Q&A for How to Find the Domain of a Function

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  • Question
    How do you find the domain of a function algebraically?
    Mario Banuelos, PhD
    Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Mario Banuelos is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at California State University, Fresno. With over eight years of teaching experience, Mario specializes in mathematical biology, optimization, statistical models for genome evolution, and data science. Mario holds a BA in Mathematics from California State University, Fresno, and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Merced. Mario has taught at both the high school and collegiate levels.
    Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Expert Answer
    If your function is a fraction, set the denominator equal to 0 and solve. The domain would then be all real numbers except for whatever input makes your denominator equal to 0. For a square root, set whatever is inside the radical to greater than or equal to 0 and solve, since you can’t use any inputs that produce an imaginary number (i.e., the square root of a negative).
  • Question
    Can I find the domain of a function with a calculator?
    Mario Banuelos, PhD
    Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Mario Banuelos is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at California State University, Fresno. With over eight years of teaching experience, Mario specializes in mathematical biology, optimization, statistical models for genome evolution, and data science. Mario holds a BA in Mathematics from California State University, Fresno, and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Merced. Mario has taught at both the high school and collegiate levels.
    Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Expert Answer
    Yes. You can use a graphing calculator to calculate domain by plotting the function. There are also a variety of domain and range calculators online. Simply input your function to find the domain, which is a set of x-values that will successfully generate y-values.
  • Question
    How do I find the domain of 1/2 tan(90x/2)?
    Community Answer
    The function tan(90x/2) is undefined at 90x/2 = pi/2 + pi*n, where n is an integer. Simply solve for x to obtain pi/90 + pi*n/45, where n is an integer.
  • Question
    What would be the domain if you have a cost equation of y=900 + 10.5x & a revenue equation of y=30x?
    Community Answer
    There are no mathematical restrictions on those functions, but the economic context likely imposes an implied domain restriction. Probably x can't be negative or x must also be an integer (one can't sell half cars, for example).
  • Question
    How do I find the domain of the function f(x)=(x^2-5x+6)^(1/2)?
    Community Answer
    You want the thing you're taking square root of to be nonnegative, so set x^2-5x+6>=0. Solve that for a domain of (-inf, 2] U [3, inf).
  • Question
    How do I find the domain of functions given within an angle bracket? (For example, r(t)= (5t+1), t^2 >)
    Community Answer
    This site might have mangled your formatting, so apologies if I'm answering the wrong question. It looks like you're describing a function r which takes real numbers and outputs vectors. If so, then find the domain of each individual component of r. Then the domain of r is the intersection of the domains of each component. If each component is a polynomial like r(t) = 5t+1 or r(t) = t^2, then the domain is all of R.
  • Question
    What is the domain of the function y = x + sqrt(x) + 1?
    Community Answer
    Since sqrt(x) >= 0, the domain is [0,infinity), or all non-negative numbers.
  • Question
    What is the domain of y = 3x + 8?
    Community Answer
    The domain of y = 3x + 8 is all real numbers, since 3x is a linear function. Linear functions are polynomials, therefore having all real numbers.
  • Question
    How do I find the domain of f(x) = 7/(x^2-1000)?
    Community Answer
    You cannot divide by zero, so x^2 - 1000 != 0. Solve to get x = +- 10, so the domain is the real numbers except x = +-10.
  • Question
    How do I find the domain for a trinomial function?
    Community Answer
    A trinomial function, assuming it is in factored form, will have a domain of all real numbers. When you FOIL out the trinomials, you will get a resulting cubic function. Cubic functions are polynomials, therefore having a domain of all real numbers.
  • Question
    How do I find the domain of g(x)=1-2f(2-x) if the the domain of f is [-2,3) and the range (1,4]?
    Community Answer
    Since g is defined in terms of f, you need 2-x to be in the domain of f. The usual trick here is to check the endpoints of the domain, e.g. solve 2-x = -2 => x = 4, and 2-x = 3 => x = -1. Then check what happens on each interval. If x is less than -1, 2-x is too big; x=-1 doesn't work either because the domain of f is open on that side; but between -1 and 4 everything works; x=4 still works because the interval is closed on that side; and x greater than 4 is again outside the valid range. To summarize that in interval notation, write that the domain of g = (-1,4].
  • Question
    Find the domain of the function using interval notation, square root x_6 divide by square root x_4
    I_l1ke_gam3s
    Community Answer
    Let's assume you meant square root of x + 6 / square root of x - 4. First, x + 6 must be greater than/equal to zero, or x must be greater than/equal to -6. Then, square root of x - 4 means that x - 4 also have to be greater than equal to zero, or x is greater than/equal to 4. Square Root of x - 4 cannot be 0, so x cannot be 4. Then draw a number line and plot these numbers on a number line.
