$f(x) = |x − 2|.$
Sketch $y = f(f(f(|x|)))$
for $x\in \mathbb{R}.$
-
Why not start by sketching
$f(x)?$
-
How does changing the argument to
$|x|$
affect the graph? What would$f(|x|)$
look like? -
What about
$f(f(|x|))?$
-
A good way to think about this graph is to consider the sequence of transformations we are performing. Applying
$|\cdot|$
to the argument of the function makes it symmetrical about the y-axis. Subtracting$2$
shifts the entire graph downwards by$2$
units and applying$|\cdot|$
to the result flips parts of the graph below the x-axis. By sketching the simpler cases, we can deduce the pattern that$n$
applications of$f$
results in$n$
peaks.