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-   -   Solving Functions (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=315967)

  • Feb 10, 2009, 09:02 PM
    Cheese2
    Solving Functions
    How do you solve a function if it is something like this:

    Suppose f(x)= (-9)x + 2 and g(x)= (-3)x + 3. Find each value.

    Then trying to solve for something like this:

    1.) 3g(4)
    2.) g(-2)/f(3)

    How do you suppose I should solve these?

    NOTE: THESE ARE MADE UP FROM ME. I NEED HELP WITH SIMILAR ONES.
  • Feb 11, 2009, 09:49 AM
    rwinterton

    I might be missing your question, but here's what I think the answer is (if I understood your question correctly).

    Think of a function as a line (usually curved in some way) across a piece of graph paper. You can graph the line by entering a value for "x". For example,

    f(x) = (-9)x + 2
    f(1) = (-9)1 + 2 = -7
    f(2) = (-9)2 + 2 = -16
    f(3) = (-9)3 + 2 = -25

    Of course, x can take on any value including fractional values. If you put graph the result ( f(x) ) on the "y" axis and "x" on the "x" axis, you'll see the line.

    Now, if you have two lines, f(x) and g(x), you can graph both of them and the *solution* is the point where they intersect. You can also take the equations of the curves and solve them directly for the intersection. Replace f(x) and g(x) with "y"

    y = -9x + 2
    y = -3x + 3

    note that these are equations for a lines (not curves) and these lines are parallel (they do not intersect) so there is no "solution".
  • Feb 12, 2009, 07:15 AM
    Cheese2
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by rwinterton View Post
    I might be missing your question, but here's what I think the answer is (if I understood your question correctly).

    Think of a function as a line (usually curved in some way) across a piece of graph paper. You can graph the line by entering a value for "x". For example,

    f(x) = (-9)x + 2
    f(1) = (-9)1 + 2 = -7
    f(2) = (-9)2 + 2 = -16
    f(3) = (-9)3 + 2 = -25

    Of course, x can take on any value including fractional values. If you put graph the result ( f(x) ) on the "y" axis and "x" on the "x" axis, you'll see the line.

    Now, if you have two lines, f(x) and g(x), you can graph both of them and the *solution* is the point where they intersect. You can also take the equations of the curves and solve them directly for the intersection. Replace f(x) and g(x) with "y"

    y = -9x + 2
    y = -3x + 3

    note that these are equations for a lines (not curves) and these lines are parallel (they do not intersect) so there is no "solution".

    Thank you very much. I understand now.

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