Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 4: notes

Transformations of Functions (2)

1. Definition of Inverse Function

Before defining the inverse of a function we need to have the right mental image of function.

Consider the function f(x) = 2x + 1. We know how to evaluate f at 3, f(3) = 2*3 + 1 = 7. In this section
it helps to think of f as transforming a 3 into a 7, and f transforms a 5 into an 11, etc.

Now that we think of f as "acting on" numbers and transforming them, we can define the inverse of f
as the function that "undoes" what f did. In other words, the inverse of f needs to take 7 back to 3, and
take -3 back to -2, etc.

Let g(x) = (x - 1)/2. Then g(7) = 3, g(-3) = -2, and g(11) = 5, so g seems to be undoing what f did, at
least for these three values. To prove that g is the inverse of f we must show that this is true for any
value of x in the domain of f. In other words, g must take f(x) back to x for all values of x in the domain
of f. So, g(f(x)) = x must hold for all x in the domain of f. The way to check this condition is to see that
the formula for g(f(x)) simplifies to x.

g(f(x)) = g(2x + 1) = (2x + 1 -1)/2 = 2x/2 = x.

This simplification shows that if we choose any number and let f act it, then applying g to the result
recovers our original number. We also need to see that this process works in reverse, or that f also
undoes what g does.

f(g(x)) = f((x - 1)/2) = 2(x - 1)/2 + 1 = x - 1 + 1 = x.

If the inverse of a function f(x) is also a function, it is called the inverse function of f(x).

This inverse of a function f(x) is denoted by f-1(x), as f-1(x) = g(x).

Letting f-1 denote the inverse of f, we have just shown that g = f-1.

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 4: notes

Definition:
Let f and g be two functions. If f(g(x)) = x and g(f(x)) = x, then g is the inverse of f and f is the inverse
of g.
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Note: the -1 in f-1 is not an exponents, so f-1 
f
Given a set of points, inverse can be found by switching domain and range (switching x and y).

Example 1
Original (•) Inverse ( )
x y x y
-2 0 0 -2
0 4 4 0
4 -5 -5 4
7 10 10 7

Example 2: Find the inverse of f(x) = 2x + 3 algebraically. Graph both relations on the same grid paper.
Is the inverse also a function?

Solution:
x = 2y + 3
2y = x – 3 f(x) = 2x + 3 y=x
x3
y=
2
x3 1 3
Therefore, f-1(x) = = x  , which is also
2 2 2 f-1(x)
linear. The inverse is a function.

Example 3: Find the inverse of f(x) = x2 algebraically. Graph both relations on the same grid paper. Is
the inverse also a function?

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 4: notes

Solution:
x = y2
y2 = x

y=  x

Therefore, f-1(x) =  x .
To graph the inverse, it is a reflection about the line y = x.
By using the vertical line test, the inverse is NOT a
function.

Example 4: Set restrictions on the domain of

f(x) = 2(x + 3)2 – 4, so that its inverse is a function as
well. Sketch both f and f-1.

Solution: Restricted domain is x ≥ -3.

Cubic Function (Optional)

1) Find the inverse of f(x) = x3 + 2
2) graph f(x) and its inverse.
3) is the inverse of f(x) a function?
4) determine the domain and the range of f(x) and its inverse.

Solution:

1) f-1(x) = g(x) = 3
x2
2) Let f(x) = x3 + 2. Then f(2) = 10 and the point (2,10) is on the graph
of f. The inverse of f must take 10 back to 2, i.e. f-1(10)=2, so the point
(10,2) is on the graph of f-1. The point (10,2) is the reflection in the line
y = x of the point (2,10). The same argument can be made for all points
on the graphs of f and f-1.

The graph of f-1 is the reflection about the line y = x of the graph of f.

3) For the inverse f-1(x), there is a value of y for each value of x.

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 4: notes

So the inverse f-1(x) is a function (If there are two values of y for each value of x. So the inverse f-1(x)
is not a function).

