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India
Class X

Transformations of Functions

Lesson

Translations of relations

The circle centred on the origin with radius $2$2 has the equation $x^2+y^2=4$x2+y2=4

Suppose we replace the $x$x with $\left(x-15\right)$(x15) and the $y$y with $\left(y-9\right)$(y9) so that our new equation becomes $\left(x-15\right)^2+\left(y-9\right)^2=4$(x15)2+(y9)2=4. The two relations are depicted here. 

The change from $x$x to $\left(x-15\right)$(x15) and from $y$y to $\left(y-9\right)$(y9) caused the circle to shift to the right by $15$15 units and upward by $9$9 units. The centre moved from $\left(0,0\right)$(0,0) to $\left(15,9\right)$(15,9) and the radius (and thus the overall shape of the circle) remained unchanged.

We can think of the two movements (right and up) as happening independently. The horizontal translation of $15$15 units and the vertical translation of $9$9 units. 

Understanding a translated form

When we think about a function like $y=\left(x+3\right)^2-5$y=(x+3)25, we may consider it as the translation of the basic function $y=x^2$y=x2 (a parabola sitting upright with its minimum turning point at the origin). This means that $y=\left(x+3\right)^2-5$y=(x+3)25, which could be re-written $\left(y+5\right)=\left(x+3\right)^2$(y+5)=(x+3)2, is simply $y=x^2$y=x2 translated $3$3 units to the left, and $5$5 units down.

Something as straight-forward as the linear function $y=x-2$y=x2 can be thought of as the line $y=x$y=x shifted to the right $2$2 units. It could equally be thought of as $y=x$y=x shifted downward by $2$2 units. Can you see why?

Consider more complicated relations like $\frac{\left(x-3\right)^2}{9}+\frac{\left(y+1\right)^2}{4}=1$(x3)29+(y+1)24=1. While we perhaps maybe uncertain about what its basic shape may look like, we understand that its essential form is given by $\frac{x^2}{9}+\frac{y^2}{4}=1$x29+y24=1, with a translation of $3$3 units to the right and $1$1 unit down. In fact the curve is an ellipse.  

An interesting example 

A certain curve given by $y=x^2$y=x2 is translated $1$1 unit to the left and $3$3 units upward. In addition to this, the line given by $y=2x-1$y=2x1 is translated $3$3 units to the left.  Where do these translated graphs intersect each other?

We first need to understand that the parabola $y=x^2$y=x2, after translation, will have the form $y-3=\left(x+1\right)^2$y3=(x+1)2. We can write this as $y=\left(x+1\right)^2+3$y=(x+1)2+3. We also see that the line $y=2x-1$y=2x1, after translation, becomes $y=2\left(x+3\right)-1$y=2(x+3)1. After simplification this line has the equation $y=2x+5$y=2x+5

At the intersections of these translated graphs, the $y$y - values are equal, so we can put $\left(x+1\right)^2+3=2x+5$(x+1)2+3=2x+5 and solve for $x$x.

$\left(x+1\right)^2+3$(x+1)2+3 $=$= $2x+5$2x+5
$x^2+2x+4$x2+2x+4 $=$= $2x+5$2x+5
$x^2-1$x21 $=$= $0$0
$\left(x-1\right)\left(x+1\right)$(x1)(x+1) $=$= $0$0
$x$x $=$= $\pm1$±1
     

At $x=-1$x=1$y=3$y=3 and at $x=1$x=1$y=7$y=7

The translated graphs and the points of intersection are depicted here:

 

 

Worked Examples

Question 1

How do we shift the graph of $y=f\left(x\right)$y=f(x) to get the graph of $y=f\left(x\right)+4$y=f(x)+4?

  1. Move the graph up by $4$4 units.

    A

    Move the graph down by $4$4 units.

    B

Question 2

How do we shift the graph of $y=g\left(x\right)$y=g(x) to get the graph of $y=g\left(x+6\right)$y=g(x+6)?

  1. Move the graph to the left by $6$6 units.

    A

    Move the graph to the right by $6$6 units.

    B

Question 3

If the graph of $y=-x^2$y=x2 is translated horizontally $6$6 units to the right and translated vertically $5$5 units upwards, what is its new equation?

Question 4

This is a graph of $y=3^x$y=3x.

Loading Graph...
A number plane with the exponential function y=3^x plotted.
  1. How do we shift the graph of $y=3^x$y=3x to get the graph of $y=3^x-4$y=3x4?

    Move the graph $4$4 units to the right.

    A

    Move the graph downwards by $4$4 units.

    B

    Move the graph $4$4 units to the left.

    C

    Move the graph upwards by $4$4 units.

    D
  2. Hence, plot $y=3^x-4$y=3x4 on the same graph as $y=3^x$y=3x.

     

    Loading Graph...
    A number plane with the exponential function y=a^x plotted.

Question 5

This is a graph of $y=\sqrt{4-x^2}$y=4x2.

Loading Graph...

  1. How do we shift the graph of $y=\sqrt{4-x^2}$y=4x2 to get the graph of $y=\sqrt{4-x^2}+2$y=4x2+2?

    Move the graph to the right by $2$2 units.

    A

    Move the graph to the left by $2$2 units.

    B

    Move the graph downwards by $2$2 units.

    C

    Move the graph upwards by $2$2 units.

    D
  2. Hence plot $y=\sqrt{4-x^2}+2$y=4x2+2 on the same graph as $y=\sqrt{4-x^2}$y=4x2.

    Loading Graph...

 

Outcomes

10.CG.L.1

Review the concepts of coordinate geometry done earlier including graphs of linear equations. Awareness of geometrical representation of quadratic polynomials. Distance between two points and section formula (internal). Area of a triangle.

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