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Assignment 4: Composition of Functions & Inverse Functions

1. Find the formula for f −1 and state the domain of f −1 when the function f is given
by
(a) f (x) = 2x − 3 (b) f (x) = 1 + 3x (c) f (x) = 1 − x
x+9 1 2x + 5
(d) f (x) = (e) f (x) = (4x − 5) (f) f (x) =
2 3 x−7
3 13 x+1
(g) f (x) = (h) f (x) = (i) f (x) =
x−2 2x x−2

2. A = {x | x ≥ 0, x ∈ R} and g, h are functions from A to A defined by g(x) =

2x, h(x) = x2 .

(a) Find the formula for the inverse functions g −1 , h−1 .

(b) Evaluate g −1 (7), h−1 (5).

2x − 5
3. Function f is given by f (x) = .
x−3
(a) State the value of x for which f is not defined.

(b) Find the value of x for which f (x) = 0.

(c) Find the inverse function f −1 and state the domain of f −1 .

x+a
4. Function f is given by f (x) = and that f (7) = 2, find
x−2
(a) the value of a, and (b) f −1 (−4).

x+p
5. Given the function f (x) = (x 6= 3), where p is a constant,
x−3
1
(a) find the value of p if f (5) = 1 ,
2
−1
(b) find f in a similar form,

(c) state the value of x for which f −1 is undefined.

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6. Find the inverses of the following functions:

(a) f (x) = x (b) f (x) = x + 2 (c) f (x) = 2x − 1

x+1
(d) g(x) = 3x + 4 (e) f (x) = (f) f (x) = 9 − x
3
8
(h) f (x) = 8 − 2x (g) f (x) = 2x − 5 (j) h(x) = (x 6= 0)
x
x 5 3
(i) f (x) = −1 (k) f (x) = (x 6= −1) (l) f (x) = + 2(x 6= 0)
3 x+1 x
x+1 2x − 1
(m) f (x) = (x 6= −2) (n) h(x) = (x 6= 3)
x−2 x−3

7. Given f −1 (x) = 2x − 3, find f in the same form.

x+3
8. If f −1 (x) = , find f .
2

9. f (x) = a−x, where a is a constant, is a self-inverse function. Given that f −1 (4) =

3, find the value of a.

1−x
10. Given the function h(x) = (x 6= 4), find the value of h−1 (−3).
x−4

x+3
11. Given the function g(x) = (x 6= −2), find g −1 (−1).
x+2

x+d
12. Given the function f (x) = (x 6= 1) and that f (2) = 5, find (a) the value of
x−1
d, (b) f −1 . What can be said about this function?

x+r 1
13. f (x) = , where r and s are constants and f (4) = 6, f (−1) = − . Find
x+s 4
(a) the values of r and s,

(b) the value of x for which f is undefined,

(c) f −1 in the same form,

(d) the value of x for which f −1 is undefined.

14. Given that f (x) = 3x + 2, g(x) = x2 and h(x) = 2x, find:

(a) f g(2) (b) f g(x) (c) gh(x) (d) f gh(x)

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√
15. Given that f (x) = 2x + 1 and g(x) = 4 − x, find: (a) f g(−4) (b) gf (12) (c)
f g(x) (d) gf (x)

1
16. Given that f (x) = x + 4, g(x) = 2x2 and h(x) = , find: (a) f 2 (x) (b) g 2 (x)
2x + 1
(c) h2 (x) (d) hgf (x)

2
17. Functions f and g are defined as f (x) = and g(x) = 3x − 2. Find
x+1
( )
(a) f g, (b) gf , (c)(f g)−l , (d) gf −I . (e) For what value(s) of x is gf = f g ?

x
18. Given that f (x) = (x 6= −2), find (a)f 2 , (b)f 3 , (c)f 4 and hence deduce an
x+2
expression for f 5 .

19. If f (x) = ax + b(a > 0) and f 2 (x) = 9x − 8, find

(a) the values of a and b, (b) f 3 , (c) f 4 . (d) Deduce f 5 .

