Algebraic

Operations on
Functions

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 Add, Subtract, Divide and Multiply two
functions.

 We can combine two or more

functions in a number of ways.

 Consider the two functions f(x) = x2

and g(x) = 2x + 6.

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 Addition

f(x) = x2 and g(x) = 2x + 6.

(i) f(x) + g(x) = (x2) + (2x + 6)

= x2 + 2x + 6

(ii) g(x) + f(x) = (2x + 6 ) + (x2)

= 2x + 6 + x2
Therefore,
f(x) + g(x) = g(x) + f(x).

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 Subtraction

f(x) = x2 and g(x) = 2x + 6.

(i) f(x) - g(x) = x2 - (2x + 6)
= x2 - 2x - 6

(ii) g(x) - f(x) = (2x + 6) – (x2)

= 2x + 6 - x2
Therefore,
f(x) - g(x) ≠ g(x) - f(x).
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 Division
f(x) = x2 and g(x) = 2x + 6.

f(x) 2
i) x
= , where x ≠ - 3
g(x) 2x + 6

ii) g(x) = 2x + 6 , where x ≠ 0

f(x) 2
x
Therefor
f(x) g(x)
e ≠g(x) f(x)

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 Multiplication
f(x) = x2 and g(x) = 2x + 6.
• f(x)g(x) = x2 ( 2 x + 6 )
= 2x2 ( x + 3 )

• g(x)f(x) = ( 2 x + 6 ) x 2
= x2 ( 2 x .+ 6 )
= 2x2 ( x + 3 )

Therefore, f(x)g(x) = g(x)f(x).

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 Given two function f and g , the
composite function denoted by
is defined by f  g and is defined as

( f  g)( x ) = f ( g( x ) )
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 This can be represented in an arrow
diagram:

g f
x g(x) f[g(x)]

f g
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 Similarly, we define
g ο f(x) = g [f(x)]
meaning that the output values
of the function f are used as the
input values for the function g.

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 This can be represented in an arrow
diagram:

f g
x f(x) g[f(x)]

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Note:

The domain off  g is always

subset of the domain of g .
T
D f  g ⊆ Dg h
e
f  g( x ) is defined if
d
Rg ⊆ Df o
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The range of f  g is always subset
of the range of f.
R f g ⊆ R f

g  f ( x ) is defined if

Rf ⊆ Dg

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Example 1
If f(x) = 3x + 1 and g(x)=2 - x, find as a
function of x
(a) f ο g (b) g ο f
Solution:
(a) f ο g(x) = f[g(x)]
= f(2 - x)
= 3(2 - x) + 1
= 6 - 3x + 1
= 7 - 3x.

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 f(x) = 3x + 1 and g(x) = 2 - x

(b) g ο f(x) = g[f(x)]

= g(3x + 1)
= 2 - (3x + 1)
= 1 - 3x.
Note that : f ο g ≠ g ο f.

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EXAMPLE 2

Given that f(x) = 3x2 and g( x ) = 1+ x

Find,
(a) g ο f (b) f ο g
Solution
(a) g ο f(x) = g[f(x)]
= g( 3x2 )

= 1+ 3x2

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 f(x) = 3x2 and g( x ) = 1+ x

(b) f ο g(x) = f[g(x)]

= f ( 1+ x )
2
= 3( 1+ x )
= 3x + 3.

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 If f (x) = 2x - 1 and g (x) = x3 , evaluate

(a) ( g  f )( 3) (b) ( f  g )( 3)

(c) f 2(3) (d) [f(3)]2

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 Solution

f (x) = 2x - 1 and g (x) = x3

(a) ( g  f )( 3) = g[f(3)]
= g[2(3)-1]
= g(5)
= 53
= 125.
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 f (x) = 2x - 1 and g (x) = x3

(b) ( f  g )( 3) = f[g(3)]
= f[33]
= f(27)
= 2(27) - 1
= 53.

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 f (x) = 2x - 1 and g (x) = x3

(c) f 2(3) = f[f(3)]

= f[2(3)-1]
= f(5)
= 2(5) - 1
= 9
(d) [f (3)]2 = [5]2
= 25

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 Note that
( a )( g  f )( 3 ) ≠ ( f  g )( 3 )

(b) f 2(3) ≠ [f(3)]2

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 Given that f(x) = 2x , g(x) = 1 + x and
h(x) = x2 , find as a function of x

(a) f  g  h (b) h  g  f

(c) g  h  f

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 Solution

f(x) = 2x , g(x) = 1 + x and h(x) = x2

(a) (f  g  h)( x ) = ( f  g )[ h( x )]

= (fog)[x2]
= f [ g( x2)] g(x2) = 1+x2
= f(1 + x2)

= 2(1+ x2)
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 (h  g  f )( x ) = h [ g ( f ( x ))]
(b)
= h [ g ( 2x )] g(2x) = 1+2x
= h( 1+ 2x )
= ( 1+ 2x ) 2

(c) ( g  h  f )( x ) = g [ h( f ( x ))]

