Key Concepts of Inverse Functions,

Exponential Functions and

Logarithmic Functions - Part 001
 Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the learner should be able to:

1. Represent real-life situations using one-to one functions
2. Determine the inverse of a one-to-one function
3. Represent an inverse function through its (a) table of values, and (b) graph
4. Find the domain and range of an inverse function
Represent real-life situations
using one-to one functions
 Definitions

• Domain
• The set of all values of x for which the function is defined
• Range
• The set of all values of y for which the function takes from the
values of the domain
 One-to-One function

•Def: A function is a one-to-one function if

no two different ordered pairs have the same
second coordinate.
 One-to-One Function

• A function f is one-to one if for and and b in its domain, f(a) = f(b) implies a = b.
• Other – each component of the range is unique.
 Horizontal Line Test
A test for one-to one

•If a horizontal line intersects the graph of the

function in more than one point, the function
is not one-to one
 Example

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 Example: Circumference of a Circle

• The circumference function for a circle is a one-to-one function as no two values

for diameter (d) would give the same value for the circumference
• 𝐶 = 𝜋𝑑
 Example: Price you pay for goods you buy

• If you are buying apples at Php 28.00 per piece, the function that represents the
amount you need to pay when you buy x number of apples is
• 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑃𝑎𝑦 = 𝑃ℎ𝑝 28.00 (𝑥) where x is the number of apples you will buy
• This is one-to-one since no two values of x will give you the same amount you need
to pay.
Determine the inverse of a one-to-one function
Represent an inverse function through its (a)
table of values, and (b) graph
http://college.cengage.com/mathematics/shared/content/digital_lessons/inverse_functions.ppt
 Existence of an Inverse Function

•A function f has an inverse function if and

only if f is one to one.
 Find an Inverse Function

• 1. Determine if f has an inverse function using horizontal line test.

• 2. Replace f(x) with y
• 3. Interchange x and y
• 4. Solve for y
• 5. Replace y with
1
f ( x)
 Definition of Inverse Function

• Let f and g be two functions such that f(g(x))=x for every x in the domain
of g and g(f(x))=x for every x in the domain of.
• g is the inverse function of the function f
 Definition

• A function y = f (x) with domain D is one-to-one on D

if and only if for every x1 and x2 in D, f(x1) = f (x2) implies that x1 = x2.
• A function is a mapping from its domain to its range
so that each element, x, of the domain is mapped to one, and only one, element, f (x),
of the range.
• A function is one-to-one if each element f(x) of the
range is mapped from one, and only one, element, x,
of the domain.
 Horizontal Line Test
y
(0, 7) (4, 7)
• Horizontal Line Test
y=7
• A function y = f (x) is one-to-one if and only if
no horizontal line intersects the graph of y = f (x) 2

in more than one point. x

2
• Example: The function
y = x2 – 4x + 7 is not one-to-one on the real numbers because the line y = 7
intersects the graph at both (0, 7) and (4, 7).
 Example
• Example: Apply the horizontal line test to the graphs below to determine if the
functions are one-to-one.
a) y = x3 b) y = x + 3x – x – 1
3 2

y y
8
8

4
4
-4 4
-4 4
x x

one-to-one not one-to-one

 Inverse Functions
Function y = |x| + 1 Inverse relation x = |y| + 1
x y x y
2 2
1 3 1 3
0 2 0 2
-1 1 -1 1
-2 -2
Domain Range Range Domain
Every function y = f (x) has an inverse relation x = f (y).
The ordered pairs of :
y = |x| + 1 are {(-2, 3), (-1, 2), (0, 1), (1, 2), (2, 3)}.
x = |y| + 1 are {(3, -2), (2, -1), (1, 0), (2, 1), (3, 2)}.
The inverse relation is not a function. It pairs 2 to both -1 and +1.
 Ordered Pairs

• The ordered pairs of the function f are reversed to produce the ordered pairs of the
inverse relation.
• Example: Given the function
f = {(1, 1), (2, 3), (3, 1), (4, 2)}, its domain is {1, 2, 3, 4} and its range is {1, 2, 3}.
• The inverse relation of f is {(1, 1), (3, 2), (1, 3), (2, 4)}.
• The domain of the inverse relation is the range of the original function.
• The range of the inverse relation is the domain of the original function.
• The graphs of a relation and its inverse are reflections in the line y = x.
• Example: Find the graph of the inverse relation geometrically from the graph of f (x)
= y y=x
( x  2)
3

2
4
• The ordered pairs of f are 3
given by the equation y  ( x  2) . x
4 -2 2

• The ordered pairs of the inverse are given by ( y  2)

3
-2
( x 3  2)
( y 3  2) x y
x 4 4
4
 Inverse Relation: Algebraically
• Example: Find the inverse relation algebraically for the
function f (x) = 3x + 2.
y = 3x + 2 Original equation defining f
x = 3y + 2 Switch x and y.
3y + 2 = x Reverse sides of the equation.
( x  2)
y= Solve for y.
3
To calculate a value for the inverse of f, subtract 2, then
divide by 3.
 Inverse Function

• For a function y = f (x), the inverse relation of f

is a function if and only if f is one-to-one.
• For a function y = f (x), the inverse relation of f
is a function if and only if the graph of f passes the horizontal line test.
• If f is one-to-one, the inverse relation of f
is a function called the inverse function of f.
• The inverse function of y = f (x) is written y = f -1(x).
 Example

• Example: From the graph of the function y = f (x), determine if the inverse relation
is a function and, if it is, sketch its graph.
y y = f -1(x)
• The graph of f passes the horizontal line test. y=x
• The inverse y = f(x)
relation is a function.
x
• Reflect the graph of f in the line y = x to
produce the graph of f -1.
 Composition of a Function

• The inverse function is an “inverse” with respect to the operation of composition of

functions.
• The inverse function “undoes” the function,
that is, f -1( f (x)) = x.
• The function is the inverse of its inverse function,
that is, f ( f -1(x)) = x.
• Example: The inverse of f(x) = x3 is f -1(x) = 3
x .
3 3
f -1( f(x)) = x = x and f ( f -1(x)) = (3 x )3 = x.
 Composition of Functions
x 1
Example: Verify that the function g(x) =
is the inverse of f(x) = 2x – 1. 2
( f ( x)  1) ((2 x  1)  1) 2x
g( f(x)) = = = =x
2 2 2
x 1
f(g(x)) = 2g(x) – 1 = 2( ) – 1 = (x + 1) – 1 = x
2
It follows that g = f -1.
Find the domain and range of an
inverse function
 Inverse Function

• g is the inverse of f if the domains and ranges are interchanged.

• f = {(1,2),(3,4), (5,6)}
• g= {(2,1), (4,3),(6,5)}
1
g ( x)  f ( x)
 Inverse of a function

f  1, 2  ,  3, 4  ,  5,6 

f 1
  2,1 4,3 ,  6,5 
 Inverse of function

f  1, 2  ,  3, 2  ,  5, 2 

f 1
  2,1 ,  2,3 ,  2,5 