20. Using the functions f (x) = x + 2 and g(x) = x − 3, find in the same form (a) f g,
(b) gf , (c) f f , (d) gg.

21. Taking f (x) = x+2 and g(x) = 3x−1, find (a) f g, (b) gf , (c) f −1 , (d) g −1 , (e)f −1 ,
(f) g −1 f .

22. If f (x) = x + 1, find (a) f 2 , (b) f 3 and deduce (c) f 4 , (d) f 5 (e) f n .

x−3 ( )−1
23. Taking the function f as f (x) = 6 −2, find (a) f −1 , (b) f 2 , (c) f 2
,x = .
x+2
In each case, state the values of x which must be excluded from the domain.

24. If f (x) = x2 − 2 and g(x) = x + 3, find (a) f g, (b) gf . For what value of x is
f g = gf ?

25. Given that g(x) = x + 2 and h(x) = x2 − 3, find the value of x for which gh = hg.

26. For the functions f (x) = −4 and g(x) = −2, find (a) f −1 , (b) g −1 , (c)f g −1 , (d)
(f g)−1 .

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27. Functions f and g are defined by x 7−→ 2x + 1 and x 7−→ 1 − 3x respectively. For
what value of x is f g −1 = f −1 g ?

x−1 1
28. Functions f and g are defined as f (x) = and g(x) = (x 6= 0) respectively.
2 x
Find similarly (a) f g, (b) g −1 f , (c) f −1 g −1 . In each case, state the values of x
which must be excluded from the domain. (d) For what values of x is g −1 f =
f −1 g −1 ?

1
29. The functions f and g are defined as f (x) = 3x + 2 and g(x) = (x 6= 0). Find
x
similar expressions for (a) f g, (b) gf , (c) f −1 −1
g, (d) gf . In each case, state the
values of x which must be excluded from the domain.

Find the value(s) of x for which (e) f g = gf , (f) f −1 g = gf −1 . 12 Given

1 1
f (x) = 1 − , x 6= 0, and g(x) = , x 6= 1, find f g(x) and gf(x). Hence state
x 1−x
the inverses of f and g.

x+1
30. f is the function that maps x onto (x 6= 1).
x−1
(a) Show that f is self-inverse.

(b) Find f 2 .

(c) Show that f 3 = f .

31. f (x) = ax + b(a, b constants ) and g(x) = 2x + 3 are two functions.

(a) If f g = gf , find a relation between a and b.

(b) Given that f −1 (7) = −1, find the values of a and b.

x
32. If f (x) = 5 − and g(x) = 2x + 1, show that f g and gf are both self inverse.
2

x−2
33. f (x) = , x 6= −1
x+1
(a) Find f 2 . State the value of x which must be excluded from the domain.

(b) If f 2 (x) = −1, find the value of x.

x−1
34. If f (x) = , x 6= −2, find f 2 and f 3 . In each case, state the values of x which
x+2
must be excluded from the domain. Solve the equation f 3 (x) = 1, ,

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35. f (x) = 3x + 1. Find a function g so that gf (x) = 3x + 2.

36. If f (x) = 2x + 3, find a function g so that f g(x) = 2x − 1.

37. A function f : R → R is defined by f (x) = x2 .

(a) Write down the range of f

(b) Find the values of x for which f (x) = 4

38. Let f : R+ → R, where R+ is the set of all positive real numbers, be such that
f (x) = loge x. Determine

(a) Write down the range of f .

(b) Find the values of x for which f (x) = −2

(c) Verify that f (xy) = f (x) + f (y).

39. If f (x) = x2 − 3x + 4 and f (x) = f (2x + 1), find the values of x.

x−1
40. If f (x) = then show that
x+1
( )
1
(a) f = −f (x)
x
( )
1 1
(b) f − =− .
x f (x)

( )
1 1
41. If f (x) = x3 − then show that f (x) + f = 0.
x3 x

x+1
42. If f (x) = then show that f 2 = x.
x−1

1 1 2x + 1
43. If f (x) = and x 6= − then prove that f 2 (x) = , when it is given
(2x + 1) 2 2x + 3
3
that x 6= − .
2

1
44. If f (x) = then show that f 3 = x.
(1 − x)

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