Patterns and Equations- Identifying functions help please!!!

[lillybeth]

How can you identify if a problem is a function or not? My question asks:
a). {(3, -1), (4, -1), (5, -1)} is this a function? yes/no

How can you tell?

 

[srmichael]

How can you identify if a problem is a function or not? My question asks:
a). {(3, -1), (4, -1), (5, -1)} is this a function? yes/no

How can you tell?

Click on the link in the word function (word in blue). This will give you info on what is a function.

 

[lillybeth]

Click on the link in the word function (word in blue). This will give you info on what is a function.

Thats not exactly what I was looking for, but thanks anyway. I know what a function is. It is a relation in which for any given input value, there is only one output value. I am trying to find out how to find out what is a function and what isnt, when in this form: {(3, -1), (4, -1), (5, -1)}. More help please?

 

[srmichael]

Thats not exactly what I was looking for, but thanks anyway. I know what a function is. It is a relation in which for any given input value, there is only one output value. I am trying to find out how to find out what is a function and what isnt, when in this form: {(3, -1), (4, -1), (5, -1)}. More help please?

A function can not have different y values for the same x value. So when given a list of coordinates, you must look to see if you have more than one coordinate with the same x value and different y values.

That being said, do you think your coordinates specify a function?

 

[lillybeth]

That being said, do you think your coordinates specify a function?

Yes, they are a function. Thanks srmichael! But I have another problem technicly the same thing but it is more confusing to me. I will post in a new thread.

 

[HallsofIvy]

Sigh! You said before that "It is a relation in which for any given input value, there is only one output value." And you are given " {(3, -1), (4, -1), (5, -1)}" and say "Yes, they are a function." First there is no "they" here. A relation is a set of ordered pairs and there is only one set here: this is a single relation. And when you learned what "input" and "output" are you should have learned that the first member of each pair in a relation is the "input" and the second member is the "output". Now, would you like to reconsider your answer?

When people suggest you look at the definitions, it is not enough to have a general idea of what a word means. Each word can be important- and when you saw "input" and "ouput" you should have checked the definitions of those.

 

[lillybeth]

Sigh! You said before that "It is a relation in which for any given input value, there is only one output value." And you are given " {(3, -1), (4, -1), (5, -1)}" and say "Yes, they are a function." First there is no "they" here. A relation is a set of ordered pairs and there is only one set here: this is a single relation. And when you learned what "input" and "output" are you should have learned that the first member of each pair in a relation is the "input" and the second member is the "output". Now, would you like to reconsider your answer?

When people suggest you look at the definitions, it is not enough to have a general idea of what a word means. Each word can be important- and when you saw "input" and "ouput" you should have checked the definitions of those.

I tried the vertical line test on this function, and it came I got that {3, -1), (4, -1), (5, -1)} is a function.

When people suggest you look at the definitions, it is not enough to have the general idea of what a word means.

I did click on the "function" link, and it just told me what I already know.