1

Graphs of Elementary Functions

y
1. Constant Function f : R R; f ( x) k
D f R & R f {k}

yk

y
yx

2. Identity Function: f : R R ; f ( x) x
Df R & Rf R
f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about origin.

y
3. f : R R;f(x) = x2
D f R & R f [0, ]
f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about y-axis

y x2

y
3. f : R R;f(x) = x3
Df R & Rf R

y x3

f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about origin.

y
4. f : R R;f(x) = x

y x4
D f R & R f [0, ]
f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about y-axis
x

Graphs of Elementary Functions

y axis if n is even
Graph of f ( x) x n , n N is symmetrical about
origin if n is odd
Comparison of Values of x, x2 , x3 , x4 , ........
For
The relative values are
x (1, )
x x 2 x3 x 4 ......
x (0,1)
x x 2 x3 x 4 ......
x (1, 0)
x x3 x5 ..............
x 2 x 4 x6 ............
x x3 x5 ..............
x 2 x 4 x6 ............

x (, 1)

Comparison of Graphs of x, x 2 , x3 , x 4 ,.......

x4
x2

-1
x3
x
Graphs of some rational functions:
1
1. f : R - {0} R ; f(x) =
x
D f R ~ {0}& R f R ~ {0}
f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about origin.

y
y

1
x

y
2. f : R - {0} R ; f(x) =

1
x2

D f R ~ {0}& R f R
f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about y-axis.

1
x2

Graphs of Elementary Functions

y
3. f : R - {0} R ; f(x) =

1
x3

f ( x) f ( x)
Graph is symmetrical about origin.

Graph of f ( x)

Comparison of Values of
For
x (1, )
x (0,1)
x (1, 0)

1
x3

y axis if n is even
1
,
n

N
is
symmetrical
about

xn
origin if n is odd

1 1 1 1
, , , , ........
x x 2 x 3 x4
The relative values are
1 1
1
1
2 3 4 ......
x x
x
x
1 1
1
1
2 3 4 ......
x x
x
x
1
1
1
1 1
1
4 6 .......& 3 5 .......
2
x x
x
x
x
x
(Positive Values)
(Negative Values)

x (, 1)

1
1
1
1 1
1
4 6 .......& 3 5 .......
2
x x
x
x
x
x
(Positive Values)
(Negative Values)
y
Comparison of Graphs of

1 1 1 1
, , , , ........
x x 2 x 3 x4

1
x2

1
x

x
1
x3

Graphs of Elementary Functions

Irrationa Functions:
1. f : R {0} R ; f ( x) x

D f R

{0}& R f D f R

y
y x

{0}

x
y
3

2. f : R R; f ( x) x
D f R; R f R
3

y x

y
3. f : R

{0} R ; f ( x) 4 x
D f R {0}& R f D f R

{0}
x

4. f : R R; f ( x) 3 x
D f R; R f R
Graph is very simialr to that of 3 x .
Comaprison of x , 3 x , 4 x , 4 x ........
For
The Relative Values are
x (1, )
x 3 x 4 x 5 x ......
x (0,1)
x 3 x 4 x 5 x ......
x (1, 0)

x 5 x 7 x 9 x ......

x (, 1)

x 5 x 7 x 9 x ......

Comaprison of Graphs of

x , 3 x , 4 x , 4 x ........

x
4

Graphs of Elementary Functions

y x

Modulus Function: f : R R such that

f ( x) | x |

x : if x 0 max( x, x)
x : if x 0

yx

D f R & R f [0, )
f ( x) f ( x) | x | is even function and
symmetrical about y-axis.

Piece Wise Defined Functions:

1. Signum Function (sgn(x)) f : R R

y 1

1 : if x 0
Such that f ( x) sgn( x) 1 : if x 0
0 : if x 0
x
| x |

: if x 0
x : if x 0 | x |
y 1
0 : if x 0 0 : if x 0
Here D f R & R f {1,0,1}
Indicate that the point (0,1) &(0,-1) are not on the graph
Indicates that the point (0,0) is on the graph.
2.Greatest Integer Function or Step Function:
f : R R such that
f ( x) [ x] n if n x n 1; n I
Df R & Rf I

sin x is odd function. Graph

is symmetrical about origin
sin( x 2 ) sin x therefore
sin x is periodic function with
period 2 .

