Example: Plotting Inequalities and Piecewise Functions

Plots > XY Plots > Plotting Functions > Example: Plotting Inequalities and Piecewise Functions

Use plots to visualize inequalities and piecewise functions.

Inequalities

1. In an empty plot, enter an inequality in the y-axis expression and the corresponding independent variable in the x-axis expression.

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  <plot origin-positioning="true">
    <xyPlot>
      <title class="- topic/title " wwtype:type="Paragraph" xmlns:wwtype="urn:WebWorks-Type-Schema" />
      <legend />
      <traces>
        <trace num-of-points="500">
          <traceStyle color="#FF00008B" symbol="none" line-weight="1" line-style="Solid">lines</traceStyle>
        </trace>
      </traces>
      <axes>
        <xAxis legend-position="PlotBoundaryBottom" rank="1">
          <axisLine position="origin" positionticmark="0" />
          <axisGrid>
            <gridFrequency>11</gridFrequency>
            <gridLabels display="true" />
            <gridLines />
            <tickMarks display="true" />
          </axisGrid>
          <axisLabel />
          <markers />
          <numberFormat />
          <plotEquations>
            <plotEquation>
              <math>
                <id xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">r</id>
              </math>
              <math>
                <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
              </math>
            </plotEquation>
          </plotEquations>
          <xyDomain scale-type="linear" auto-scale="true">
            <startValue>
              <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
            </startValue>
            <endValue>
              <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
            </endValue>
          </xyDomain>
        </xAxis>
        <yAxis legend-position="PlotBoundaryLeft" rank="1">
          <axisLine position="origin" positionticmark="5" />
          <axisGrid>
            <gridFrequency>11</gridFrequency>
            <gridLabels display="true" />
            <gridLines />
            <tickMarks display="true" />
          </axisGrid>
          <axisLabel />
          <markers />
          <numberFormat />
          <plotEquations>
            <plotEquation>
              <math>
                <apply xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">
                  <greaterThan />
                  <apply>
                    <scale />
                    <real>2</real>
                    <id>r</id>
                  </apply>
                  <real>5</real>
                </apply>
              </math>
              <math>
                <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
              </math>
            </plotEquation>
          </plotEquations>
          <xyDomain scale-type="linear" auto-scale="true">
            <startValue>
              <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
            </startValue>
            <endValue>
              <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
            </endValue>
          </xyDomain>
        </yAxis>
      </axes>
    </xyPlot>
  </plot>
</region>

Since the inequality is a Boolean expression, PTC Mathcad plots both the values of r that are true (>2.5) and the values of r that are false (<2.5). The inequality is equal to 1 when it is true, and 0 when it is false.

2. Use the AND operator to add a second inequality to the first one.

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      <legend />
      <traces>
        <trace num-of-points="500">
          <traceStyle color="#FF00008B" symbol="none" line-weight="1" line-style="Solid">lines</traceStyle>
        </trace>
      </traces>
      <axes>
        <xAxis legend-position="PlotBoundaryBottom" rank="1">
          <axisLine position="origin" positionticmark="0" />
          <axisGrid>
            <gridFrequency>11</gridFrequency>
            <gridLabels display="true" />
            <gridLines />
            <tickMarks display="true" />
          </axisGrid>
          <axisLabel />
          <markers />
          <numberFormat />
          <plotEquations>
            <plotEquation>
              <math>
                <id xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">r</id>
              </math>
              <math>
                <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
              </math>
            </plotEquation>
          </plotEquations>
          <xyDomain scale-type="linear" auto-scale="true">
            <startValue>
              <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
            </startValue>
            <endValue>
              <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
            </endValue>
          </xyDomain>
        </xAxis>
        <yAxis legend-position="PlotBoundaryLeft" rank="1">
          <axisLine position="origin" positionticmark="5" />
          <axisGrid>
            <gridFrequency>11</gridFrequency>
            <gridLabels display="true" />
            <gridLines />
            <tickMarks display="true" />
          </axisGrid>
          <axisLabel />
          <markers />
          <numberFormat />
          <plotEquations>
            <plotEquation>
              <math>
                <apply xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">
                  <and />
                  <parens>
                    <apply>
                      <greaterThan />
                      <apply>
                        <scale />
                        <real>2</real>
                        <id>r</id>
                      </apply>
                      <real>5</real>
                    </apply>
                  </parens>
                  <parens>
                    <apply>
                      <lessThan />
                      <id>r</id>
                      <apply>
                        <div />
                        <real>20</real>
                        <real>3</real>
                      </apply>
                    </apply>
                  </parens>
                </apply>
              </math>
              <math>
                <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
              </math>
            </plotEquation>
          </plotEquations>
          <xyDomain scale-type="linear" auto-scale="true">
            <startValue>
              <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
            </startValue>
            <endValue>
              <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
            </endValue>
          </xyDomain>
        </yAxis>
      </axes>
    </xyPlot>
  </plot>
</region>

Piecewise Functions

A function that is not uniform over its domain is called a piecewise function. To plot a piecewise function you need to use the built-in conditional function if.

