# Domain and Range of a Function

## Domain

The domain of a function is the complete set of possible values of the independent variable.

In plain English, this definition means:

The domain is the set of all possible x-values which will make the function "work", and will output real y-values.

Remember:

• The denominator (bottom) of a fraction cannot be zero
• The number under a square root sign must be positive in this work

### Example 1a

Here is the graph of y = sqrt(x+4):

The domain of this function is x ≥ −4, since x cannot be less than  −4. To see why, try out some numbers less than −4 (like  −5 or  −10) and some more than −4 (like  −2 or 8) in your calculator. The only ones that "work" and give us an answer are the ones greater than or equal to  −4. This will make the number under the square root positive.

Notes:

1. The enclosed (colored-in) circle on the point (-4, 0). This indicates that the domain "starts" at this point.
2. We saw how to draw similar graphs in section 4, Graph of a Function. For a more advanced discussion, see also How to draw y^2 = x − 2.

## Range

The range of a function is the complete set of all possible resulting values of the dependent variable (y, usually), after we have substituted the domain.

In plain English, the definition means:

The range is the resulting y-values we get after substituting all the possible x-values.

#### Tips

• Substitute different x-values into the expression for y to see what is happening. (Ask yourself: Is y always positive? Always negative? Or maybe not equal to certain values?)
• Make sure you look for minimum and maximum values of y.
• Draw a sketch! In math, it's very true that a picture is worth a thousand words.

### Example 1b

Let's return to the example above, y = sqrt(x + 4).

We notice the curve is either on or above the horizontal axis. No matter what value of x we try, we will always get a zero or positive value of y. We say the range in this case is y ≥ 0.

The squiggle at the top of the arrow in the graph indicates the curve goes on forever, beyond what is shown on the graph.

### Example 2

Consider the following curve, y = sin x.

The domain of y = sin x is "all values of x", since there are no restrictions on the values for x. (Put any number into the "sin" function in your calculator. Any number should work, and will give you a final answer between −1 and 1.

From the calculator experiment, and from observing the curve, we can see the range is y betweeen −1 and 1. We could write this as −1 ≤ y ≤ 1.

Where did this graph come from? We learn about sin and cos graphs later in Graphs of sin x and cos x

### More Examples

You can see more examples in the section Inverse Trigonometric Functions.

Note 1: Because we are assuming that only real numbers are to be used for the x-values, numbers that lead to division by zero or to imaginary numbers (which arise from finding the square root of a negative number) are not included. The Complex Numbers chapter explains more about imaginary numbers, but we do not include such numbers in this chapter.

Note 2: When doing square root examples, many people ask, "Don't we get 2 answers, one positive and one negative when we find a square root?" A square root has at most one value, not two. See this discussion: Square Root 16 - how many answers?

Note 3: We are talking about the domain and range of functions, which have at most one y-value for each x-value, not relations (which can have more than one.).

## Summary

In general, we determine the domain by looking for those values of the independent variable (usually x) which we are allowed to use. (We have to avoid 0 on the bottom of a fraction, or negative values under the square root sign).

The range is found by finding the resulting y-values after we have substituted in the possible x-values.

### Exercise 1

Find the domain and range for each of the following.

(a) f(x) = x^2+ 2.

### Need Graph Paper?

(b) f(t)=1/(t+2)

(c) g(s)=sqrt(3-s)

(d) f(x) = x^2+ 4 for x > 2

### More Domain and Range Examples

In case you missed it earlier, you can see more examples of domain and range in the section Inverse Trigonometric Functions.

We fire a ball up in the air and find the height h, in metres, as a function of time t, in seconds, is given by

h = 20t − 4.9t2

Find the domain and range for the function h(t).

## Functions defined by coordinates

Sometimes we don't have continuous functions. What do we do in this case? Let's look at an example.

### Exercise 6

Find the domain and range of the function defined by the coordinates:

{(−4, 1), (−2, 2.5), (2, −1), (3, 2)}

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