  • Question
    How do I find the domain of the function f(x) = 3x-8/x^2-9x+20?
    Community Answer
    Let's assume the function is (3x - 8) / (x² - 9x + 20). As shown above in Method 2 Step 2, we exclude any x-values that give the denominator the value of 0. (x² - 9x + 20) = (x - 5)(x - 4). Set that expression equal to zero to find that if x = 4 or 5, the denominator becomes 0, and so we exclude those two values of x from the domain. Then the domain is all other values of x.
  • Question
    What is the domain of 1/√x?
    I_l1ke_gam3s
    Community Answer
    x can be any real number greater than 0.
  • Question
    How do I find the domain of 1/(x^2-1)?
    Community Answer
    The denominator cannot equal 0, because such a denominator would render the function as undefined. So x cannot be 1 or -1. x can be any other real number.
  • Question
    What is the domain of y = 4x - 5?
    I_l1ke_gam3s
    Community Answer
    All real numbers.
  • Question
    What are the domain and range of the function f(z)=|z-6|-3?
    Community Answer
    The domain and range both consist of all real numbers.
  • Question
    What is the domain of the function 1/z^2?
    I_l1ke_gam3s
    Community Answer
    All real numbers except 0.
  • Question
    What is the domain of f(x)=3?
    I_l1ke_gam3s
    Community Answer
    3 is not a function, it is a constant. Therefore, there is no domain.
  • Question
    What is the domain of y = 1 + [1 / (x-2)]?
    Community Answer
    x can be any real number except 2.
  • Question
    What is the domain of the function f(x) = square root of (x^2 - 9)?
    Community Answer
    (x² - 9) has to be greater than or equal to 0. Otherwise, we would have imaginary or complex numbers. So x^2 - 9 ≥ 0, x^2 ≥ 9, and x ≥ +/-3, which means that x ≥ 3.
  • Question
    What is the domain of y=√6-x?
    Community Answer
    Let's assume the function is y = √(6 - x). (6 - x) must be ≥ 0, so 6 ≥ x. (That's so the function is not the square root of a negative number.)
  • Question
    What is the domain of the function f (x) = log base 5 (x-2)?
    Community Answer
    (x - 2) has to be greater than 0, meaning that x has to be greater than 2. So the domain is all real numbers greater than 2.
  • Question
    What is the domain of f(x) = (x+3) / (3x-7)?
    Community Answer
    The domain is all values of x that don't cause the denominator of that fraction to equal zero (because you can't divide by zero). So let (3x - 7) = 0 and solve for x: 3x = 7, and x = 7/3. That means that the denominator is zero when x = 7/3. So the domain of f(x) is all real values of x except 7/3.
  • Question
    How to find the domain of f(x)=5-2x?
    Community Answer
    f(x)=5-2x, By definition, f is defined if and only if 5-2x is not equal to Zero. 5-2x=0, -2x=-5, x=5/2, Domain is all real numbers, except for 5/2.
  • Question
    What is the domain of A(x)=x^2?
    Jasmine Snowdrop
    Community Answer
    It is the set of all real numbers, since every real number makes sense there.
  • Question
    What is the domain of the function f(x) = 2 - 3x?
    Community Answer
    The domain for this function is a set of all rel numbers. If you plot the graph of this function on a Cartesian plane, you will get function defined on the whole X-axis.
  • Question
    How can I determine the domain of h(x)=(7x+8)/(x^2+4)?
    Muhammad Hussain
    Community Answer
    X^2+2^2>0 then x=(-2,2). Then Domain =(-2,2) 【OR】 X^2+4>0,Then subtract -4 on both sides X^2>-4 Then do √ing on both sides ,Then X=+2,-2.then Domain =(2,-2).
  • Question
    How do I find the range of 2-3x?
    Community Answer
    There are no restrictions to the value of x, because it is possible to input any x value into this equation and get a y value out. Therefore, the answer is (-inf,inf).
  • Question
    For Y=1/x^2-3x+2, what is the domain?
    Community Answer
    x^2 - 3x + 2 > 0. By Using quadratic equation. -b±√(b^2-4ac)/2a, we get; (-(-3)±√(-3)^2 - 4(1)(2))/2(1)=> (3±1)/2 =>4/2 ,. 2/2. => 2 ,. 1. Hence: D= (-infinity , 1] , [ 2 , infinity).
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