Composition of Functions
Graphical, algebraic, and numerical demonstrations of the composition , also written as .
Here we have two function graphs,  and .  Our input to  is .  Drag the blue  point along 's -axis to change its value.  As you do this, the value of  changes.  This output value, , then becomes the input value to , so that the value of  is given by the composition .
You can change the definitions of  and  by typing new function expressions into their respective input boxes.  Also note that you can drag the coordinate planes as well as the input boxes and the text boxes so that you can see the graphs, should you decide to change them.  Click the circle arrows at the top right of the graph of  to reset the display.
Algebraically, the input function  is "plugged in" to the function  to form the output, the composite function .  The resulting function is shown in the text box on the  graph.  Note that the expression shown for  is simplified, so it might look different than you expect depending on the functions you choose.
Graphically, you can see how the composition works by moving the -value on the  graph.  The -value output from  for this -value is then plotted as the input value to  on the -axis of the  graph.  The output of  using this input gives us the final value of the composition.
Numerically, the tables work similarly to the graphical action.  A set of two tables is shown.  In the table on the  graph,  is limited to a set of selected values, from  to  in steps of .  The output of  for each of these inputs is given.  These output values become the input values to the  table shown on the  graph.  The output of  at these values is the value of the composition of the two functions for the -value you selected by dragging the point.