= g [ h( 2x )]
= g ( 2x ) 2
h(2x) = 2x2
= g ( 4x )
2

= 1+ 4x 2

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 The functions f, g and h are defined by
f(x) = 2 – x , g( x ) = 3 , x ≠ −1 and
x+1
h(x) = 2x – 1.
(a) Show that f 2(x) = x.
(b) Find an expression for g 2(x), and state
for which two values of x it is undefined.
(c) Solve the equation h3(x) = x.
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 Solution

f(x) = 2 – x
(a) f 2(x) = f[f(x)]
= f(2 – x)
= 2 – (2 – x)
= x.
Therefore, f 2(x) = x.
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 3
g( x ) = ,x ≠ −1
x+ 1
3
(b) g (x) = g[g(x)]
2 =
3
+ 1
 3  x+1
= g 
 x + 1 3( x + 1)
=
x+ 4
- g (x) is undefined for x = -1, so it is not
possible to evaluate g2(x) when x = -1.
- g2(x) is also undefined for x = -4.
Therefore, when x = -1 or x = -4, g2(x) is
undefined.
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 h(x) = 2x – 1

(c) h3(x) = h[h2(x)] where,

= h(4x – 3)
h2(x) = h[h(x)]
= 2(4x – 3) - 1 = h(2x – 1)
= 8x – 7 = 2(2x – 1) -1
So, = 4x – 3
when h3(x) = x
8x – 7 = x
7x = 7
∴ x =1
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 1. Functions f and g are defined by f (x) = 2x–1
and g ( x ) = x
(a) Find f g (x) and g f (x).
(b) Evaluate fg(4) and gf(4)
2. Given that f (x)= a x + b and g (x) = b x + a,
and that a and b are constants, find a
relation between a and b for which
f g (x) = g f (x).
Answers
1. (a) 2 x − 1 , -1
2x (b) 73;
2. a + b = 1

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Example 6 :
Let f(x) = x for x ≥ 0 and g(x)=2x +
3 for x ∈ R .
(a) Find gof and determine its domain and
range.
(b) Find f o g and determine its domain and
Solution
range. :
a) (gof)(x) = g[f(x)]
= g( x )
=2 x+3
∴ Dgοf = {x : x ≥ 0} , Rgοf = {y : y ≥ 3}
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f(x) = x for x ≥ 0 and g(x) = 2x + 3 for x∈R

b) (f o g)(x) = f[g(x)]
= f(2x + 3)
2x + 3 ≥ 0 = 2x + 3
2x ≥ -3 ∴ Dgοf = {x : x ≥ 3}
2
x≥ - 3
Rgοf = {y : y ≥ 0}
2

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 Example 7 :
The functions f and g are defined by
f(x) = 2x + 1 for x ∈ R and
1
g(x) = for x ≠ 1.
x - 1
(a) Find an expression for f(g(x)) and
determine its domain and range.
(b) Find an expression for g(f(x)) and
determine its domain and range.
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 f(x) = 2x + 1 for x ∈ R
g(x) = 1 for x ≠ 1.
x - 1

Solution :
 1 
a) f[g(x)] = f  
 x −1
 1 
= 2  +1
x −1
x +1
=
x −1
The domain of f(g(x)) is {x : x ∈ R , x ≠1}.

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By expressing x in terms of y, the
range is {y : y ∈ R, y ≠ 1}

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 f(x) = 2x + 1 for x ∈ R
g(x) = 1 for x ≠ 1.
x - 1

b) g(f(x)) = g( 2 x + 1 )
1
=
(2x + 1) − 1
1
=
2x
The domain of g(f(x)) is{x : x ∈R, x ≠ 0 }.

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By expressing x in terms of y, the range
is {y : y ∈ R, y ≠ 0}

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Example 8 :
Given that f(x) = 2x + 3 and
f(g(x)) = 10x - 9, find g(x).

Solution :
f [g(x)] = 10x - 9
2g(x) + 3 = 10x - 9
2g(x) = 10x - 12
∴ g(x) = 5x - 6.
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 Example 9 :
If g(x) = 2x + 3 and f(g(x)) = 10x - 9,
find f(x).

Solution :
f (g(x)) = 10x - 9 By substituting
f(2x + 3) = 10x - 9 y = x,
Let y = 2x + 3
y−3 ∴ f(x) = 5x - 24
∴x=
2
Therefore, f(y) = 10  y − 3  - 9
 
 2 
= 5y - 15 - 9
= 5y - 24
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Example 10 :

If (f o g)(x) = 4x2 - 2x + 1 and

g(x) = 2x + 1, find (g o f)(x). Hence,
find the values of x that satisfy
(f o g)(x) = (g o f)(x).

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 (f o g)(x) = 4x2 - 2x + 1 and
g(x) = 2x + 1
Solution :
f(g(x)) = 4x2 - 2x + 1
f(2x + 1) = 4x2 - 2x + 1
Let y = 2x + 1
y −1
∴x =
2
2
 y − 1  y − 1
f (y) = 4  − 2  +1
 2   2 
2
= y − 3y + 3
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 By substituting y = x, g(x) = 2x + 1
f ( x ) = x 2− 3 x + 3 2
∴ g(f (x )) = g(x − 3x + 3)
= 2(x2 − 3x + 3) + 1
= 2x2 − 6x + 7
Given that f(g(x))=g(f(x))
4x2 – 2x + 1 = 2x2 – 6x + 7 Solving the
2x2 – 4x – 6 = 0 equation
2(x2 + 2x – 3) = 0
x = -3 or 1
2(x + 3)(x – 1) = 0

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