1.

5 The Inverse Function

and Its Properties
YOU WILL NEED
GOAL • graph paper
• MiraTM (transparent
Determine inverses of linear functions and investigate their mirror) (optional)
properties.

INVESTIGATE the Math

A x y
The Backyard Paving Company charges $10/sq ft for installing interlocking paving Area (sq ft) Cost ($)
stones, plus a $50 delivery fee. The company calculates the cost to the customer as
40 450
a function of the area to be paved. Tom wants to express area in terms of cost to
see how much of his yard he can pave for different budget amounts. 80
120

? What relation can Tom use, and how is it related to the function 160
used by the company?
200
A. Copy and complete table A, using the company’s prices. What is the
independent variable in table A? the dependent variable?
E Cost ($) Area (sq ft)
B. Is the relation in table A a function? Explain.
450 40
C. Write the equation for f (x) that describes the cost as a function of area. 850
D. Graph f (x). Use the same scale of 2100 to 2100 on each axis. 1250
E. Tom needs to do the reverse of what the company’s function does. Copy and 1650
complete table E for Tom. What is the independent variable? the dependent 2050
variable? How does this table compare with table A?
F. The relationship in part E is the inverse of the cost function. Graph this inverse of a function
inverse relation on the same axes as those in part D. Is this relation a the reverse of the original
function? Explain. function; undoes what the
original function has done

NEL Introduction to Functions 41

 G. Draw the line y 5 x on your graph. Place a Mira along the line y 5 x, or fold
your graph paper along that line. What do you notice about the two graphs?
Where do they intersect?
H. Compare the coordinates of points that lie on the graph of the cost function
with those which lie on the graph of its inverse. What do you notice?
I. Write the slopes and y-intercepts of the two lines.
i) How are the slopes related?
ii) How are the y-intercepts related?
iii) Use the slope and y-intercept to write an equation for the inverse.
J. Use inverse operations on the cost function, f, to solve for x. Compare this
equation with the equation of the inverse you found in part I.
K. Make a list of all the connections you have observed between the Backyard
Paving Company’s cost function and the one Tom will use.

Reflecting
L. How would a table of values for a linear function help you determine the
inverse of that function?
M. i) How can you determine the coordinates of a point on the graph of the
inverse function if you know a point on the graph of the original
function?
ii) How could you use this relationship to graph the inverse?
N. How are the domain and range of the inverse related to the domain and
range of a linear function?
O. How could you use inverse operations to determine the equation of the
inverse of a linear function from the equation of the function?

APPLY the Math

EXAMPLE 1 Representing the equation of the inverse
of a linear function

Find the inverse of the function defined by f (x) 5 2 2 5x. Is the inverse a
function? Explain.

Jamie’s Solution: Reversing the Operations

In the equation f (x) 5 2 2 5x, the I wrote down the operations on

operations on x are as follows: Multiply x in the order they were applied.
by 25 and then add 2.

To reverse these operations, subtract 2 Then I worked backward and

and then divide the result by 25. wrote the inverse operations.

42 Chapter 1 NEL
 1.5

x22 Communication Tip

f 21 (x) 5 or I used these inverse operations to
25 write the equation of the inverse.
21
The function f is the inverse
1 2 of the function f. This use of
f 21 (x) 5 2 x 1
5 5 21 is different from raising
values to the power 21.
The inverse is linear, so it must be a I knew the inverse was a line.
function, since all linear relations except
vertical lines are functions.

Lynette’s Solution: Interchanging the Variables

f (x) 5 2 2 5x I wrote the function in y 5 mx 1 b

form by putting y in place of f(x).
y 5 25x 1 2
x 5 25y 1 2 I knew that if (x, y) is on the graph
of f(x), then (y, x) is on the inverse
graph, so I switched x and y in the
equation.

x 2 2 5 25y 1 2 2 2 I solved for y by subtracting 2 from

both sides and dividing both sides
x 2 2 5 25y
by 25.
x22
5y
25
x22 22x I wrote the equation in function
f 21 (x) 5 or f 21 (x) 5
25 5 notation.

The graph of y 5 f 21 (x) is a straight

The inverse is a function. 1
line with slope 5 2 . The graph
5
passes the vertical-line test.

