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A function that takes a single argument as input, such as () =, is called a unary function. A function of two or more variables is considered to have a domain consisting of ordered pairs or tuples of argument values. The argument of a circular function is an angle.
In mathematics, a function is a rule for taking an input (in the simplest case, a number or set of numbers) [5] and providing an output (which may also be a number). [5] A symbol that stands for an arbitrary input is called an independent variable, while a symbol that stands for an arbitrary output is called a dependent variable. [6]
In mathematics, an operation is a function from a set to itself. For example, an operation on real numbers will take in real numbers and return a real number. An operation can take zero or more input values (also called "operands" or "arguments") to a well-defined output value.
Schematic depiction of a function described metaphorically as a "machine" or "black box" that for each input yields a corresponding output The red curve is the graph of a function, because any vertical line has exactly one crossing point with the curve. A function f from a set X to a set Y is an assignment of one element of Y to each element of X.
The preimage of an output value is the set of input values that produce . More generally, evaluating f {\displaystyle f} at each element of a given subset A {\displaystyle A} of its domain X {\displaystyle X} produces a set, called the " image of A {\displaystyle A} under (or through) f {\displaystyle f} ".
If a real function f is given by a formula, it may be not defined for some values of the variable. In this case, it is a partial function, and the set of real numbers on which the formula can be evaluated to a real number is called the natural domain or domain of definition of f.
Originally, the term "variable" was used primarily for the argument of a function, in which case its value can vary in the domain of the function. This is the motivation for the choice of the term. This is the motivation for the choice of the term.
A "zero" of a function is thus an input value that produces an output of 0. [2] A root of a polynomial is a zero of the corresponding polynomial function. [1]