function

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Graphs of some trigonometric functions

point in the complex plane

graph of a function

Figure 1: Graph of values of the function y = f(x) = 2 - x + x2 for x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4.

For Students

function summary

Discover

Chinese dragon sculpture or statue.

10 Legendary Creatures from Around the World

Normandy Invasion: Omaha Beach. World War II. D-Day. Infographic. SPOTLIGHT VERSION

Facts and Figures About the Landings on Omaha Beach During the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944

Estimated battle casualties, Normandy invasion, World War II. WWII, D-Day

Estimated Battle Casualties During the Normandy Invasion and Campaign to Liberate Paris (June–August 1944)

Orange basketball on black background and with low key lighting. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time

Ice Sledge Hockey, Hockey Canada Cup, USA (left) vs Canada, 2009. UBC Thunderbird Arena, Vancouver, BC, competition site for Olympic ice hockey and Paralympic ice sledge hockey. Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver Olympics

10 Best Hockey Players of All Time

Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)

All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained

The impeachment trial of Pres. Andrew Johnson, illustration from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, March 28, 1868.

What If the President Is Impeached?

function: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

Graphs of some trigonometric functions

point in the complex plane

graph of a function

Figure 1: Graph of values of the function y = f(x) = 2 - x + x2 for x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4.

See All Images →

Topics

objective function periodic function potential function probability mass function rational function functor argument value Euler phi function computable function foundations of mathematics probability and statistics numerals and numeral systems matrix fractal graph derivative algorithm vector error

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

analysis: Functions

Key People

Paul Painlevé.

Paul Painlevé

French prime minister and mathematician

Karl Weierstrass, engraving after a photograph by Franz Kullrich.

Karl Weierstrass

German mathematician

Émile Borel

French mathematician

Edward Charles Titchmarsh

British mathematician

Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet

German mathematician

Quiz

Italian-born physicist Dr. Enrico Fermi draws a diagram at a blackboard with mathematical equations. circa 1950.

Define It: Math Terms

Equations written on blackboard

Numbers and Mathematics