This presentation is for the use of APG school students only
Composite
Page 414-415
Prepared by Ms. Zahraa AlMoamen
Composite Functions
𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 + 1
2
𝑔 𝑥 =𝑥
Have a guess! (Click your answer)
𝑓∘𝑔 2 = 49? 13?
𝑓 ∘ 𝑔(2) means 𝑓 𝑔 2 , i.e. “𝑓 of 𝑔 of 2”.
We therefore apply the functions to the input
in sequence from right to left.
Examples
𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 + 1
2
𝑔 𝑥 =𝑥
Tip: I highly encourage you to write this first. It will help
Determine: you when you come to the algebraic ones.
𝑓 ∘ 𝑔 5 = 𝒇 𝒈 𝟓 = 𝒇 𝟐𝟓 = 𝟕𝟔
𝑔 ∘ 𝑓 −1 = 𝒈 𝒇 −𝟏 = 𝒈 −𝟐 = 𝟒
𝑓 ∘ 𝑓 4 = 𝒇 𝒇 𝟒 = 𝒇 𝟏𝟑 = 𝟒𝟎 Note: This can also be written as
𝑓 2 (𝑥), but you won’t encounter this
notation in GCSE/IGCSE FM.
𝑔 ∘ 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒈 𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒈 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟏
𝟐
= 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟏
More Algebraic Examples
𝑓 𝑥 = 2𝑥 + 1
1
𝑔 𝑥 =
Determine:
𝑥
𝟏
𝑓∘𝑔 𝑥 =𝒇 𝒈 𝒙 =𝒇
𝒙
𝟏 𝟐
=𝟐 +𝟏= +𝟏
𝒙 𝒙
𝟏
𝑔∘𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒈 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏 =
𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏
𝑓∘𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒇 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏 = 𝟐 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏 + 𝟏 = 𝟒𝒙 + 𝟑
𝟏 𝟏
𝑔∘𝑔 𝑥 =𝒈 = =𝒙
𝒙 𝟏
𝒙
Test Your Understanding
2
1 If 𝑓 𝑥 = and 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 − 1, 2
𝑥+1
determine 𝑓 ∘ 𝑔(𝑥).
𝟐
𝟐 𝟐
𝒇 𝒙 −𝟏 = 𝟐 = 𝟐
𝒙 −𝟏+𝟏 𝒙
𝒇𝒈 −𝟑 = 𝒇 𝒈 −𝟑
= 𝒇 −𝟏
=𝟗
Test Your Understanding
3 A function 𝑓 is such that
𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 + 1
The function 𝑔 is such that
𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑘𝑥 2 where 𝑘 is a constant.
Given that 𝑓𝑔 3 = 55, determine
the value of 𝑘.
𝒇𝒈 𝟑 = 𝒇 𝟗𝒌 = 𝟑 𝟗𝒌 + 𝟏
= 𝟐𝟕𝒌 + 𝟏 = 𝟓𝟓
𝒌=𝟐
Exercise 3 (exercises on provided sheet)
1 If 𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 and 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 + 1, determine:
𝑓∘𝑔 2 =𝟗 ? 𝑔 ∘ 𝑓 4 = 𝟏𝟑 ?
?
𝑓 ∘ 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟑 𝑔 ∘ 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟏?
𝑔∘𝑔 𝑥 =𝒙+𝟐 ?
2 If 𝑓 𝑥 = 2𝑥 + 1 and 𝑔 𝑥 = 3𝑥 + 1
determine:
?
𝑓 ∘ 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝟔𝒙 + 𝟑 𝑔 ∘ 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝟔𝒙 + 𝟒?
?
𝑓 ∘ 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝟒𝒙 + 𝟑
3 If 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 and 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 + 1, find
𝑓 ∘ 𝑔(𝑥), simplifying your expression.
𝒇 𝒙+𝟏 = 𝒙+𝟏 𝟐−𝟐 𝒙+𝟏
?
= 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏 − 𝟐𝒙 − 𝟐
= 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟏
2
4 If 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 + 𝑘 and 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 and
𝑔 ∘ 𝑓 3 = 16, find the possible values of 𝑘.
𝒈𝒇 𝟑 = 𝒈 𝟑 + 𝒌 = 𝟑 + 𝒌 𝟐 = 𝟏𝟔
𝒌 = 𝟏, −𝟕 ?
5 If 𝑓 𝑥 = 2(𝑥 + 𝑘) and 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 − 𝑥 and
𝑓 ∘ 𝑔 3 = 30, find 𝑘.
𝒇 𝒈 𝟑 = 𝒇 𝟔 = 𝟐 𝟔 + 𝒌 = 𝟑𝟎
𝒌=𝟗 ?
Exercise 3 (exercises on provided sheet)
6 Let 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 + 1 and 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 + 1.
If 𝑔 ∘ 𝑓 𝑥 = 17, determine the possible values of
𝑥.
𝒈𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒙 + 𝟏 𝟐 + 𝟏 = 𝟏𝟕
𝒙𝟐 + 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟐 = 𝟏𝟕
?
𝒙𝟐 + 𝟐𝒙 − 𝟏𝟓 = 𝟎
𝒙+𝟓 𝒙−𝟑 =𝟎
𝒙 = −𝟓 𝒐𝒓 𝒙 = 𝟑
7
Let 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 and 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 − 2.
If 𝑓 ∘ 𝑔 𝑥 = 0, determine the possible values of 𝑥.
𝒙 = −𝟏 𝒐𝒓 𝒙 = 𝟐
?
