Chapter 2: Problem 54
Use \(f(x)\) and \(g(x)\) to find each composition. Identify is domain. (Use a calculator if necessary to find the domain.) \(\begin{array}{llll}\text { (a) }(f \circ g)(x) & \text { (b) }(g \circ f)(x) & \text { (c) }(f \circ f)(x)\end{array}\) $$f(x)=x+2, g(x)=x^{4}+x^{2}-3 x-4$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The compositions are (a) \(x^4 + x^2 - 3x - 2\), (b) \(x^4 + 8x^3 + 25x^2 + 33x + 10\), (c) \(x + 4\), with domains \(x \in \mathbb{R}\).
Step by step solution
01
Determine (f ∘ g)(x)
The composition \((f \circ g)(x)\) implies substituting \(g(x)\) into \(f(x)\). With \(f(x) = x + 2\) and \(g(x) = x^4 + x^2 - 3x - 4\), \((f \circ g)(x) = f(g(x)) = g(x) + 2 = x^4 + x^2 - 3x - 4 + 2 = x^4 + x^2 - 3x - 2\).
02
Find Domain of (f ∘ g)(x)
The domain of \((f \circ g)(x) = x^4 + x^2 - 3x - 2\) is all real numbers since it is a polynomial, which are defined for all \(x \in \mathbb{R}\).
03
Determine (g ∘ f)(x)
The composition \((g \circ f)(x)\) involves substituting \(f(x)\) into \(g(x)\). Thus, \((g \circ f)(x) = g(f(x)) = (f(x))^4 + (f(x))^2 - 3(f(x)) - 4\). Replacing \(f(x)\) with \((x + 2)\), we have:\((x + 2)^4 + (x + 2)^2 - 3(x + 2) - 4\).
04
Simplify (g ∘ f)(x)
Start by expanding \((x + 2)^4\) and \((x + 2)^2\). The expressions are: \((x + 2)^4 = x^4 + 8x^3 + 24x^2 + 32x + 16\) and \((x + 2)^2 = x^2 + 4x + 4\). So, \((g \circ f)(x) = x^4 + 8x^3 + 24x^2 + 32x + 16 + x^2 + 4x + 4 - 3x - 6 - 4\) which simplifies to \(x^4 + 8x^3 + 25x^2 + 33x + 10\).
05
Find Domain of (g ∘ f)(x)
The domain of \((g \circ f)(x) = x^4 + 8x^3 + 25x^2 + 33x + 10\) is all real numbers since it is a polynomial, which are defined for all \(x \in \mathbb{R}\).
06
Determine (f ∘ f)(x)
The composition \((f \circ f)(x)\) requires substituting \(f(x)\) into itself. Thus, \((f \circ f)(x) = f(f(x)) = (x + 2) + 2 = x + 4\).
07
Find the Domain of (f ∘ f)(x)
The domain of \((f \circ f)(x) = x + 4\) is all real numbers as it is a linear function, defined for all \(x \in \mathbb{R}\).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Understanding Polynomials
Polynomials are expressions that include variables raised to whole-number exponents, along with coefficients. For example, the function \(g(x) = x^4 + x^2 - 3x - 4\) is a polynomial. Polynomials can take many forms, such as quadratic, cubic, or quartic, depending on the highest power of the variable.
Here are some key characteristics:
Here are some key characteristics:
- Degree: The highest exponent of the polynomial. In \(g(x)\), the highest exponent is 4, so it's a quartic polynomial.
- Terms: Consist of variables and coefficients. Each term is of the form \(ax^n\), where \(a\) is a coefficient and \(n\) is a non-negative integer exponent.
- Operation: You can add, subtract, multiply, and even compose polynomials, which means you can substitute one polynomial into another.
Exploring the Domain of a Function
The domain of a function is the set of all possible inputs (x-values) for the function. It essentially answers the question 'What can you plug into this function?' Without running into issues like dividing by zero or taking the square root of a negative number.
For polynomials:
For polynomials:
- They have a domain of all real numbers \(\mathbb{R}\). This means polynomials are defined everywhere along the real number line, from \(-\infty\) to \(\infty\).
- For example, both \((f \circ g)(x) = x^4 + x^2 - 3x - 2\) and \((g \circ f)(x) = x^4 + 8x^3 + 25x^2 + 33x + 10\) are polynomials. Hence, they are defined for all real numbers.
Linear Functions and Their Simplicity
Linear functions are the simplest type of polynomial functions. They have the form \(f(x) = mx + b\), where \(m\) and \(b\) are constants. In our example, the function \(f(x) = x + 2\) is a linear function.
Here are some features of linear functions:
Here are some features of linear functions:
- Slope: The constant \(m\) represents the slope of the line. It tells us how steep the line is, or the rate of change of the function.
- Y-intercept: The constant \(b\) is the y-intercept, indicating where the line crosses the y-axis.
- Graph: When graphed, linear functions produce straight lines, which are predictable and easy to interpret.