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Sec 1.5

The document discusses inverse functions and inverse trigonometric functions. It defines an inverse function as interchanging the x and y coordinates of a function. A function has an inverse if and only if it passes the horizontal line test. It also discusses restricting domains to make functions one-to-one and thus invertible. Examples are provided to demonstrate finding and graphing inverse functions.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
30 views26 pages

Sec 1.5

The document discusses inverse functions and inverse trigonometric functions. It defines an inverse function as interchanging the x and y coordinates of a function. A function has an inverse if and only if it passes the horizontal line test. It also discusses restricting domains to make functions one-to-one and thus invertible. Examples are provided to demonstrate finding and graphing inverse functions.

Uploaded by

josef deu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.

5 Inverse Functions

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.


Inverse Functions
The function f(x) = x + 3 from A = {1, 2, 3, 4} to B = {4, 5, 6, 7}
can be written as

By interchanging the first and second coordinates of each


ordered pair, you can form the inverse function of f. This
function is denoted by f –1, which is read as “ f inverse.”
It is a function from B to A, and can be written as

2
Inverse Functions
Note that the domain of f is equal to the range of f –1, and
vice versa, as shown in Figure 1.48. The functions f and f –1
have the effect of “undoing” each other. That is, when you
form the composition of f with f –1 or the composition of f –1
with f, you obtain the identity function.

f(f –1(x)) = x and f –1(f(x)) = x

Figure 1.48
3
Inverse Functions

4
Inverse Functions
You can think of f –1 as undoing what has been done by f.

For example, subtraction can be used to undo addition, and


division can be used to undo multiplication. So,

are inverse functions of each other and

are inverse functions of each other.


5
Existence of an Inverse Function

6
Existence of an Inverse Function
Not every function has an inverse function, and the
Reflective Property of Inverse Functions suggests a
graphical test for those that do—the Horizontal Line Test
for an inverse function.

This test states that a function


f has an inverse function if and
only if every horizontal line
intersects the graph of f at
most once (see Figure 1.51).

Figure 1.51
7
Existence of an Inverse Function
The next definition formally states why the Horizontal Line
Test is valid.

8
Example 2 – The Existence of an Inverse Function

Which of the functions has an inverse function?


a. f(x) = x3 – 1 b. f(x) = x3 – x + 1

Solution:
a. From the graph of f shown in
Figure 1.52(a), it appears
that f is one-to-one over its
entire domain.

Because f is one-to-one over its entire


domain, it has an inverse function.
Figure 1.52(a) 9
Example 2 – Solution cont'd

To verify this, suppose that there exist x1 and x2 such


that f(x1) = f(x2). By showing that x1 = x2, it follows that f
is one-to-one.

f(x1) = f(x2)

x1 = x2

Because f is one-to-one, you can conclude that f must


have an inverse function.
10
Example 2 – Solution cont'd

b. From the graph of f shown in


Figure 1.52(b), you can see
that the function does not
pass the Horizontal Line Test.
In other words, it is not
one-to-one.
Because f is not one-to-one, it
does not have an inverse function.
Figure 1.52(b)

For instance, f has the same value when x = –1, 0, and 1.


f(–1) = f(1) = f(0) = 1 Not one-to-one

Therefore, f does not have an inverse function.


11
Existence of an Inverse Function
The following guidelines suggest a procedure for finding an
inverse function.

12
Example 3 – Finding an Inverse Function

Find the inverse function of

Solution:
The function has an inverse
function because it is one-to-one
on its entire domain, , as
shown in Figure 1.53.

Figure 1.53
13
Example 3 – Solution cont'd

To find an equation for the inverse function, let y = f (x) and


solve for x in terms of y.

14
Example 3 – Solution cont'd

The domain of f –1 is the range of f, which is .

You can verify this result by showing that f(f –1(x)) = x and
f –1(f(x)) = x.

15
Existence of an Inverse Function
Consider a function that is not one-to-one on its domain.

By restricting the domain to an interval on which the


function is one-to-one, you can conclude that the new
function has an inverse function on the restricted domain.

16
Example 4 – Testing Whether a Function Is One-to-One

Show that the sine function


f(x) = sin x
is not one-to-one on the entire real number line. Then show
that f is one-to-one on the closed interval [– /2,  /2].

Solution:
It is clear that f is not one-to-one, because many different
x-values yield the same y-value.

For instance,
sin 0 = 0 = sin . 17
Example 4 – Solution cont'd

Moreover, from the graph of f(x) = sin x in Figure 1.54, you


can see that when f is restricted to the interval [– /2,  /2],
the restricted function is one-to-one.

Figure 1.54

18
Inverse Trigonometric Functions

19
Inverse Trigonometric Functions
From the graphs of the six basic trigonometric functions,
you can see that they do not have inverse functions.

The functions that are called “inverse trigonometric


functions” are actually inverses of trigonometric functions
whose domains have been restricted.

20
Inverse Trigonometric Functions
For instance, the sine function is one-to-one on the interval
[– /2,  /2] as shown in Figure 1.55.

(a) (b)
Figure 1.55

21
Inverse Trigonometric Functions
On this interval, you can define the inverse of the restricted
sine function as

y = arcsin x if and only if sin y = x

where

–1  x  1 and  arcsin x  .

From Figures 1.55 (a) and (b), you can see that you can
obtain the graph of y = arcsin x by reflecting the graph of
y = sin x in the line y = x on the interval [– /2,  /2].
22
Inverse Trigonometric Functions
Under suitable restrictions, each of the six trigonometric
functions is one-to-one and so has an inverse function, as
indicated in the following definition. (The term “iff ” is used
to represent the phrase “if and only if.”)

23
Inverse Trigonometric Functions
The graphs of the six inverse trigonometric functions are
shown in Figure 1.56.

Figure 1.56
24
Inverse Trigonometric Functions
Inverse functions have the properties

f(f –1(x)) = x and f –1(f(x)) = x.

When applying these properties to inverse trigonometric


functions, remember that the trigonometric functions have
inverse functions only in restricted domains.

For x-values outside these domains, these two properties


do not hold.

For example, arcsin(sin ) is equal to 0, not .


25
Inverse Trigonometric Functions

26

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