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Study Guides > Finite Math

Why It Matters

Understand functions and their graphs

Introduction

You sit down at a business meeting and the first slide of the powerpoint presentation contains this:

[latex]\displaystyle{y}^{{2}}={1}-{x}^{{2}}[/latex]

[latex]\displaystyle{p}={15}-{0.5}{q}[/latex]

[latex]\displaystyle{R}={p}\cdot {q} = {15}{q} -{0.5}{q}^{{2}}[/latex]

[latex]\displaystyle{C}={3p}+{20}[/latex]

[latex]\displaystyle{P}={R}-{C} = {-20} + {12q} - {0.5}^{{2}}[/latex]

After looking for the nearest door to make a quick exit, you realize that you learned about this in your Business math courses.  The functions in the powerpoint presentation represent important market behaviors that can influence business decisions. In this module, you will learn about common functions found in modeling market and economic behaviors that impact business decisions. Functions can help managers make predictions and plan effective business decisions such as whether to increase levels of production, or change the price-point of a product. The following outcomes describe what aspects of functions you will learn in this module.

Learning Outcomes

  • Interpret and use function notation properly, including evaluating functions given as tables, graphs, or formulas.
  • Distinguish between the sketches of the graphs of basic functions: linear, x2, x3, square root, |x|
  • Determine the domain and range of a function from a graph or formula
  • Find the composition of two functions
  • Graph functions using technology on an appropriate viewing window
  • Determine the average rate of change of a function on an interval

Licenses & Attributions

CC licensed content, Original

  • Provided by: Columbia Basin College Authored by: Paul Jones and Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution.