Define Domain Criteria: We need to determine the set of all possible x values for which the function y=(x4)−3x is defined. The domain of a function is the set of all possible inputs (x values) that will give real number outputs for the function.
First Term Analysis: The first term of the function is (x4). The square root function is only defined for non-negative numbers. Therefore, x4 must be greater than or equal to 0. This implies that x must be greater than 0 because if x were negative, the fractionx4 would be negative, which is not allowed under a square root.
Second Term Analysis: The second term of the function is −3x. Similarly, the square root function here is only defined for non-negative numbers. Therefore, 3x must be greater than or equal to 0. This implies that x must be greater than or equal to 0.
Combine Conditions: Combining the conditions from both terms, we find that x must be greater than 0 to satisfy the first term and greater than or equal to 0 to satisfy the second term. The common condition that satisfies both is that x must be strictly greater than 0.
Consider Exclusion: However, we must also consider that x cannot be zero because the term x4 would involve division by zero, which is undefined. Therefore, the domain of the function excludes x=0.
Final Domain: The domain of the function y=(x4)−3x is therefore all positive real numbers except zero. This can be expressed in set notation as \{x | x > 0\}.
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