We find necessary and sufficient conditions on g such that / g (resp.g f) is a function of bounded variation for all/of bounded variation.Let I = [0, 1], and let BV denote the set of functions /: I -> I of bounded variation.BV is not closed under composition (example: / g where/(x) = Vjc; g(0) = 0, g(x) = x2 sin2(l/x) for x ^ 0).Here we characterize those functions g whose right (resp.left) composition operation/-/ g (resp./-*g f) preserves BV.If /: I -> R, define t>(/, a, b) as the variation of / on the subinterval [a, b], and v(f) = t>(/, 0, 1).For a positive integer N, let JN = {X Q I: X can be expressed as a union of A' intervals} (where the intervals may be open or closed at either end and we allow singletons as degenerate closed intervals).Since any interval is a union of two subintervals, we see JN c Jn+v A function/: I-R is said to be of N-bounded variation if f~\[a, b]) G JN for all [a, b] Q R. Let B\(N) be the set of all functions /: I -* I of N-bounded variation, and BV'(N) the set of all bounded functions /: I -> R of N-bounded variation.Lemma 1.Every function in BV'(JV) is of bounded variation.Proof.Suppose h G BV'(N) and \h(x)\ < M for all x G I. We show v(h) < 4M(N + 1).Ift>(A) > 4M(N + 1), then there exists a partition {x0, . . ., x") of I with |A(*,)-/(*,_,)I>4M(JV+1).<-l Some [a', b'] C [-M, M] with a! < b' is covered more than 2(N + 1) times by intervals [/(x,_,), h(x)] or [A(x,),/t(x,_,)].At least N + 1 are of the type [(*,-i), Kx)], say, so N+l [a',b']c n[Hyj),h(zj)] y-i where each (yJtz,) = (jc,-_" x) for some i, and yx <zx < <yN+x <zN+x.Then h{yf) < a' < b' < h(zf) for all/.Take a between a' and b'; take b greater than