1. Define a function and plot it over a specific range.

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      <axes>
        <xAxis legend-position="PlotBoundaryBottom" rank="1">
          <axisLine position="ticknumberlock" positionticmark="1" />
          <axisGrid>
            <gridFrequency>5</gridFrequency>
            <gridLabels display="true" />
            <gridLines />
            <tickMarks display="true" />
          </axisGrid>
          <axisLabel />
          <markers />
          <numberFormat />
          <plotEquations>
            <plotEquation>
              <math>
                <id xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">x</id>
              </math>
              <math>
                <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
              </math>
            </plotEquation>
          </plotEquations>
          <xyDomain scale-type="linear" auto-scale="true">
            <startValue>
              <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
            </startValue>
            <secondTickValue>
              <real xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">-1</real>
            </secondTickValue>
            <endValue>
              <real xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">2</real>
            </endValue>
          </xyDomain>
        </xAxis>
        <yAxis legend-position="PlotBoundaryLeft" rank="1">
          <axisLine position="ticknumberlock" positionticmark="2" />
          <axisGrid>
            <gridFrequency>5</gridFrequency>
            <gridLabels display="true" />
            <gridLines />
            <tickMarks display="true" />
          </axisGrid>
          <axisLabel />
          <markers />
          <numberFormat />
          <plotEquations>
            <plotEquation>
              <math>
                <apply xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">
                  <id>f</id>
                  <id>x</id>
                </apply>
              </math>
              <math>
                <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
              </math>
            </plotEquation>
          </plotEquations>
          <xyDomain scale-type="linear" auto-scale="true">
            <startValue>
              <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
            </startValue>
            <secondTickValue>
              <real xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">0</real>
            </secondTickValue>
            <endValue>
              <real xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">3</real>
            </endValue>
          </xyDomain>
        </yAxis>
      </axes>
    </xyPlot>
  </plot>
</region>

2. Define and plot a piecewise function that is equal to f(x) only when f(x) > 0.

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        </trace>
      </traces>
      <axes>
        <xAxis legend-position="PlotBoundaryBottom" rank="1">
          <axisLine position="ticknumberlock" positionticmark="0" />
          <axisGrid>
            <gridFrequency>6</gridFrequency>
            <gridLabels display="true" />
            <gridLines />
            <tickMarks display="true" />
          </axisGrid>
          <axisLabel />
          <markers />
          <numberFormat />
          <plotEquations>
            <plotEquation>
              <math>
                <id xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">x</id>
              </math>
              <math>
                <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
              </math>
            </plotEquation>
          </plotEquations>
          <xyDomain scale-type="linear" auto-scale="true">
            <startValue>
              <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
            </startValue>
            <secondTickValue>
              <real xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">-1</real>
            </secondTickValue>
            <endValue>
              <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
            </endValue>
          </xyDomain>
        </xAxis>
        <yAxis legend-position="PlotBoundaryLeft" rank="1">
          <axisLine position="ticknumberlock" positionticmark="2" />
          <axisGrid>
            <gridFrequency>4</gridFrequency>
            <gridLabels display="true" />
            <gridLines />
            <tickMarks display="true" />
          </axisGrid>
          <axisLabel />
          <markers />
          <numberFormat />
          <plotEquations>
            <plotEquation>
              <math>
                <apply xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">
                  <id>g</id>
                  <id>x</id>
                </apply>
              </math>
              <math>
                <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
              </math>
            </plotEquation>
          </plotEquations>
          <xyDomain scale-type="linear" auto-scale="true">
            <startValue>
              <real xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">0</real>
            </startValue>
            <secondTickValue>
              <real xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">1</real>
            </secondTickValue>
            <endValue>
              <real xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">3</real>
            </endValue>
          </xyDomain>
        </yAxis>
      </axes>
    </xyPlot>
  </plot>
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3. Use the AND operator to define the range of x over which f(x) is plotted as such. For other values of x, plot the negative of function f.

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          <axisGrid>
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            <gridLabels display="true" />
            <gridLines />
            <tickMarks display="true" />
          </axisGrid>
          <axisLabel />
          <markers />
          <numberFormat />
          <plotEquations>
            <plotEquation>
              <math>
                <id xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">x</id>
              </math>
              <math>
                <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
              </math>
            </plotEquation>
          </plotEquations>
          <xyDomain scale-type="linear" auto-scale="true">
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            <secondTickValue>
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            </secondTickValue>
            <endValue>
              <real xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">2</real>
            </endValue>
          </xyDomain>
        </xAxis>
        <yAxis legend-position="PlotBoundaryLeft" rank="1">
          <axisLine position="ticknumberlock" positionticmark="2" />
          <axisGrid>
            <gridFrequency>5</gridFrequency>
            <gridLabels display="true" />
            <gridLines />
            <tickMarks display="true" />
          </axisGrid>
          <axisLabel />
          <markers />
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          <plotEquations>
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              <math>
                <apply xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">
                  <id>h</id>
                  <id>x</id>
                </apply>
              </math>
              <math>
                <placeholder xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50" />
              </math>
            </plotEquation>
          </plotEquations>
          <xyDomain scale-type="linear" auto-scale="true">
            <startValue>
              <real xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">-2</real>
            </startValue>
            <secondTickValue>
              <real xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">-1.5</real>
            </secondTickValue>
            <endValue>
              <real xmlns="http://schemas.mathsoft.com/math50">0</real>
            </endValue>
          </xyDomain>
        </yAxis>
      </axes>
    </xyPlot>
  </plot>
</region>