THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

MATH1013 University Mathematics II

Tutorial 1 Solutions

1. Natural domain: [−1, 0) ∪ (0, ∞), range: [0, 1) ∪ (1, ∞)

Firstly, x must be nonzero as the denominator cannot be 0. For x ≠ 0, we have

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f (x) = (x + 1) 4 .

In order that this is well-defined, we need x + 1 ⩾ 0. This holds when x ⩾ −1. Thus, the
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natural domain of f is [−1, 0) ∪ (0, ∞). To find the range of f , note that (x + 1) 4 can be
any nonnegative real number if x ⩾ −1. However, we have to reject the image 1 as the only
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solution to (x + 1) 4 = 1 is x = 0. Therefore, the range is [0, 1) ∪ (1, ∞).

2. (a) Consider any distinct x, y > 1. In order to show that g(x) ≠ g(y), we shall show that
g(x) = g(y) is impossible. Indeed,

g(x) = g(y)
x+2 y+2
⇒ ln = ln
x−1 y−1
x+2 y+2
⇒ =
x−1 y−1
3 3
⇒ 1+ =1+
x−1 y−1
3 3
⇒ =
x−1 y−1
⇒ x−1=y−1
⇒ x = y.

This contradicts the assumption x ≠ y. Therefore, we must have g(x) ≠ g(y), meaning
that g is injective.

(b) As (0, ∞) is the codomain, we have to show that every positive real number is the image
of something. Given any positive real number t, we have

g(x) = t
x+2
⇔ ln =t
x−1
x+2
⇔ = et
x−1
3
⇔ = et − 1
x−1
3
⇔ x−1= t
e −1
3
⇔ x= t + 1.
e −1

1
 3
Note that x > 1 whenever t > 0. So x is in the domain of g. This shows g ( + 1) = t,
et − 1
and hence g is surjective.

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(c) In view of the steps in part (b), we define g −1 (t) = + 1. Then we immediately find
et − 1
that g(g −1 (t)) = t. One can also check that
x+2 3 3
g −1 (g(x)) = g −1 (ln )= +1= + 1 = (x − 1) + 1 = x.
x−1 x+2 3
−1
x−1 x−1
Therefore, g −1 is the inverse of g.

Remark. One can also use proposition 1.1 to ensure that the inverse of g exists. Then
the relation g(g −1 (t)) = t is sufficient to show that g −1 is the inverse of g. In other words,
the checking g −1 (g(x)) = x is not needed if we know that g has an inverse.

3. (a) The natural domain is R because f (x) is always well-defined. Since f (x) = (x − 1)2 + 5 ⩾ 5
and (x − 1)2 takes up all nonnegative values, the range of f is [5, ∞).

(b) The graph of f (x) = (x − 1)2 + 5 is a parabola with x = 1 as the axis of symmetry. Every
horizontal line above y = 5 meets the graph twice, once for x < 1 and once for x > 1.
Therefore, the largest intervals on which f is injective are (−∞, 1] and [1, ∞). As we wish
the interval I to contain 0, we can take I = (−∞, 1]. Then f has an inverse if we assume
its codomain is [5, ∞).
y

x
1

(c) Note that

f (f −1 (x)) = x
⇔ (f −1 (x) − 1)2 + 5 = x
⇔ (f −1 (x) − 1)2 = x − 5
√
⇔ f −1 (x) − 1 = − x − 5 (as f −1 (x) ∈ I)
√
⇔ f −1 (x) = 1 − x − 5.
One can verify that
√
f −1 (f (x)) = f −1 ((x − 1)2 + 5) = 1 − (x − 1)2 = 1 − (1 − x) = x
for all x ⩽ 1.

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4. There are many different possible answers. Here gives one possibility for each part.

(a) f (x) = 1
y

⎧
⎪ x−2 if x ⩽ 0,
⎪
⎪
(b) f (x) = ⎨ 1
⎪
⎪
⎪ +1 if x > 0
⎩ x
y

⎧ π
⎪ 0
⎪
⎪ if x = + nπ where n is an integer,
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(c) f (x) = ⎨
⎪
⎪ tan x otherwise
⎪
⎩
y

5. ˆ the domain is [−4, 4]

ˆ the range is [−3, 2]
ˆ injective since every horizontal line meets the graph at most once
ˆ not surjective since f (x) ≠ 3 for any x
ˆ monotonic increasing since the graph is increasing from left to right
ˆ not odd and not even since f (−4) ≠ −f (4) and f (−4) ≠ f (4)

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Additional problems:
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6. (a) √
The natural domain √is (−∞, −1] ∪ [1, ∞) since we need x − 1 ⩾ 0, i.e. x ⩽ −1 or x ⩾ 1. As
x2 − 1 ⩾ 0 and f ( t2 + 1) = t for any t ⩾ 0, the range is [0, ∞).

