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Given f(x) = x - 1 and g(x) = x^2 - 1, find and simplify the following: 1 . g(f(x)) 2, (g - f)(x)

User Barthelemy
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1 Answer

3 votes

Answer:

g(f(x))=x^2-2x

(g-f)(x)=x^2-x

Explanation:

g(f(x)) and (f-g)(x) are both composite functions.

Given: f(x)=x-1, g(x)=x^2-1, find: g(f(x)) and (f-g)(x)

In order to find g(f(x)), we have to plug in f(x) into the function g(x):

f(x)=x-1

g(x)=x^2-1

g(f(x))=g(x-1)

g(x-1)=(x-1)^2-1

(x-1)(x-1)-x^2-2x+1

Thus, x^2-2x+1-1=x^2-2x=x(x-2)

To find (g-f)(x), you just subtract both functions:

f(x)=x-1

g(x)=x^2-1

(g-f)(x)=(x^2-1)-(x-1)=x^2-1-x+1=x^2-x=x(x-1) [this is factored form]

g(f(x))=x^2-2x or x(x-2) factored

(g-f)(x)=x^2-x or x(x-1) factored

User Jonathan Olson
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