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MATENA1 Slides (Section 1-4)

This document discusses exponential functions, defining them as f(x) = a^x where a > 0. It covers properties of these functions, including their behavior based on the value of a, and introduces laws of exponents. Additionally, it highlights the significance of the number e and provides examples and practice problems related to the topic.

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hildahchikanya
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7 views22 pages

MATENA1 Slides (Section 1-4)

This document discusses exponential functions, defining them as f(x) = a^x where a > 0. It covers properties of these functions, including their behavior based on the value of a, and introduces laws of exponents. Additionally, it highlights the significance of the number e and provides examples and practice problems related to the topic.

Uploaded by

hildahchikanya
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MATENA1:

Exponential Functions

Chapter 1.4 (Stewart Calculus)


Over the next few slides we will recall the
definition of an exponential function.

In addition, we will justify why we can


consider a function of the form f (x) = ax
where a > 0 and x ∈ R.
Exponential Functions
An exponential function is a function of
the form f (x) = ax
where a > 0.
If x ∈ Z+ (x is a positive integer), then
ax = a| · a ·{z. . . · a}
x times
If x = 0, then ax = 1.
If x ∈ Q, then x = pq where p, q ∈ Z, q 6= 0.
(If x < 0 we assume q > 0.) Then
√ √
a = a = q ap = ( q a)p
x p/q
Consider x ∈ R such that x is rational. We
can easily calculate ax because x = pq for
p, q ∈ Z, q 6= 0.
We get p √
x
a = a = q ap
q

What about 21.7 and 21.8?


We can write these as follows:
√
10
1.7 17/10
2 =2 = 217
and √
1.8 18/10 9/5 5
2 =2 =2 = 29
Now we look at the case where √ x ∈ R, but x
is irrational.√Suppose that x = 3. We
know that 3 ≈ 1.7320508 . . ..
We have the following inequalities:
The sequence of numbers in the third last
column is bounded below by 21.73. The
sequence in the last column is bounded
above by 21.74.
One of the properties of the real numbers is
that every sequence bounded above has a
least upper bound and every sequence of
numbers bounded below will have a greatest
lower bound.
These two bounds
√ will coincide to give us the
real number 2 3.
Graphs of y = ax
If a = 1, then ax is a straight line (called a
constant function).
If a > 1, then ax is an increasing function.
As the value of a gets larger, the exponential
function grows more rapidly for x > 0.
If 0 < a < 1, then ax is a decreasing
function. As the value of a gets smaller, the
exponential function decreases more rapidly
for x < 0.
1 x
= b1x = b−x the graph of

Since bx
y = 1b is the reflection of the graph of
y = bx about the y-axis. x
For example if b = 4, then the graph of 41
is the reflection of y = 4x about the y-axis.
As another example, let b = 2. Then the
x
graph of y = 21 is the reflection of y = 2x


about the y-axis.


Laws of Exponents
If a and b are positive numbers and x and
y are any real numbers, then
I ax · ay = ax+y
ax
I y = ax−y
a
I (ax)y = ax.y = (ay )x
I (ab)x = ax · bx

VERY IMPORTANT: for a, b 6= 0 and


x 6= 1, (a + b)x 6= ax + bx.
Examples:
Rewrite and simplify the following
expressions:
26x − 3 · 82x
1. √
4
x4x · x5x+1
2.
xx−5
p √
a b
3. √ 5
ab
Example:
Sketch y = 4 − 5x.
(Hint: write as y = −5x + 4.)
We encourage you to read the section on
“Applications of Exponential Functions” that
appears in the textbook.
The graph of y = ex
Have a look at the two exponential graphs
below. In particular, we are interested in the
gradient of the tangent to the graph at
x = 0.
The graph of y = ex continued...

Note the gradient of the tangents: for y = 2x


it is slightly less than 1, and for y = 3x it is
slightly more than 1.
The graph of y = ex continued...

Note the gradient of the tangents: for y = 2x


it is slightly less than 1, and for y = 3x it is
slightly more than 1. The number e is the
real number such that the gradient of the
tangent to y = ex is equal to 1 when x = 0.
The graph of y = ex

e is an irrational number with e ≈ 2.71828.


We will encounter another way of defining e
in Ch 3.1.
Example:
Graph the function
1
y = e−x − 1
2
and state the domain and range.
Practice problems
I Chapter 1.4:
2, 12, 14, 15, 17(a), 18(b)

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