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Function notation is a special way to write functions that explicitly shows that y is a function of x — in other words, that y depends on x. Function notation is symbolically expressed as y=f(x) and read y equals f of x.
Equations that are functions can be written using function notation.
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Equation & & Function Notation [1ex]
y=-5x+4 & & f(x) = -5x+4
Notice that y has been replaced by f(x). In function notation, x represents an element of the domain and f(x) represents the element of the range that corresponds to x. When written in function notation, the expression that describes how to convert an input into an output — the right-hand side expression — is called the function rule.
Besides f, other letters such as g or h can be used to name the function. Similarly, letters other than x can name the independent variable.