Domain of a Function Questions

Detailed Step-by-Step Solutions and Explanations

Problems on finding the domain of a function are presented with their solutions.

Solution to Problems

Problem 1

Find the domain of the function defined by:

\[ f(x) = x + 1 \]
View Solution

This is a linear (polynomial) function. Polynomial functions are defined for all real numbers. Hence, its domain is:

\[ (-\infty, +\infty) \]

Problem 2

Find the domain of the function defined by:

\[ f(x) = \sqrt{2x} \]
View Solution

This is a square root function. The expression under the square root must be non-negative:

\[ 2x \geq 0 \implies x \geq 0 \]

The solution set for the inequality gives the domain in interval form:

\[ [0, +\infty) \]

Problem 3

Find the domain of the function defined by:

\[ f(x) = \frac{x - 1}{x - 3} \]
View Solution

This is a rational function. Its domain is the set of all real numbers except those values of \( x \) that make the denominator zero:

\[ x - 3 = 0 \implies x = 3 \]

Excluding \( x = 3 \), the domain is given by the interval:

\[ (-\infty, 3) \cup (3, +\infty) \]

Problem 4

Find the domain of the function defined by:

\[ f(x) = \frac{\sqrt{-x + 1}}{x + 3} \]
View Solution

To find the domain of this function, we must satisfy two conditions simultaneously:

  • Condition 1: The expression under the square root must be non-negative: \[ -x + 1 \geq 0 \implies x \leq 1 \]
  • Condition 2: The denominator must be non-zero: \[ x + 3 \neq 0 \implies x \neq -3 \]

Combining both conditions, the domain of the function is:

\[ (-\infty, -3) \cup (-3, 1] \]

Problem 5

Find the domain of the function defined by:

\[ f(x) = \sqrt[3]{2x + 1} \]
View Solution

This is a cube root (odd root) function. The expression \( 2x + 1 \) can take any real value because odd roots are defined for all real numbers. Hence, the domain is:

\[ (-\infty, +\infty) \]

Problem 6

Find the domain of the function defined by:

\[ f(x) = \ln(x^2 - 9) \]
View Solution

The argument of the logarithmic function must be strictly positive for the function to be real-valued:

\[ x^2 - 9 > 0 \]

Factoring the left side:

\[ (x - 3)(x + 3) > 0 \]

Solving this polynomial inequality yields the domain:

\[ (-\infty, -3) \cup (3, +\infty) \]

Problem 7

Find the domain of the function defined by:

\[ f(x) = 2\sin(x - 1) \]
View Solution

The sine function is defined for all real numbers. The argument \( x - 1 \) can be any real number, so the domain is:

\[ (-\infty, +\infty) \]

Problem 8

Find the domain of the function defined by:

\[ f(x) = e^{x - 4} \]
View Solution

The natural exponential function is defined for all real exponents. The exponent \( x - 4 \) can take any real value, so the domain is:

\[ (-\infty, +\infty) \]

Problem 9

Find the domain of the function defined by:

\[ f(x) = \arcsin(x^2 - 1) \]
View Solution

For the arcsine function to be real-valued, its input must lie within the closed interval \([-1, 1]\):

\[ -1 \leq x^2 - 1 \leq 1 \]

Add 1 to all parts of the inequality:

\[ 0 \leq x^2 \leq 2 \]

Taking the square root of all parts yields:

\[ -\sqrt{2} \leq x \leq \sqrt{2} \]

Thus, the domain in interval form is:

\[ [-\sqrt{2}, \sqrt{2}] \]

Problem 10

Find the domain of the function defined by:

\[ f(x) = \frac{1}{x^3 + x^2 - 2x} \]
View Solution

The domain is restricted by excluding values that make the denominator equal to zero. Set the denominator to zero:

\[ x^3 + x^2 - 2x = 0 \]

Factor out \( x \):

\[ x(x^2 + x - 2) = 0 \]

Further factor the quadratic expression:

\[ x(x + 2)(x - 1) = 0 \]

The roots are \( x = 0 \), \( x = -2 \), and \( x = 1 \). Excluding these values, the domain of the function is:

\[ (-\infty, -2) \cup (-2, 0) \cup (0, 1) \cup (1, +\infty) \]

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