HSC Extension I Mathematics

Inverse Functions Homework Problems

Question One

a) Find an expression for the inverse f −1(x) of the following functions, and sketch them alongside
their original function f (x). When sketching f (x), sketch the function in its de ned domain in a
solid line, but ALSO sketch the remainder of the domain of f (x) in a dotted line. Do not do this
for f −1(x).

i) f (x) = x 2 + 4x − 7 for x ≤ − 2

3
ii) f (x) = 3x 2 − 9x + 1 for x ≥ .
2

1−x
iii) f (x) =
1+x

iv) f (x) = ln(x − x 2 − 1).

e x + e −x
v) f (x) = for x ≤ 0.
2

e x − e −x
vi) f (x) = .
2

1
vii) f (x) = x − for x ≤ 0.
x

1
viii) f (x) = x − for x ≥ 0.
x

1
ix) f (x) = x + for | x | ≥ 1.
x

1
x) f (x) = x + for | x | ≤ 1.
x

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 Question Two
x
a) Consider the function f (x) = x 3 + .
2

i) Explain why f (x) has a well de ned inverse.

2 2
6 ( 324x 2 + 6 + 18x) 3 − 6 3
3
ii) It is known that f −1(x) = .
3
6 324x 2 + 6 + 18x
−1
Find where f (x) = f (x), i.e. their point of intersection.

iii) Sketch the function y = f −1(x) and y = f (x) on the same axis.

b) Suppose that λ is some real constant. Explain why the following function does not
have a well de ned inverse:

f (x) = 2x 3 + 3(λ + 1)x 2 + 6(λ − 2)x + 1.

c) Suppose that a , b and c are real constants. Explain why the following function always has a
well de ned inverse:

f (x) = 2(a 2 + b 2 )x 3 + 6b (a + c)x 2 + (b 2 + c 2 )x + a 2 b 2 c 2.

d) Prove that f (x) = cot 2x is monotonically decreasing across its domain. Does this have a well
de ned inverse?

Question Three
x
Consider the function f (x) = .
1 − x2

i) What is the domain of f (x)?

1
ii) Show that f ′(x) = 3
.
(1 − x2) 2

ii) Hence explain why f (x) is an increasing function.

iv) Sketch a graph of y = f (x), showing any asymptotes it may have.

v) Find the equation of the tangent to y = f (x) at the origin, and draw this line on your
graph in part iv).

vi) Explain why f (x) has a well de ned inverse function f −1(x), and draw a graph of
y = f −1(x) on your graph in part iv).

vii) Find an expression for f −1(x).

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 Question Four

1
Consider the function f (x) = x − de ned for x > 0.
x

a) Show that f (x) has no stationary points.

b) Describe the behaviour of f (x) as x approaches the extremities of its domain.

c) Explain why f (x) has an inverse function, f −1(x).

d) Sketch, on the one diagram, graphs of:

i) y = x.

ii) y = f (x)

iii) y = f −1(x).

1
e) If x = y − and y > 0, simplify, in terms of y, x + x 2 + 4.
y

f) What is f −1(x)?

Question Five

Consider the function f (x) = (1 + x)(3 − x).

i) Sketch a graph of y = f (x), using equal scales on both axes, and showing its stationary
point and intersections with the coordinate axes.

ii) A function g(x) is to be de ned by restricting the domain of f (x) so that g(x) has an inverse.
De ne f (x) so that it has the largest possible domain given that this must include x = 0.

iii) On your number plane in i), sketch y = x and y = g −1(x).

iv) Find g −1(x).

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Question Six (f −1( f (x)) Problems)

a) Consider the function f (x) = x 2 − 4x + 9.

Suppose that f (x) is restricted in its domain to contain the largest possible
domain to include x = 1, so that f −1(x) exists.

Evaluate f −1( f (k)), where k lies outside function f (x)’s restricted domain.

b) Consider the function f (x) = 3x 2 + 7x + 2.

Suppose that f (x) is restricted in its domain to contain the largest possible domain to include
x = 1, so that f −1(x) exists.

What are the two possible values of f −1( f (m)), and what is the condition on m to take on each
respective value?

c) Consider the function f (x) = x 4 − 8x 2 + 3.

Suppose that f (x) is restricted in its domain to contain the largest possible domain to include
x = − 1, so that f −1(x) exists.

Evaluate f −1( f (1)).

