L1 Symmetry and Asymptotes - Part 2
Completion requirements
Unit 3
Curve Sketching
Lesson 1: Symmetry and Asymptotes
Symmetry
When sketching graphs of functions, it is helpful to know about a function’s symmetry. The graph of a function may be symmetric about the «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mi»y«/mi»«/mstyle»«/math»-axis, symmetric about the origin, or it may contain no symmetry at all.Watch the video Even and Odd Functions to learn how to determine if a function is odd or even and to determine if it is symmetric about the «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mi»y«/mi»«/mstyle»«/math»-axis, the origin, or neither.
A function is said to be an even function if «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mo»§#8722;«/mo»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«mi»f«/mi»«mi
mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math». If the function is even, the graph is symmetric about the «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mi»y«/mi»«/mstyle»«/math»-axis.
Is the function «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«mfrac»«mn»2«/mn»«mrow»«msup»«mi»x«/mi»«mn»4«/mn»«/msup»«mo»+«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mfrac»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math»
even?
To determine if the function is even, substitute «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mo»-«/mo»«mi»x«/mi»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math» for «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨
xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mi»x«/mi»«/mstyle»«/math». If «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mo»§#8722;«/mo»«mi»x«/mi»«mi
mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math», the function is even.
The graph of the function «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«mfrac»«mn»2«/mn»«mrow»«msup»«mi»x«/mi»«mn»4«/mn»«/msup»«mo»+«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mfrac»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math» is shown below.
As shown in the graph, the function «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«mfrac»«mn»2«/mn»«mrow»«msup»«mi»x«/mi»«mn»4«/mn»«/msup»«mo»+«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mfrac»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math» is symmetric about the «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mi»y«/mi»«/mstyle»«/math»-axis because the graph reflects onto itself when using the «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mi»y«/mi»«/mstyle»«/math»-axis as a reflection line.
«math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mtable columnalign=¨right center left¨»«mtr»«mtd»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mo»§#8722;«/mo»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«/mtd»«mtd»«mo»=«/mo»«/mtd»«mtd»«mfrac»«mn»2«/mn»«mrow»«msup»«mfenced»«mrow»«mo»§#8722;«/mo»«mi»x«/mi»«/mrow»«/mfenced»«mn»4«/mn»«/msup»«mo»+«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mfrac»«/mtd»«/mtr»«mtr»«mtd/»«mtd»«mo»=«/mo»«/mtd»«mtd»«mfrac»«mn»2«/mn»«mrow»«msup»«mi»x«/mi»«mn»4«/mn»«/msup»«mo»+«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mfrac»«/mtd»«/mtr»«mtr»«mtd/»«mtd»«mo»=«/mo»«/mtd»«mtd»«mi»f«/mi»«mi
mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«/mtd»«/mtr»«/mtable»«/mstyle»«/math»
Since «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mo»§#8722;«/mo»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«mi»f«/mi»«mi
mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math», the function «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi
mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«mfrac»«mn»2«/mn»«mrow»«msup»«mi»x«/mi»«mn»4«/mn»«/msup»«mo»+«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mfrac»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math» is even.
| Note: The graphs shown in this Lesson are provided to give a visual of the concept at hand. You will not be required to show graphs of functions in this Lesson. |
The graph of the function «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«mfrac»«mn»2«/mn»«mrow»«msup»«mi»x«/mi»«mn»4«/mn»«/msup»«mo»+«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mfrac»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math» is shown below.
As shown in the graph, the function «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«mfrac»«mn»2«/mn»«mrow»«msup»«mi»x«/mi»«mn»4«/mn»«/msup»«mo»+«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mfrac»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math» is symmetric about the «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mi»y«/mi»«/mstyle»«/math»-axis because the graph reflects onto itself when using the «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mi»y«/mi»«/mstyle»«/math»-axis as a reflection line.