EXAMPLE 2 Relating the graphs of functions and their inverses

Use the graph of each function to obtain the graph of the inverse. Is the inverse a
function? Explain.
a) y b) y
y = f(x) 4 8
2 y = g(x) 4
x x

4
2 0 2 4
8
4 0 4 8

2
4

4
8

NEL Introduction to Functions 43

 Carlos’s Solution

a) f (x) is a function represented by the I wrote the coordinates of the

set of points 5(23, 1), (22, 1), points in the graph and then
(21, 1), (0, 3), (1, 0), (4, 22)6 . switched the x- and y-coordinates

So f 21 (x) is 5(1, 23), (1, 22),

of each point. That gave me the
inverse.
(1, 21), (3, 0), (0, 1), (22, 4)6.
Plot the points for the inverse and I plotted the points in red.
draw the line y 5 x to check for
symmetry.
I checked that the points on one
y
side of the line y 5 x were mirror
4
images of the points on the other
y=x
2 side.
f(x)
x

4
2 0 2 4

2
f –1

4

The inverse is not a function: The There are three red points for x 5 1,
graph fails the vertical-line test at so a vertical line drawn here would
x 5 1. go through three points.

b) y I wrote the coordinates of the

4 x- and y-intercepts of g(x): (5, 0)
g(x)
y=x and (0, 3).
2
x Then I switched the coordinates to
find the two points (0, 5) and

4
2 0 2 4

2 (3, 0) of g21 (x). I noticed that they
g –1(x) were the intercepts.

4
I plotted the two points of g21 (x) and
joined them with a straight line.

I drew the line y 5 x and checked

that the graphs of g(x) and g21 (x)
crossed on that line.

The inverse is a function. The inverse is a function because it

passes the vertical-line test.

44 Chapter 1 NEL
 1.5

EXAMPLE 3 Using the inverse of a linear function to solve a problem

Recall from Lesson 1.2 that the temperature below Earth’s surface is a
function of depth and can be defined by T(d ) 5 11 1 0.015d.
a) State the domain and range of T(d ).
b) Determine the inverse of this function.
c) State the domain and range of T 21 (d ).
d) Explain what the inverse represents.

Erynn’s Solution

a) Domain 5 5d [ R |0 # d # 50006 I realized that d is 0 m on the surface. This is the beginning of

the domain. The deeper mine has a depth of 4100 m, so I
chose to end the domain at 5000.

Range 5 I calculated the beginning and end of the range by

5T(d ) [ R | 11 # T(d ) # 866 substituting d 5 0 and d 5 5000 into the equation for T(d).

b) T(d ) 5 11 1 0.015d I wrote the temperature function with y and x instead of

T(d) and d.
y 5 11 1 0.015x
x 5 11 1 0.015y
x 2 11 5 0.015y I switched x and y and solved for y to get the inverse
equation.
x 2 11
5y
0.015
T 2 11 Because I had switched the variables, I knew that y was now
d(T ) 5 is the inverse function. distance and x was temperature. I wrote the inverse in
0.015
function notation.

c) Domain 5T [ R | 11 # T # 866 The domain of the inverse is the same as the range of the
original function, and the range of the inverse is the same as
Range 5
5d(T ) [ R | 0 # d(T ) # 50006
the domain of the original function.

d) The inverse shows the depth as a The inverse function is used to determine how far down a
function of the temperature. mine you would have to go to reach a temperature of, for
22 2 11 example, 22 °C. I substituted 22 for T in the equation to get
d(22) 5 the answer.
0.015
8 733
When the temperature is 22 °C, the
depth is about 733 m.
Someone planning a geothermal
heating system would need this kind
of information.

NEL Introduction to Functions 45

 In Summary
Key Ideas
• The inverse of a linear function is the reverse of the original function. It undoes
what the original has done and can be found using the inverse operations of the
original function in reverse order. For example, to apply the function defined by
f(x) 5 5x 1 8, multiply x by 5 and then add 8. To reverse this function, subtract
x28
8 from x and then divide the result by 5: f 21 (x) 5 .
5
• The inverse of a function is not necessarily a function itself.

Need to Know
• A way to determine the inverse function is to switch the two variables and solve
for the previously independent variable. For example, if y 5 5x 1 8, rewrite this
x28
equation as x 5 5y 1 8 and solve for y to get y 5 .
5
• If the original function is linear (with the exception of a horizontal line), the
inverse is also a linear function.
• f 21 is the notation for the inverse function of f.
• If (a, b) is a point on the graph of y 5 f(x), then (b, a) is a point on the graph
of y 5 f 21 (x). This implies that the domain of f is the range of f21 and the
range of f is the domain of f21.
• The graph of the inverse is the reflection of the graph of y 5 f(x) in the line
y 5 x.

CHECK Your Understanding

1. Determine the inverse relation for each set of ordered pairs. Graph each
relation and its inverse. Which of the relations and inverse relations are
functions?
a) 5 (22, 3), (0, 4), (2, 5), (4, 6)6
b) 5(2, 5), (2, 21), (3, 1), (5, 1)6
2. Copy the graph of each function and graph its inverse. For each graph,
identify the points that are common to the function and its inverse. Which
inverse relations are functions?
a) y b) y
5 5
3 3
1 x 1 x

