Question

Textbook answer: http://k003.kiwi6.com/hotlink/7737o219bm/precalc_ch4_no18_text.png
My ["sort of"] answer: http://k003.kiwi6.com/hotlink/se9i63s338/precalc_ch4_no18.jpg Please someone help explain this to me. How can the textbook say that in their answer? Please just help me to make some sense of this, it seems simple enough...

Answer 1

The piecewise function


\[\Large n(x)=
\begin{cases} |x-1| & \text{if $x<-3$}\\
-3 & \text{if $x=-3$}\\
|x|-1 & \text{if $x>-3$}
\end{cases} \]


literally means n(x) = |x-1| when x < -3 or n(x) = -3 when x = -3 or n(x) = |x|-1 when x > -3


So a piecewise function is simply a collection of functions, but they're only drawn for specific intervals of x

Answer 2

oh wait, there's a typo either in the solution manual or in the problem itself...

Answer 3

does the second line really read -3 if x = 3 or is it -3 if x = -3 ???

Answer 4

Yeah, the question in the texbook doesn't match up to the answer given. One of them is a typo. The question should read \[n(x) = 3 \text{ if }x = - 3\] for the answer to be correct. You should take it up with your teacher I think!

Answer 5

That's what I'm saying! and I have no friggen teacher I have to teach myself in time for this exam in a month.... all I have is this typo-ridden textbook

Answer 6

But so... all bs aside... originally the middle piece says -3 if x=3; so that piece is just the lone point (3,-3), yes? Correct? The rest is all good.

Answer 7

it all depends on what the original problem is (more importantly, how accurately displayed the original problem is)

Answer 8

hahaha stupid crap

Answer 9

my guess is that it should be -3 if x = -3

Answer 10

because everything else was if x = -3

Answer 11

for consistency's sake (and to keep it true to the diagram)

Answer 12

oh true but the original question said if x=3.... but yup okay

Answer 13

yes yes thank you

Answer 14

yeah my guess is they ran out of negatives at that moment...

Answer 15

besides, if it were x = 3, then you would NOT have a function, so a basic violation would occur

Answer 16

oh damn that's right...