Sec 1.5
Sec 1.5
5 Inverse Functions
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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.
Figure 1.48
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Inverse Functions
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Inverse Functions
You can think of f –1 as undoing what has been done by f.
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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.
Figure 1.51
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Existence of an Inverse Function
The next definition formally states why the Horizontal Line
Test is valid.
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Example 2 – The Existence of an Inverse Function
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.
f(x1) = f(x2)
x1 = x2
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Example 3 – Finding an Inverse Function
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
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Example 3 – Solution cont'd
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Example 3 – Solution cont'd
You can verify this result by showing that f(f –1(x)) = x and
f –1(f(x)) = x.
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Existence of an Inverse Function
Consider a function that is not one-to-one on its domain.
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Example 4 – Testing Whether a Function Is One-to-One
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
Figure 1.54
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Inverse Trigonometric Functions
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Inverse Trigonometric Functions
From the graphs of the six basic trigonometric functions,
you can see that they do not have inverse functions.
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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
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Inverse Trigonometric Functions
On this interval, you can define the inverse of the restricted
sine function as
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].
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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.”)
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Inverse Trigonometric Functions
The graphs of the six inverse trigonometric functions are
shown in Figure 1.56.
Figure 1.56
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Inverse Trigonometric Functions
Inverse functions have the properties
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