4) For f(x) = x3 + 2 the domain is the set of real number. The range is the set of real number, y is the
set of real number

2. Stretch or Compress Functions

1) Horizontal Stretch or Compress

f (ax) stretches/compresses f (x) horizontally

A horizontal stretching is the stretching of the graph away from the y-axis.
A horizontal compression is the squeezing of the graph towards the y-axis.

If the original (parent) function is y = f (x), the horizontal stretching or compressing of the function is
the function f (ax).

1) If 0 < a < 1 (a fraction), the graph is stretched horizontally by a factor of 1/a units.

2) If a > 1, the graph is compressed horizontally by a factor of 1/a units.

3) If a is negative, the horizontal compression or horizontal stretching of the graph is followed by a

reflection of the graph across the y-axis.

2) Vertical Stretch or Compress

af (x) stretches/compresses f(x) vertically

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 4: notes

A vertical stretching is the stretching of the graph away from the x-axis.
A vertical compression is the squeezing of the graph towards the x-axis.
If the original (parent) function is y = f (x), the vertical stretching or compressing of the function is the
function af(x).

1) If 0 < a < 1 (a fraction), the graph is compressed vertically by a factor of a units.

2) If a > 1, the graph is stretched vertically by a factor of a units.
3) If a is negative, then the vertical compression or vertical stretching of the graph is followed by a
reflection across the x-axis.

Examples of Horizontal Stretches and Shrinks

Consider the following base functions,

(1) f(x) = x2 - 3, (2) g(x) = cos(x).

The graphical representation of function (1), f (x), is a parabola. What do you suppose the graph of y1(x)
= f (4x) looks like? Using the definition of f (x), we can write y1(x) as,

y1(x) = f (4x) = (4x)2 - 3 = 16x2 - 3

Based on the definition of horizontal shrink, the graph of y1(x) should look like the graph of f (x), shrunk
horizontally by a factor of 1/4. Take a look at the graphs of f (x) and y1(x).

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 4: notes

3. Combinations of Transformations

In this section, a combination of translations, expansions, compressions and reflections will be used to
perform transformations on functions. We always start with the base function y = f(x), then transform
to y = af(k(x - d)) + c.

Tips and Tricks:

- Vertical transformations are always on the outside of the function
- Horizontal transformations are always on the inside of the function
- Stretches/compressions are the only transformations that change the shape of the function, and
always comes first
- Use key points on the original functions instead of trying to look at the whole thing at once

Example: Given f(x) = x2, sketch the graph of y = f(x) and the graph of y = - f (2(x-5)) + 6.
Solution 1:
Given the base function: y = x2
The graph of y = - f (2(x-5)) + 6 is the graph of y = - (2(x-5))2 + 6.

To sketch the graph of y = - (2(x-5))2 + 6, first sketch the graph y =

(2x)2. This graph is a horizontal compression of the graph of y = x2
by a factor of 1/2.

Then, sketch the graph of y = - (2x)2, which is a reflection the graph

y = (2x)2 in the x-axis.

Then, apply the horizontal translation of 5 units to the right and the
vertical translation of 6 units upward.

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Meritus Academy Math grade 11 class 4: notes

The result is the graph of y = - f (2(x-5)) + 6 or y = - (2(x-5))2 + 6.

Solution 2:
5 key points for the base function y = x2: (-2, 4), (-1, 1), (0, 0), (1, 1), (2, 4)
Horizontally, the function is compressed by ½ and shift right by 5, so x  ½ x + 5
Vertically, the function is reflected and shift up by 6, so y  -y + 6

Old points New points y

(-2, 4) (-2/2 + 5, -4 + 6) = (4, 2) f(x)

(-1, 1) (-1/2 + 5, -1 + 6) = (4.5, 5)

(0, 0) (0/2 + 5, - 0 + 6) = (5, 6)
(1, 1) (1/2 + 5, -1 + 6) = (5.5, 5)
(2, 4) (2/2 + 5, -4 + 6) = (6, 2)

Practice:
1. Graph y = 3|1/2 (x – 3)|

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2. Graph y = 3
2 x  2