Let #f(x) = x^2 + 6# and #g(x) = (x + 8)/(x)# find #(g*f)(-7)#?

2 Answers
Mar 15, 2018

#-55/7#

Explanation:

Let's start by multiplying our functions, #f# and #g#. We are essentially setting up the following equation

#(x^2+6)/1=(x+8)/x#

Where we are essentially only multiplying the numerator to get

#(color(blue)((x^2+6)(x+8)))/x#

We can use FOIL (Firsts, Outsides, Insides, Lasts) to multiply this binomial. We get

#(x^2(x)+x^2(8)+6(x)+6(8))/x#

Which is equal to

#(x^3+8x^2+6x+48)/x# as our new function. We can plug in #-7# to get

#((-7)^3+8(-7)^2+6(-7)+48)/-7#

Which simplifies to

#(-343+392-42+48)/-7#

#=>-55/7#

Mar 16, 2018

#(g * f)(-7) = -55/7#

#(g @ f)(-7) = 63/55#

Explanation:

Given:

#f(x) = x^2+6#

#g(x) = (x+8)/x#

I suspect that the question is wanting the value of #(g @ f)(-7)# and not #(g * f)(-7)#, but let us describe both...

Case #(g * f)(-7)#

Given two functions #g# and #f# of a single variable, we can define the product function #g * f# by:

#(g * f)(x) = g(x) * f(x)" "# for all #x# in their common domain

With this definition:

#(g * f)(-7) = g(-7) * f(-7)#

#color(white)((g * f)(-7)) = ((-7)+8)/(-7) * ((-7)^2 + 6)#

#color(white)((g * f)(-7)) = (-1/7) * (49 + 6)#

#color(white)((g * f)(-7)) = -55/7#

Case #(g @ f)(-7)#

Given two functions #g# and #f# of a single variable, we can define their compostion #g @ f# by:

#(g @ f)(x) = g(f(x))color(white)(0/0)#
for all #x# in the domain of #f(x)# such that #f(x)# is in the domain of #g(x)#

With this definition:

#(g @ f)(-7) = g(f(-7))#

#color(white)((g @ f)(-7)) = g((-7)^2 + 6)#

#color(white)((g @ f)(-7)) = g(49 + 6)#

#color(white)((g @ f)(-7)) = g(55)#

#color(white)((g @ f)(-7)) = ((55)+8)/((55))#

#color(white)((g @ f)(-7)) = 63/55#