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Unit 3 Sec 3

This document discusses inverse functions, defining them as functions that reverse one-to-one correspondences between sets. It provides examples to illustrate invertibility and the conditions under which a function can be inverted. Additionally, it covers the composition of functions and introduces floor and ceiling functions, which are significant in discrete mathematics.

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Eren Yeager
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10 views10 pages

Unit 3 Sec 3

This document discusses inverse functions, defining them as functions that reverse one-to-one correspondences between sets. It provides examples to illustrate invertibility and the conditions under which a function can be inverted. Additionally, it covers the composition of functions and introduces floor and ceiling functions, which are significant in discrete mathematics.

Uploaded by

Eren Yeager
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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MAT103

DISCRETE
MATHEMATICS
UNIT 3 PART 3 (REFERENCE: DISCRETE MATHEMATICS AND ITS
APPLICATIONS BY KENNETH H. ROSEN )

Mary Ann Ritzell P. Vega, Ph.D.


Department of Mathematics and Statistics
CSM, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology
Inverse Functions
Now consider a one-to-one correspondence 𝑓 from the set A to the set B. Because 𝑓 is an
onto function, every element of B is the image of some element in A. Furthermore, because
𝑓 is also a one-to-one function, every element of B is the image of a unique element of A.
Consequently, we can define a new function from B to A that reverses the correspondence
given by 𝑓 .
When f is not a one-to-one correspondence, either it is not one-to-one or it is not onto.
If f is not one-to-one, some element b in the codomain is the image of more than one
element in the domain. If f is not onto, for some element b in the codomain, no element
a in the domain exists for which f (a) = b. Consequently, if f is not a one-to-one
correspondence, we cannot assign to each element b in the codomain a unique
element a in the domain such that f (a) = b (because for some b there is either more
than one such a or no such a). A one-to-one correspondence is called invertible
because we can define an inverse of this function. A function is not invertible if it is not
a one-to-one correspondence, because the inverse of such a function does not exist.
Inverse Functions
◦ DEFINITION Let 𝑓 be a one-to-one correspondence from the set A to the set B. The
inverse function of 𝑓 is the function that assigns to an element 𝑏 belonging to B
the unique element 𝑎 in A such that 𝑓(𝑎) = 𝑏. The inverse function of 𝑓 is
denoted by 𝑓 −1 . Hence, 𝑓 −1 (𝑏) = 𝑎 when 𝑓(𝑎) = 𝑏.

◦ The Function 𝑓 −1 Is the Inverse of Function 𝑓


Inverse Functions
EXAMPLE 1.Let 𝑓 be the function from {a, b, c} to {1, 2, 3} such that 𝑓(𝑎) = 2,
𝑓(𝑏) = 3, and 𝑓(𝑐) = 1. Is 𝑓 invertible, and if it is, what is its inverse?
Solution: The
function 𝑓 is invertible because it is a one-to-one correspondence. The
inverse function 𝑓 −1 reverses the correspondence given by 𝑓 , so 𝑓 −1 (1) = 𝑐,
𝑓 −1 (2) = 𝑎, and 𝑓 −1 (3) = 𝑏.

EXAMPLE 2.Let 𝑓: 𝒁 → 𝒁 be such that 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 1. Is 𝑓 invertible, and if it is,


what is its inverse?
Solution: The function 𝑓 has an inverse because it is a one-to-one correspondence,
as follows from previous examples. To reverse the correspondence, suppose that 𝑦
is the image of 𝑥, so that 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 1. Then 𝑥 = 𝑦 − 1. This means that 𝑦 − 1 is the
unique element of 𝒁 that is sent to 𝑦 by 𝑓 . Consequently, 𝑓 −1 (𝑦) = 𝑦 − 1.
Inverse Functions
◦ EXAMPLE 3. Let 𝑓 be the function from R to R with 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 . Is f invertible?
◦ Solution: Because 𝑓(−2) = 𝑓(2) = 4, 𝑓 is not one-to-one. If an inverse
function were defined, it would have to assign two elements to 4. Hence, 𝑓
is not invertible. (Note we can also show that 𝑓 is not invertible because it
is not onto.)
◦ Sometimes we can restrict the domain or the codomain of a function, or
both, to obtain an invertible function. For example, if we restrict the
function 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 in Example 3 to a function from the set of all
nonnegative real numbers to the set of all nonnegative real numbers, then
𝑓 is invertible.
Composition of Functions

DEFINITION Let 𝑔 be a function from the set A to the set B and let 𝑓 be a
function from the set B to the set C. The composition of the functions 𝑓 and
𝑔, denoted for all 𝑎 ∈ 𝐴 by 𝑓 ◦ 𝑔, is defined by (𝑓 ◦ 𝑔)(𝑎) = 𝑓 (𝑔(𝑎)).

In other words, 𝑓 ◦ 𝑔 is the function that assigns to the element 𝑎 of A the


element assigned by 𝑓 to 𝑔(𝑎). That is, to find (𝑓 ◦ 𝑔)(𝑎) we first apply the
function 𝑔 to 𝑎 to obtain 𝑔(𝑎) and then we apply the function 𝑓 to the result
𝑔(𝑎) to obtain (𝑓 ◦ 𝑔)(𝑎) = 𝑓(𝑔(𝑎)). Note that the composition
𝑓 ◦ 𝑔 cannot be defined unless the range of 𝑔 is a subset of the domain of 𝑓 .
Composition of Functions
◦

◦
◦
◦ The Composition of the Functions f and g.
Floor and Ceiling Functions
Two important functions in discrete mathematics which are often used
when objects are counted. They play an important role in the analysis of the
number of steps used by procedures to solve problems of a particular size.
◦ DEFINITIONS

◦ The floor function assigns to the real number x the largest integer that is
less than or equal to x. The value of the floor function at x is denoted by
⌊x⌋.
◦ The ceiling function assigns to the real number x the smallest integer that
is greater than or equal to x. The value of the ceiling function at x is
denoted by ⌈x⌉.
Floor and Ceiling Functions (Examples and Graphs)

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