[Math] Why is the domain of a composition of functions an intersection and not a union

algebra-precalculus

I'm studying the composition of functions from the University of Toronto Pre-calculus website.

The instructions for determining the domain of a composition is as follows:

$(f \circ g)(x)$ is defined when $g(x)$ and $f(g(x))$ are defined! So when determining the domain of a composition of functions, take the domain of the inner function, and continue outwards to see if you need to remove any more $x$-values. I.e., $domain((f\circ g)(x)) = domain(g(x)) \cap domain(f(g(x)))$.

My question: why is the domain of a composition of function the intersection of the constituent functions? Shouldn't it be the union? Doesn't taking the intersection mean that if one function has a restriction not shared by the other, it won't apply to the composition? And wouldn't that be a bad thing?

Best Answer

It means the intersection of the domains (the non-restricted inputs), rather than the intersection of the restrictions!