10.

Functions - Inverse Functions

Objective: Identify and find inverse functions.

When a value goes into a function it is called the input. The result that we get
when we evaluate the function is called the output. When working with functions
sometimes we will know the output and be interested in what input gave us the
output. To find this we use an inverse function. As the name suggests an inverse
function undoes whatever the function did. If a function is named f (x), the
inverse function will be named f 1(x) (read f inverse of x). The negative one is
not an exponent, but mearly a symbol to let us know that this function is the
inverse of f .

World View Note: The notation used for functions was first introduced by the
great Swiss mathematician, Leonhard Euler in the 18th century.

For example, if f (x) = x + 5, we could deduce that the inverse function would be
f 1(x) = x 5. If we had an input of 3, we could calculate f (3) = (3) + 5 = 8. Our
output is 8. If we plug this output into the inverse function we get f 1(8) = (8)
5 = 3, which is the original input.

Often the functions are much more involved than those described above. It may
be difficult to determine just by looking at the functions if they are inverses. In
order to test if two functions, f (x) and g(x) are inverses we will calculate the
composition of the two functions at x. If f changes the variable x in some way,
then g undoes whatever f did, then we will be back at x again for our final solu-
tion. In otherwords, if we simplify (f g)(x) the solution will be x. If it is any-
thing but x the functions are not inverses.

1
Example 1.

x3 4
Are f (x) = 3 3x + 4 and g(x) = inverses? Caculate composition
3
x3 4
f (g(x)) Replace g(x) with
 3   3 3
x 4 x 4
f Substitute for variable in f
3 3
s 
x3 4

3
3 +4 Divide out the 3 s
3

3
x3 4 + 4 Combine like terms

3
x3 Take cubed root
x Simplified to x!
Yes, they are inverses! Our Solution

Example 2.

x
Are h(x) = 2x + 5 and g(x) = 5 inverses? Calculate composition
2 x 
h(g(x)) Replace g(x) with 5
x  x 2
h 5 Substitute 5 for variable in h
x 2 2
2 5 +5 Distrubte 2
2
x 10 + 5 Combine like terms
x5 Did not simplify to x
No, they are not inverses Our Solution

Example 3.

3x 2 x+2
Are f (x) = and g(x) = inverses? Calculate composition
4x + 1 3 4x  
x+2
f (g(x)) Replace g(x) with
3 4x
   
x+2 x+2
f Substitute for variable in f
3 4x 3 4x
 
x+2
3 3 4x 2
  Distribute 3 and 4 into numerators
x+2
4 3 4x + 1

2
 3x + 6
3 4x
2
4x + 8 Multiply each term by LCD: 3 4x
3 4x
+1

(3x + 6)(3 4x)

3 4x
2(3 4x)
(4x + 8)(3 4x)
Reduce fractions
3 4x
+ 1(3 4x)

3x + 6 2(3 4x)
Distribute
4x + 8 + 1(3 4x)

3x + 6 6 + 8x
Combine like terms
4x + 8 + 3 4x

11x
Divide out 11
11

x Simplified to x!
Yes, they are inverses Our Solution

While the composition is useful to show two functions are inverses, a more
common problem is to find the inverse of a function. If we think of x as our input
and y as our output from a function, then the inverse will take y as an input and
give x as the output. This means if we switch x and y in our function we will find
the inverse! This process is called the switch and solve strategy.

Switch and solve strategy to find an inverse:

1. Replace f (x) with y

2. Switch x and ys

3. Solve for y

4. Replace y with f 1(x)

Example 4.

Find the inverse of f (x) = (x + 4)3 2 Replace f (x) with y

y = (x + 4)3 2 Switch x and y
x = (y + 4)3 2 Solve for y
+2 +2 Add 2 to both sides
x + 2 = (y + 4)3 Cube root both sides

3

3
x+2 = y+4 Subtract 4 from both sides
4 4

3
x+2 4= y Replace y with f 1(x)

f 1(x) = 3 x + 2 4 Our Solution

Example 5.