Remark. To show√ that every t ⩾ 0 belongs to the range, we √ solve the equation f (x) = t
to obtain x = ± t2 + 1. This suggests how we figure out f ( t2 + 1) = t.

(b) The natural domain is (−∞, −1) ∪ (−1, 4) ∪ (4, ∞) since we need x2 − 3x − 4 ≠ 0, i.e.
(x − 4)(x + 1) ≠ 0. For the range, we first rewrite

x(x − 4) x 1
g(x) = = =1− .
(x − 4)(x + 1) x + 1 x+1
1 1 1
Note that takes up all nonzero values except = , since 4 does not belong to
x+1 4+1 5
1 4
the domain. In other words, g(x) takes up all values except 1 − 0 = 1 and 1 − = . So
5 5
4 4
the range is (−∞, ) ∪ ( , 1) ∪ (1, ∞).
5 5

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Remark. Although we can simplify the formula of g as 1 − , the domain should still
x+1
exclude the point 4 because the original formula is undefined at x = 4.
x 1
We choose to rewrite in the form 1 − because it is easier to study the function
x+1 x+1
1
. In general, to find the range of a function g(x), we can solve the equation g(x) = t
x+1
in the variable x, and see for which values of t does the equation has a solution.

(c) The natural domain is (−∞, −1) ∪ (−1, ∞) since we need x + 1 ≠ 0. For x ⩾ 0, we have
x 1
h(x) = =1− .
x+1 x+1
1
Note that takes up all values in (0, 1], so h(x) takes up all values in [0, 1). For
x+1
x < 0, we have
−x 1
h(x) = = −1 + .
x+1 x+1
1
For x ∈ (−1, 0), takes up all values in (1, ∞), so h(x) takes up all values in (0, ∞).
x+1
1
For x ∈ (−∞, −1), takes up all values in (−∞, 0), so h(x) takes up all values in
x+1
(−∞, −1).

Combining all these, we see that the range of h is (−∞, −1) ∪ [0, ∞).

(d) Since sin x ⩽ 1 and we need sin x − 1 ⩾ 0, we must have sin x = 1 in order that j is well-
defined. In other words, the natural domain is the set containing all numbers of the form
π
2nπ + where n is an integer. It is clear that the range only contains a single number 0.
2

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7. (a) ˆ not injective since f (−1) = f (1)
ˆ not surjective since f (x) ≠ 0
ˆ not monotonic since f (−1) > f (0) (not increasing) and f (0) < f (1) (not decreasing)
ˆ even but not odd since f (x) = f (−x) and f (x) ≠ −f (−x)
1
ˆ not periodic since f (x) = only has one solution x = 0 (if it is periodic, there must
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be infinitely many solutions)

(b) ˆ not injective since g(0) = g(2π)

ˆ not surjective since g(x) ≠ 1
π π
ˆ not monotonic since g (− ) < g(0) and g(0) > g ( )
4 4
ˆ even since g(−x) = − ∣sin (−x) + tan (−x)∣ = − ∣− sin x − tan x∣ = − ∣sin x + tan x∣ = g(x)
π 1 1 π
ˆ not odd since g (− ) = − ∣− √ − 1∣ ≠ ∣ √ + 1∣ = −g ( )
4 2 2 4
ˆ periodic since g(x + 2π) = − ∣sin (x + 2π) + tan (x + 2π)∣ = − ∣sin x + tan x∣ = g(x)

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(c) ˆ injective and surjective since it has an inverse h−1 (x) = e−x − 1 (as ln =x
1
e−x − 1 + 1
and e− ln x+1 − 1 = x)
ˆ monotonic decreasing but not monotonic increasing since whenever −1 < x < y, we
1 1 1 1
have > and hence ln > ln (note that the domain of h is (−1, ∞))
x+1 y+1 x+1 y+1
1 1
ˆ not odd and even since the domain is (−1, ∞) (or since h (− ) ≠ ±h ( ))
2 2
ˆ not periodic since h has an inverse

8. (a) The domain is [−1, 1]. The range is [−1, 1).

(b) f is monotonic increasing on [−1, 0) and [0, 1] (but it is not monotonic increasing on
[−1, 1]).

(c) It is not an odd function since f (0) = −1 ≠ −f (−0). It is not an even function since
1 1
f (− ) ≠ f ( ).
2 2

Remark. Note that an odd function g must satisfy g(0) = 0 since g(0) = −g(−0).