Final answer:
The composition (g \circ f)(x), where f(x) = x+1 and g(x) = x^2, is calculated by substituting f(x) into g(x), resulting in (x+1)^2, which expands to x^2 + 2x + 1.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering the functions f(x) = x+1 and g(x) = x^2, the composition (g \circ f)(x) is obtained by plugging the function f into the function g. This means we first apply f to x, and then apply g to the result of f(x). Therefore, we have the following steps:
- Compute f(x) which is x+1.
- Substitute f(x) into g(x), which gives us g(f(x)) = g(x+1).
- Since g(x) = x^2, then g(x+1) = (x+1)^2.
- Finally, expand the binomial to get (x+1)^2 = x^2 + 2x + 2
Hence, (g \circ f)(x) = x^2 + 2x + 1.