2x 3
Find the inverse of g(x) = Replace g(x) with y
4x + 2

2x 3
y= Switch x and y
4x + 2

2y 3
x= Multiply by (4y + 2)
4y + 2

x(4y + 2) = 2y 3 Distribute
4xy + 2x = 2y 3 Move all y s to one side, rest to other side
4xy + 3 4xy + 3 Subtract 4xy and add 3 to both sides
2x + 3 = 2y 4xy Factor out y

2x + 3 = y(2 4x) Divide by 2 4x

2 4x 2 4x

2x + 3
=y Replace y with g 1(x)
2 4x

2x + 3
g 1(x) = Our Solution
2 4x

In this lesson we looked at two different things, first showing functions are
inverses by calculating the composition, and second finding an inverse when we
only have one function. Be careful not to get them backwards. When we already
have two functions and are asked to show they are inverses, we do not want to use
the switch and solve strategy, what we want to do is calculate the inverse. There
may be several ways to represent the same function so the switch and solve
strategy may not look the way we expect and can lead us to conclude two func-
tions are not inverses when they are in fact inverses.

Beginning and Intermediate Algebra by Tyler Wallace is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)

4
 10.3 Practice - Inverse Functions

State if the given functions are inverses.

1) g(x) = x5 3 2) g(x) =
4x
x
f (x) = 5 x 3 4
f (x) = x
x1
3) f (x) = x2 4) h(x) =
2 2x
2x + 1 x
g(x) = x1 f (x) =
2
x+2

5) g(x) = 10x + 5 x5
x5 6) f (x) = 10
f (x) = 10
h(x) = 10x + 5
2
7) f (x) = x + 3
q
x+1
3x + 2
8) f (x) = 5 2
g(x) = x+2 g(x) = 2x5 1
q
x1 8 + 9x
9) g(x) = 5 2
10) g(x) = 2
5x 9
f (x) = 2x + 15 f (x) = 2

Find the inverse of each functions.

11) f (x) = (x 2)5 + 3 31) g(x) = 1 + x3

4 4 3 4x
13) g(x) = x + 2 33) h(x) = 2

2x 2 x+1
15) f (x) = x+2
35) f (x) = x + 2

10 x 7 3x
17) f (x) = 37) f (x) = x2
5

19) g(x) = (x 1)3 39) g(x) = x

21) f (x) = (x 3)3 12) g(x) = 3 x + 1 + 2
3
23) g(x) = x 1
x 14) f (x) = x 3

9+x
x1
25) f (x) = x + 1 16) g(x) = 3

5x 15
27) g(x) =
8 5x 18) f (x) = 2
4
12 3x
29) g(x) = 5x + 1 20) f (x) = 4

5
 32) f (x) = 3 2x5
q
x+2
22) g(x) = 5 2

3 2x 34) g(x) = (x 1)3 + 2

24) f (x) = x+3
1
x 36) f (x) = x + 1
26) h(x) = x + 2
3x
28) g(x) =
x+2 38) f (x) = 4
3

5x 5 2x + 1
30) f (x) = 4
40) g(x) = 3

Beginning and Intermediate Algebra by Tyler Wallace is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)

6
10.3

Answers - Inverse Functions

1) Yes 5 + 4x
16) g 1(x) = 3x 9 30) f 1(x) = 5
2) No 17) f 1(x) = 5x + 10
15 + 2x
31) g 1(x) = 3 x + 1
3) Yes 18) f 1(x) = 5 q
x+3
4) Yes 19) g (x) =
1 3
x +1 32) f (x) = 5
1
2
5) No 4x + 12
20) f 1(x) = 3 ( 2x + 4)3
6) Yes 33) h1(x) = 4

21) f 1(x) = 3 x + 3
7) No 34) g 1(x) = 3 x 2 + 1
5
22) g (x) = 2x + 2
1
8) Yes x 2x + 1
23) g 1(x) = x 1 35) f 1(x) = x1
9) Yes
3x 3
10) No 24) f 1(x) = x+2 36) f 1(x) =
1x
x
x1
11) f 1(x) = 5 x 3 + 2 25) f 1(x) = x1 2x + 7
37) f 1(x) = x+3
3
12) g (x) = (x 2) 1
1 2x
26) h1(x) = x 1
4 2x 4x
13) g 1(x) = 4x + 8
38) f 1(x) = 3
x 27) g (x) =
1
5
3 + 3x
14) f 1
(x) = x 28) g 1(x) = 3x + 2 39) g 1(x) = x
2x 2 x+1 3x + 1
15) f 1(x) = x+2 29) g 1(x) = 5
40) g 1(x) = 2

Beginning and Intermediate Algebra by Tyler Wallace is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)