5
3
10 1 3 5
5
3
10 1 3 5

3
3

5
5

46 Chapter 1 NEL
 1.5
c) y e) y
4 4
2 2
x x

4
2 0 2 4
4
2 0 2 4

2
2

4
4

d) y f) y
4
4
2
2
x x

4
2 0 2 4
4
2 0 2 4

2
2

4
4

3. Determine whether each pair of functions described in words are inverses.

a) f : Multiply by 3, then add 1; g : Divide by 3, then subtract 1.
b) f : Multiply by 5, then subtract 2; g : Add 2, then divide by 5.
4. For each linear function, interchange x and y. Then solve for y to determine
the inverse.
a) y 5 4x 2 3 c) 3x 1 4y 5 6
1
b) y 5 2 2 x d) 2y 2 10 5 5x
2

PRACTISING
5. Determine the inverse of each linear function by reversing the operations.
a) f (x) 5 x 2 4 c) f (x) 5 5x e) f (x) 5 6 2 5x
1 3
b) f (x) 5 3x 1 1 d) f (x) 5 x21 f ) f (x) 5 x 1 2
2 4
6. Determine the inverse of each linear function by interchanging the variables.
a) f (x) 5 x 1 7 c) f (x) 5 5 e) f (x) 5 x
1 x23
b) f (x) 5 2 2 x d) f (x) 5 2 x 2 2 f ) f (x) 5
5 4
7. Sketch the graph of each function in questions 5 and 6, and sketch its
inverse. Is each inverse linear? Is each inverse a function? Explain.

NEL Introduction to Functions 47

 8. For each function, determine the inverse, sketch the graphs of the function
K and its inverse, and state the domain and range of both the function and its
inverse. In each case, how do the domain and range of the function compare
with the domain and range of the inverse?
a) 5(21, 2), (1, 4), (2, 6), (3, 8)6 c) f (x) 5 1 2 3x
b) d) y

4 4
3

2
6 2
1 x
5 8

4
2 0 2 4

2

4

21
9. a) Determine f for the linear function f (x) 5 5x 2 2.
b) Graph f and f 21 on the same axes.
c) Explain how you can tell that f 21 is also a linear function.
d) State the coordinates of any points that are common to both f and f 21.
e) Compare the slopes of the two lines.
f) Repeat parts (a) to (e) for g(x) 5 2 12x 1 3, h(x) 5 2x 2 1,
p(x) 5 6 2 x, and q(x) 5 2.
10. For g(t) 5 3t 2 2, determine each value.
g(13) 2 g(7)
a) g(13) c) e) g21 (7)
13 2 7
g21 (13) 2 g21 (7)
b) g(7) d) g21 (13) f)
13 2 7
11. Explain what parts (c) and (f ) represent in question 10.

12. The formula for converting a temperature in degrees Celsius into degrees
A Fahrenheit is F 5 95C 1 32. Shirelle, an American visitor to Canada, uses a
simpler rule to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit: Double the Celsius
temperature, then add 30.
a) Use function notation to write an equation for this rule. Call the
function f and let x represent the temperature in degrees Celsius.
b) Write f 21 as a rule. Who might use this rule?
c) Determine f 21 (x).
d) One day, the temperature was 14 °C. Use function notation to express
this temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
e) Another day, the temperature was 70 °F. Use function notation to
express this temperature in degrees Celsius.
13. Ben, another American visitor to Canada, uses this rule to convert
centimetres to inches: Multiply by 4 and then divide by 10. Let the
function g be the method for converting centimetres to inches, according to
Ben’s rule.
a) Write g21 as a rule.
b) Describe a situation in which the rule for g21 might be useful.

48 Chapter 1 NEL
 1.5
c) Determine g(x) and g21 (x).
d) One day, 15 cm of snow fell. Use function notation to represent this
amount in inches.
e) Ben is 5 ft 10 in. tall. Use function notation to represent his height in
centimetres.
14. Ali did his homework at school with a graphing calculator. He determined that
the equation of the line of best fit for some data was y 5 2.63x 2 1.29. Once
he got home, he realized he had mixed up the independent and dependent
variables. Write the correct equation for the relation in the form y 5 mx 1 b.
15. Tiffany is paid $8.05/h, plus 5% of her sales over $1000, for a 40 h work
week. For example, suppose Tiffany sold $1800 worth of merchandise. Then
she would earn $8.05(40) 1 0.05($800) 5 $362.
a) Graph the relation between Tiffany’s total pay for a 40 h work week and
her sales for that week.
b) Write the relation in function notation.
c) Graph the inverse relation.
d) Write the inverse relation in function notation.
e) Write an expression in function notation that represents her sales if she
earned $420 one work week. Then evaluate.
16. The ordered pair (1, 5) belongs to a function f. Explain why the ordered pair
(2, 1) cannot belong to f 21.
21
17. Given f (x) 5 k(2 1 x), find the value of k if f (22) 5 23.
T

18. Use a chart like the one shown to summarize what you have learned about
C the inverse of a linear function.

Definition: Methods:

Inverse of a Linear
Examples: Function Properties:

Extending
19. Self-inverse functions are their own inverses. Find three linear functions that
are self-inverse.
20. Determine the inverse of the inverse of f (x) 5 3x 1 4.

NEL Introduction to Functions 49