Relations and Functions

Functions are important in every area of pure and applied mathematics, including mathe- matics applied to economics, finance and business. For example, the language of economic analysis is full of terms like demand and supply functions, cost functions, production functions, consumption functions, and so on. Algebra is a potent tool for describing and exploring relationships. Imagine tossing a ball straight up into the air, watching it rise, stop, and fall back down into your hand. As time passed, the height of the ball changed, creating a relationship between the amount of time the ball was in the air and its height. In mathematics, a relationship between variables that change together (such as time and height) is called a relation. There are many kinds of relations. Among the most important algebraic relations are functions. Functions are widely used in science, and in most fields of mathematics. It has been said that functions are "the central objects of investigation" in most fields of mathematics.
This book explains everything you need to know about the basics of relations and functions: what a relation is, what a function is, and when a relation is, or isn't, a function. The content coverage is into seven chapters.