IntroFoundations

Composition of Functions

Overview

f(g(x)) means: apply g first, then feed the result into f. Composition is everywhere in calculus — the Chain Rule is built entirely on it.

Key Concepts

1

(f ∘ g)(x) = f(g(x)) — g runs first, f runs second

2

Order matters: f(g(x)) ≠ g(f(x)) in general

3

Identify the "outer" function f and the "inner" function g

4

This exact decomposition is what the Chain Rule uses

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