Section Summary

In this section we have formalized the distinction between relation — any pairing of numbers from two sets of numbers — and function — a pairing in which each first number is associated with exactly one second number. We have seen that a function can be described dynamically by specifying its domain (set of first numbers) and a rule for finding the second number associated with each number in the domain. For functions and relations arising in the real world, the pairing is likely to be represented by a data table or a graph. For model functions that approximate real phenomena, the association of variables is likely to be represented by a formula or a graph.

Contents for Chapter 1