2(x - 5)) is the answer for part c (in pink)

This example is better illustrated if we restrict the domain (x-values) as shown below: