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An intersection point between two functions is a point where the graphs of the functions meet each other. You find intersections by solving the system of equations consisting of the two functions.

Rule

The Intersection Between Two Graphs

You find the point where the graph of f and the graph of g intersects by solving the equation f(x) = g(x).

Example 1

Find the intersection between f(x) = x 1 and g(x) = 2x + 8

Since f(x) = y and g(x) = y, you can set them equal to each other:

x 1 = 2x + 8 3x = 9| ÷3 x = 3

Insert x into f(x) = x 1 because it’s the simpler expression of the two. You could also insert x into g(x), but it would be more work.

f(3) = (3) 1 = 2.

The intersection between f(x) and g(x) is

(x,y) = (3, 2).

Intersection points of two functions

Example 2

Find the intersection between f(x) = x2 + 3x 2 and g(x) = 2x + 3

Since f(x) = y and g(x) = y, you can set them equal to each other:

x2 + 3x 2 = 2x + 3 x2 + x 5 = 0

Solving the quadratic equation with the quadratic formula:

x = 1 ±12 4 1 (5) 2 1 = 1 ±1 + 20 2 = 1 ±21 2 ,

so

x1 = 1 21 2 2.79, x2 = 1 + 21 2 1.79.

Insert x1 and x2 into g(x) = 2x + 3 because it’s the simpler expression. You could also insert x1 and x2 into f(x), but it would be more work.

y1 = g(2.79) = 2 (2.79) + 3 = 2.58 y2 = g(1.79) = 2 1.79 + 3 = 6.58

y1 = g(2.79) = 2 (2.79) + 3 = 2.58 y2 = g(1.79) = 2 1.79 + 3 = 6.58

The intersection between f(x) and g(x) is

(x1,y1) = (2.79,2.58), (x2,y2) = (1.79, 6.58).

f(x) and g(x) graphed in the same coordinate system with the intersection points included

Example 3

For which values of x are f(x) = sin x and g(x) = cos x equal?

Find the point of intersection between the graphs by setting them equal to each other:

sin x = cos x|÷ cos x tan x = 1 x = tan 1(1) = π 4 + nπ

You need to check that you didn’t miss any solutions since you divided by cos x, which can be 0. You check this by looking at what happens if cos x = 0. Then x = π 2, which means sin x = 1, or x = 3π 2 , which means sin x = 1. In both cases, sin x is different from cos x, so they are not solutions.

There are infinitely many points of intersection, and the points have x-values equal to x = π 4 + nπ for n . You find the y-values by inserting the x-values into one of the functions, for example to f(x) = sin x. Here, you have to be aware that even if tan x has a period of π, you have found two different angles on the unit circle, with π radians between. This is why you get two different values when you put the result back into f(x) = sin x:

f (π 4 ) = sin π 4 = 2 2 f (π 4 + π) = sin 5π 4 = 2 2

These are two different y-values, y = 2 2 and y = 2 2 , each belonging to their respective angle on the unit circle. These angles repeat themselves with a period of 2π. Together, you get two different points of intersection:

(x1,y1) = (π 4 + n 2π, 2 2 ) , n (x2,y2) = (5π 4 + n 2π,2 2 ) , n

(x1,y1) = (π 4 + n 2π, 2 2 ) , n (x2,y2) = (5π 4 + n 2π,2 2 ) , n

Note! In this type of exercise, you are pleased with an answer containing n. This is because your were asked to find all the points, meaning the general solution, not the points within a certain interval.

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