-1

y
o
o

-3

-2

-1 0
o

o
o1

o
o

Trigonometric Functions:
1.sine function
f : R R such that f ( x) sin x
D f R & R f [1,1]

Note: Any number x can be written

x [ x] ( x) where [x] is known
as integral part of x & (x) is known
as fractional part of x. 0 ( x) 1

sin( x) sin x therefore

3
2

y 1

3
2

Graphs of Elementary Functions

2.cosine function
f : R R such that f ( x) cos x
D f R & R f [1,1]
cos( x) cos x therefore
cos x is even function. Graph
is symmetrical about y-axis.
cos( x 2 ) cos x therefore
cos x is periodic function with
period 2 .

y 1

3
2

3
2

x
2

y 1

y
sinx
cosx
f ( x) will be undefined at the points where

3. f(x) = tanx =

cos x 0 i.e. x (2n 1)

,n I

3
2

Thus D f R ~ (2n 1) , n I & R f R

2

tan( x) tan x , therefore tan x is

symmetrical about origin.
tan( x) tan x , therefore tan x is periodic with period .
1
4. f(x) = cosecx =
y
sinx
f ( x) will be undefined at the points
where sin x 0 i.e. x n , n I
y 1

3
2

Thus D f R ~ n , n I and

R f (, 1] [1, )
cos ec( x) cos ecx , therefore
cos ecx is symmetrical about origin.
As cos ec(2 x) cos ecx therefore
coe sec x is periodic with period 2 .

2
2

y 1

3
2

Graphs of Elementary Functions

1
cosx
y 1
Here f ( x) will be undefined
at the points where cos x 0 i.e.

x (2n 1) , n I
2
2

Here D f (2n 1) , n I and

2

R f (, 1] [1, )

5. f(x) = secx =

3
2

o
2

3
2

y 1

sec( x) sec x , therefore sec x is symmetrical about y-axis.

As sec(2 x) sec x therefore sec x is periodic with period 2
cosx
sinx
Here f ( x) will be undefined at the
points where sin x 0

6. f(x) = cotx =

i.e x n , n I
cot( x) cot x , therefore cot x is
symmetrical about origin.
As cot( x) cot x, therefore cot x
is periodic with period .

3
2

Graphs of Elementary Functions

Graph of Exponential Function:

Here D f R & R f R
f(x) = a x

y ax
y
y
a 1

cx

ax

x
bx

Here 1 a b c

bx

ax

y ax
cx

a 1

o
Here 0 a b c 1

Comparison of graphs of a x ,b x ,cx

For
1 a b c
(0, )
ax bx cx
(, 0)
ax bx cx

0 a b c 1
ax bx cx
ax bx cx

Another Important Feature of graph of a x

Nature of the function

lim a x
x

0 a 1
Decreasing
0

a 1
Increasing

Graphs of Elementary Functions

lim a x

y ex

An important case of exponential function is f ( x) e x

y

1
Here e lim 1
n
n
1
1

lim 1 nC1 nC2 2 .......

n
n
n

n(n 1) n(n 1)(n 2)

lim 1 1

.......
n
2!.n.n
3!.n.n.n

1 1 1 1 2
lim 1 1 1 1 1 .....
n
2! n 3! n n

1 1 1
1 .............
1! 2! 3!
2.714.........

e 2.714..

D f R & R f R
O
x

Graph of Logarithmic Functions:

Here f ( x) log a x a (0,1) (1, ) . D f (0, ) & R f R
y

logb x

logc x

y log a x

log a x
x
O

a b c 1
a 1

log a x

logb x
log a x
x
0 a 1

10

Graphs of Elementary Functions

0 a b 1

Important Features of Graph of f(x) = loga x

0 a 1
log a x is decreasing

i.e log a log a

a 1
log a x is increasing

i.e log a log a

lim log a x

lim log a x

lim log a x

lim log a x

x 0

log a x 0 for 0 x 1 and

log a x 0 for x 1

x
x 0

log a x 0 for 0 x 1 and

log a x 0 for x 1