Michigan Algebra I Sept. 2012

Symmetry is more of a geometric than an algebraic concept, but the subject of symmetry does come up in a couple of algebraic contexts. For instance, when graphing quadratics, it may be helpful to know the parabola's axis of symmetry.

The other customary context for symmetry is judging from a graph whether a function is even or odd. A function can be symmetric about a vertical line or about a point. In particular, a function that is symmetric about the y-axis is an "even" function, and a function that is symmetric about the origin is an "odd" function. Power functions that are considered even, have an even exponent and those that are odd have an odd exponent.