document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=835025>Question 835025</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Please help. I posted this question a few minutes ago, and forgot to add some information to my question.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Here is the complete math problem I am struggling with:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "f={(4,-3),(-2,0),(2,2/3),(&#960;,0)}   and  g={(1,-3),(-2,-3),(1/2,1)}find the values of f and g\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "f(4)=<BR>\n" );
document.write( "f(&#960;)=<BR>\n" );
document.write( "g(1/2)=<BR>\n" );
document.write( "g(-2)=\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #503304 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><B>Theo(13342)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=Theo><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=503304\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> if i understand this correctly, then it's a simple matter of finding the value of y for the given value of x.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "in functional notation, the equation of y = x^2 is replace by the equation of f(x) = x^2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the functional notation replaces the y with f(x).<BR>\n" );
document.write( "f is the function name.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x is the argument.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the argument of the function is the independent variable that is being analyzed.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "if the function was y = m^2 + 3m, then functional notation would replace the y with f(m) = m^2 + 3m<BR>\n" );
document.write( "in the first equation of f(x) = x^2, the dependent variable is f(x) and the independent variable is x.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "in the second equation of f(m) = the dependent variable is f(m) and the independent variable is m.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "note that, without functional notation, you would have shown y = x^2 in the first equation and y would have been the dependent variable and x would have been the independent variable.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "similarly, without functional notation,  you would have shown y = m^2 + 3m in the second equation and y would have bveen the dependent  variable and x would have been the independent variable.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "all you do with functional notation is replace the y with f(x) in the first equation and replace the y with f(m) in the second equation.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "with functional notation, solving the equation for a given value is slightly different but you are doing the same thing.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "suppose your equation is y = x^2 and you want to solve the equation for x = 2.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "you would simply say that y = (2)^2 when x is equal to 2.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "functional notation makes this easier to show.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "instead of saying f(x) = (2)^2 when x is equal to 2, you would say f(2) = (2)^2.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "nothing real mysterious about it.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "now to your problem.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "they are not showing you equations.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "they are showing you points.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the function is defined as a set of point pairs.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "each point pair has an x value and a y value.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the point pair of (4,-3) means that the value of y is equal to -3 when the value of x is equal to 4.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "in functional notation, this would be shown as f(4) = -3.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "get it?<BR>\n" );
document.write( "hopefully you do.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "so the problem you are working on should simply be (if my assumption is correct) as follows:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the question is:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "f={(4,-3),(-2,0),(2,2/3),(&#960;,0)}   and  g={(1,-3),(-2,-3),(1/2,1)}<BR>\n" );
document.write( "find the values of f and g when:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "f(4)=<BR>\n" );
document.write( "f(&#960;)=<BR>\n" );
document.write( "g(1/2)=<BR>\n" );
document.write( "g(-2)= \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the solution is:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "f(4) = -3<BR>\n" );
document.write( "f(&#960) = 0<BR>\n" );
document.write( "g(1/2) = 1<BR>\n" );
document.write( "g(-2) = -3\r<BR>\n" );
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