The Function Visualizer (FV) is a software implementation of mapping diagrams, with the added feature of animation.

On the left is the mapping diagram for the function: the left vertical line represents points in the domain, the right vertical line points in the range. A large number of lines are drawn in, connecting equally spaced points x in the domain with their image points f(x) in the range. If you move the mouse cursor up and down within the mapping diagram, the point x on the horizontal level of the cursor is highlighted, along with the line joining it to f(x). Simultaneously, the values of x, f(x) and f'(x) are displayed along the top of the screen, and the points (x,0), (x, f(x)) and (0, f(x)) are shown in the graph at the upper right together with lines joining these points.

The most novel feature of FV is an animation in which ALL the points in the domain move toward their images.

FV may be copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, and is copyright 1994-1995 by Northeastern University.

Included is a tex document which contains an article written about the motivation behind this program and how these ideas can be used in the teaching about functions.