PROBLEM SET - 2

1. Inequalities
(1) Solve, write the answer in interval notation and represent the intervals on the
number line.
x−8
a. <3 b. 2(1 − x) > 5(2 + 3x) c. x2 < 9 d. (x + 2)2 ≤ 4
x−4
e. 9 < x2 < 25 f. x2 > 16 g. (x − 7)2 ≥ 10.

2. Absolute value
(1) Find all the values of x satisfying the given equation.
2 1
(a) |2x+4| > 7 (b) >1 (c) 5 − <2 (d) |x+1|+|x−3| = 2
x−1 x
(e) |x − 3| + |x − 4| = 1. (f) |x − 5| = 5 − x.
(2) Given below is a list of intervals I. Suppose x ∈ I (this means x is an element of
the set I), express the same in absolute value notation.
For example, if x ∈ (3, 5), then 3 < x < 5, i.e. −1 < x − 4 < 1 i.e. |x − 4| < 1.
(a) I = (−5, 5) (b) I = [−3, 9] (c) I = (42, 54) (d) I = [2.7, 3.7].
(3) Consider the function

2x − 3 if x ≥ 0
f (x) =
−x + 4 if x < 0.
Evaluate f (|x|) and f (|x − 2| + 3).

3. Functions
(1) Find the domain of the following functions, assuming that the domain is the set
of all real numbers for which the√formula makes sense.
√ √ x p p
a) x b) x − 3 c) x−7 d) |x − 4| − 1 e) |x − 2| + 3.
√ √
Note that x refers to the positive square root of x. For example 4 = 2.
(2) Consider the function g(x) = −4x + 7. Find the number t such that the point
(t, 19) lies on the graph of g.
(3) For each of the following pairs (f, g) of functions defined below, write down the
sum f + g, the difference f − g, the product f g, the quotients f /g and g/f and the
compositions f ◦ g, g ◦ f , f ◦ f and g ◦ g. Further, for each of these new functions,
identify the domain.
a) f (x) = 2 and g(x) = x2 + 1.
x + 2 and g(x) = x2 − 1.
b) f (x) = √
c) f (x) = x and g(x) = x + 1.
1
2 PROBLEM SET - 2
√ √
d) f (x) = x + 1 and g(x) = x − 1.
e) f (x) = 1/x and g(x) = x2 − 5.
f) f (x) = x+1
x−1
and g(x) = x3 .

4. Transformation of Functions
(1) Draw the graph of the function f (x) = x2 . Identify the function g whose graph is
obtained by shifting the graph of f one unit to the right (i.e. the vertex of the new
parabola is (1, 0)). Identify the function h whose graph is obtained by shifting
the graph of f two units to the left (i.e. vertex is (-2,0)).
(2) Let f be a function and a > 0. Identify functions g and h whose graphs are
obtained by shifting the graph of f to the right by a units and the graph of f to
the left by a units respectively. (Generalize the previous problem).
(3) Draw the graph of the function f (x) = x3 . Identify the function g whose graph is
obtained by shifting the graph of f two units up (i.e. the graph passes through
(0,2)). Identify the function h whose graph is obtained by shifting the graph of f
one unit down (i.e. the graph passes through (0,-1)).
(4) Let f be a function and a > 0. Identify functions g and h whose graphs are
obtained by shifting the graph of f up by a units and the graph of f down by a
units respectively. (Generalize the previous problem).
(5) Let f (x) = x2 with domain [−1, 1].
(a) Consider functions g(x) = 2f (x) and h(x) = 21 f (x). Find the domain and
range of g and h. Sketch the graphs of f, g, h in the same graph sheet.
(b) Consider functions g1 (x) = f (2x) and h1 (x) = f ( 21 x). Find the domain and
range of g1 and h1 . Sketch the graphs of f, g1 and h1 in the same graph sheet.
(c) Suppose f is a function and c > 0. How is the graph of the function g(x) =
cf (x) obtained from the graph of f . (Use part (a)).
(d) Suppose f is a function and c > 0. How is the graph of the function g(x) =
f (cx) obtained from the graph of f . (Use part (b)).
(6) Draw the graph of the function f (x) = x4 in the domain [−1, 1]. Identify the
function g obtained by flipping the graph of f across the x-axis. Find the range
of g.
(7) Suppose f is a function, convince yourself that the function whose graph is ob-
tained by flipping the graph of f across the x-axis is −f .
(8) Draw the graph of the function f (x) = 2x in the domain [0, 1]. Identify the
function g whose graph is obtained by flipping the graph of f across the y axis.
Find the domain and the range of g.
(9) Suppose f is a function. Convince yourself that the the function g whose graph is
obtained by flipping the graph of f across the y axis is given by g(x) = f (−x).

5. Inverse functions
(1) Find the inverse f −1 for each of the following functions. Further, find the domain
and range of both f and f −1 in each case.
 PROBLEM SET - 2 3

(a) f (x) = 2x + 5
x
(b) f (x) =
2
x+3
(c) f (x) =
2x − 1
1
(d) f (x) =
3x + 1
(e) f (x) = x2 − 1 for x ∈ [0, 3]
(f) f (x) = 7x2 + 2 for x ∈ (0, ∞)
4x − 2
(g) f (x) = 2 +
9x + 1
(h) f (x) = x3
(i) 
2x if x < 0
f (x) =
x2 if x ≥ 0 .
(2) For problems (a), (b), (e), (h) and (i) above, plot the graph of f . Also, draw the
graph of f −1 using the principle that gr(f −1 ) is a reflection of gr(f ) about the line
x = y (In other words, a point (a, b) ∈ gr(f) if and only if (b, a) ∈ gr(f −1 )).

6. Reading graphs

Consider the following graphs and answer the questions given below.
(1) What is the domain of the function represented by the graph? What is the range?
(2) Is the function one to one?
(3) Where does the function which is represented by the graph have zeros? [ Note
that a number a is a zero of a function f if f (a) = 0]
(4) Where is the function increasing / decreasing?

(1)

(2)