Answer: First a horizontal shift of 8 units, then a reflection over the x-axis, and then a vertical shift of 20 units.
Explanation:
Let's construct g(x) in baby steps.
Ok, we start with f(x) = x^2
The first thing we have is a horizontal translation of A units (where A is not known)
A vertical translation of N units to the right, is written as:
g(x) = f(x - N)
Then we have:
g(x) = (x - A)^2 = x^2 - 2*A*x + A^2
Now, you can see that actually g(x) has a negative leading coefficient, which means that we also have an inversion over the x-axis.
Remember that if we have a point (x, y), a reflection over the x-axis transforms our point into (x, -y)
Then if we apply also a reflection over the x-axis, we have:
g(x) = -f(x - A) = -x^2 + 2*A*x - A^2 = -x^2 + 16*x - 44
Then:
2*A = 16
A*A = 44.
The first equation says that A = 16/2 = 8
But 8^2 is not equal to 44.
Then we need another constant coefficient, which is related to a vertical translation.
If we have a relation y = f(x), a vertical translation of N units up, will be
y = f(x) + N.
Then:
g(x) = -f(x - A) + B
-x^2 + 2*A*x - A^2 + B = x^2 + 16*x - 44
Now we have:
2*A = 16
-A^2 + B = - 44
From the first equation we have A = 8, now we replace it in the second equation and get:
-8^2 + B = -44
B = -44 + 64 = 20
Then we have:
The transformation is:
First an horizontal shift of 8 units, then a reflection over the x-axis, and then a vertical shift of 20 units.