4.7: Composite functions
( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)
Similar to the way in which we used transformations to analyze the equation of a function, it is sometimes helpful to consider a given function as being several functions of the variable combined together.
For example, instead of thinking of the function f(x)=(2 x-7)^{3} as being a single function, we can think of it as being two functions:
\begin{array}{c}
g(x)=2 x-7 \\
\text { and } \\
h(x)=x^{3}
\end{array}
Then f(x) is the combination or "composition" of these two functions together. The first function multiplies the variable by 2, and subtracts 7 from the result. The second function takes this answer and raises it to the third power. The notation for the composition of functions is an open circle: 0
In the example above we would say that the function f(x)=(2 x-7)^{3} is equivalent to the composition h \circ g(x) or h(g(x)). The order of function composition is important. The function g \circ h(x) would be equivalent to g(h(x)), which would be
\text { equal to } g\left(x^{3}\right)=2\left(x^{3}\right)-7=2 x^{3}-7
Exercises 4.7
Find f \circ g(x) and g \circ f(x) for each of the following problems.
1) \quad f(x)=x^{2} \\ g(x)=x-1
2) \quad f(x)=|x-3| \\ g(x)=2 x+3
3) \quad f(x)=\frac{x}{x-2} \\ g(x)=\frac{x+3}{x}
4) \(\quad f(x)=x^{3}-1 \\ g(x)=\frac{1}{x^{3}+1\)
5) \quad f(x)=\sqrt{x+1} \\ g(x)=x^{4}-1
6) \(\quad f(x)=2 x^{3}-1 \\ g(x)=\sqrt[3]{\frac{x+1}{2}\)
Find functions f(x) and g(x) so that the given function h(x)=f \circ g(x)
7) \quad h(x)=(3 x+1)^{2}
8) \quad h(x)=\left(x^{2}-2 x\right)^{3}
9) \quad h(x)=\sqrt{1-4 x}
10) \quad h(x)=\sqrt[3]{x^{2}-1}
11) \quad h(x)=\left(\frac{x+1}{x-1}\right)^{2}
12) \quad h(x)=\left(\frac{1-2 x}{1+2 x}\right)^{3}
13) \quad h(x)=\left(3 x^{2}-1\right)^{-3}
14) \quad h(x)=\left(1+\frac{1}{x}\right)^{-2}
15) \quad h(x)=\sqrt{\frac{x}{x-1}}
16) \quad h(x)=\sqrt[3]{\frac{x-1}{x}}
17) \quad h(x)=\sqrt{\left(x^{2}-x-1\right)^{3}}
18) \quad h(x)=\sqrt[3]{\left(1-x^{4}\right)^{2}}
19) \quad h(x)=\frac{2}{\sqrt{4-x^{2}}}
20) \quad h(x)=-\left(\frac{3}{x-1}\right)^{5}
21) A spherical weather balloon is inflated so that the radius at time t is given by the equation:
r=f(t)=\frac{1}{2} t+2
Assume that r is in meters and t is in seconds, with t=0 corresponding to the time the balloon begins to be inflated. If the volume of a sphere is given by the formula:
v(r)=\frac{4}{3} \pi r^{3}
Find V(f(t)) and use this to compute the time at which the volume of the balloon is 36 \pi \mathrm{m}^{3}