2
d) Consider the function f (x) = e −(x−μ) , where μ is some positive real constant. (This is the
famous bell curve, translated horizontally μ units to the right).

If f (x) is restricted in its domain to contain x = 0 so that f −1(x) exists, nd the exact
value of f −1( f (3μ)).

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Question Seven

2x
a) Sketch the graph of y = , indicating the coordinates of its stationary points.
x2 +1

2x
b) A function f (x) is de ned by f (x) = for | x | ≤ 1.
x2 + 1

i) Use your graph in (a) to explain why f (x) has a well de ned inverse function f −1(x).

ii) On one diagram, use equal scales on both axes, sketch graphs of:

y = f (x), y = x and y = f −1(x).

iii) Calculate the total area of the two regions enclosed by y = f (x) and y = f −1(x).

∫0
iv) Evaluate f −1(x) d x.

1
v) Solve f −1(x) = .
2

Question Eight

12x − x 3
a) Find the stationary points on the graph of y = .
8

12x − x 3
b) A function is de ned by f (x) = for | x | ≤ 2.
8

i) Sketch a graph of y = f (x) and explain why an inverse function f −1(x), exists.

ii) Sketch y = f −1(x) on the same set of axes.

iii) If θ is the acute angle formed by the tangents to the two curves at the origin,
nd the value of tan θ.

∫0
iv) Find the value of f −1(x) d x.

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 Question Nine

a) De ne f (x) = (x − 1)2 − 3.

i) Find the largest domain containing x = 3 such that the inverse is de ned.

ii) State the domain and range of f −1(x).

iii) Sketch the graph of y = f (x) and y = f −1(x) on the same set of axes.

b) Consider the function f (x) = x 2 − 2x.

i) Find the largest domain containing x = 2 such that the inverse is a

ii) State the range of f (x) in that domain.

iii) Determine whether the inverse function has equation

f −1(x) = 1 + 1 + x , or

f −1(x) = 1 − 1 + x.

iv) Sketch the graph of y = f (x) and y = f −1(x) on the same set of axes.

c) De ne the function f (x) = x 2 − 6x for the domain x ≥ 3.

i) Draw the graph of y = f (x).

ii) Find where f (x) intersects it’s own inverse.

iii) Find the equation of the inverse function.

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 Question Ten (Integration and Harder Problems)

∫ ∫
a) If f (x) d x = F (x), then what is the value of f −1(x) d x ? D

A. F −1(x) + C

B. x f −1(x) − F ( f (x)) + C

C. x f (x) − F ( f −1(x)) + C

D. x f −1(x) − F ( f −1(x)) + C.

b) A one-to-one function g(x) has domain x ≥ 0 and range y ≥ 0, where g(0) = 0 and its
inverse function is g −1(x).

a g −1(a)
3
∫0 ( ∫0
Given that g (x) − x)d x = a 2, what is the value of
−1
g(x) d x ? A
2

A. ag −1(a) − 2a 2

B. ag −1(a) + 2a 2

3 2
C. ag −1(a) − a
2

3 2
D. ag −1(a) + a
2

c) If f is a di erentiable self-inverse function for all x ∈ [0,1], such that f (0) = 1, evaluate
1

∫0 (
x − f (x))2000 d x. Recall that a self inverse function is a function such that f ( f (x)) = x.

d) Consider a function f (x) for some unrestricted domain. Let f −1(x) be an inverse function of f (x).
Which of the following statements is NOT necessarily true? Carrot2014

A. f ( f −1(x)) = x.

B. f −1( f (x)) = x.

C. If f ′(x) is zero at the point (a , b), then the derivative of f −1(x) is unde ned
at the point (b, a) for some xed values of a and b.

D. If the derivative of f −1(x) is zero at the point (a , b) then f ′(x) is unde ned at
the point (b, a) for some xed points (a , b) and (b, a).

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e) Consider a function f (x) and its inverse function f −1(x). The angle between the
π
tangents of the two curves at their point of intersection is . Which of the
6
following is a possible value for the gradient of f (x) at that point of intersection?

π
A.
6

3
B.
2

2
C.
3

D. 3 3

f) The function f (x) = − 1 − 1 + x has inverse f −1(x). The graph of

By sketching the graph of y = x 4 − 2x 2 (and nding all stationary points), or otherwise,

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 4

2x
What is the domain of the function y = sin−1(
− 3)
g) ?
x2
1

∫−1
h) Evaluate sin−1 x + cos−1 x + tan−1 x d x.

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