Function Terms

A function is a rule that gives exactly one output for each input, and most of high school math studies particular families of them. These function terms explain the features you read on a graph, such as intercepts, slope, vertex, end behavior and asymptotes, and the forms used to write each family.

The words are listed by grade, from the first linear functions of Grade 8 to the logarithms of Algebra 2.

46 terms on this page, each with a definition, a figure and a worked example.

Function Terms: the full list

Grade 8

• Function 8.F.A.1
• Linear Function 8.F.A.3
• Nonlinear Function 8.F.A.3
• Rate of Change 8.F.B.4
• Slope 8.EE.B.5
• Slope Formula 8.EE.B.6
• Slope-Intercept Form 8.EE.B.6
• Y-Intercept 8.F.B.4

Grade 9 – Algebra 1

• Absolute Value Function F-IF.C.7b
• Arithmetic Sequence F-IF.A.3
• Average Rate of Change F-IF.B.6
• Axis of Symmetry F-IF.C.7a
• Compound Interest F-IF.C.8b
• Domain and Range F-IF.A.1
• Explicit Formula F-BF.A.2
• Exponential Decay F-LE.A.1c
• Exponential Function F-LE.A.1
• Exponential Growth F-LE.A.1c
• Function Notation F-IF.A.2
• Geometric Sequence F-IF.A.3
• Inverse Function F-BF.B.4a
• Parabola F-IF.C.7a
• Piecewise Function F-IF.C.7b
• Point-Slope Form A-CED.A.2
• Quadratic Function F-IF.C.7a
• Recursive Formula F-BF.A.2
• Standard Form of a Linear Equation A-CED.A.2
• Standard Form of a Quadratic F-IF.C.8a
• Vertex Form A-SSE.B.3b
• Vertex of a Parabola F-IF.C.8a
• Vertical Line Test F-IF.A.1
• X-Intercept F-IF.B.4
• Zeros of a Function A-APR.B.3

Grade 11 – Algebra 2

• Asymptote F-IF.C.7d
• Change of Base Formula F-LE.A.4
• Composition of Functions F-BF.A.1c
• End Behavior F-IF.C.7c
• Euler's Number (e) F-LE.A.4
• Logarithm F-LE.A.4
• Logarithm Rules F-LE.A.4
• Multiplicity of a Zero A-APR.B.3
• Natural Logarithm (ln) F-LE.A.4
• One-to-One Function F-BF.B.4a
• Rational Function F-IF.C.7d
• Transformations of Functions F-BF.B.3

Grade 12 – Precalculus

• Parametric Equations F-IF.C.7