4.04 Composite functions (Enrichment)

The idea behind composite functions is best explained with an example.

Let's think about the function given by $f\left(x\right)=2x+1$f(x)=2x+1. We understand that the function takes values of $x$x in the domain and maps them to values $y=2x+1$y=2x+1 in the range.

Suppose however that this is only the first part of a two-stage treatment of $x$x. We now take these function values and map them using another function, say $g\left(x\right)=x^2$g(x)=x2. This means that the $y$y values given by $\left(2x+1\right)$(2x+1) become the squared values $\left(2x+1\right)^2$(2x+1)2. The diagram below captures the idea.

The output, or function values, of the function $f\left(x\right)$f(x) have become the input, or $x$x values, of the function $g\left(x\right)$g(x). We can describe the complete two-stage process by the expression $g\left(f\left(x\right)\right)$g(f(x)). This is sometimes written as $(g\circ f)(x)$(g∘f)(x).

Algebraically, we can write $g\left(f\left(x\right)\right)=g\left(2x+1\right)=\left(2x+1\right)^2$g(f(x))=g(2x+1)=(2x+1)2.

Note that if we reversed the order of the two-stage processing, we would, in this instance, develop a different composite function. Here, $f\left(g\left(x\right)\right)=(f\circ g)(x)=f\left(x^2\right)=2\left(x^2\right)+1=2x^2+1$f(g(x))=(f∘g)(x)=f(x2)=2(x2)+1=2x2+1.

Using our understanding of function notation and evaluation, we are able to create and simplify the equations of composite functions as well as evaluate substitutions into them.

Practice questions

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3