GENERAL MATHEMATICS

Module 1.3

INVERSE FUNCTION & ITS GRAPH

Inverses of Functions
 Inverse of a relation
 The inverse of the ordered pairs (x, y) is the
set of all ordered pairs (y, x).

 The Domain of the function is the range of the

inverse and the Range of the function is the
Domain of the inverse.

1 In other words, switch the

 Symbol: f ( x) x’s and y’s!
Example: {(1,2), (2, 4), (3, 6), (4, 8)}

Inverse:

  2 ,1  ,  4 , 2  ,  6 , 3  ,  8 , 4 
 Function notation? What is really
happening when you find the
inverse?

Find the inverse of f(x)=4x-2

x *4 -2 4x-2

(x+2)/4 /4 +2 x

f 1
 x   x  2
So
4
To find an inverse…
 Switch the x’s and y’s.

 Solve for y.

 Change to functional notation.

Find Inverse: f ( x )  8 x  1
f ( x)  8 x  1
y  8x  1
x  8 y 1
8 y  x 1
x 1
y
8
x 1
f  x 
1

8
Find Inverse: f ( x )  8 x  2
f ( x)  8 x  2
y  8x  2
x  8y  2
8y  x  2
x2
y
8
1 x2
f 
8
FA #1: Find Inverse:
3x  1
f  x 
2
3x  1 3x  1
f ( x)  y
2
2 x
3y 1
2
3 y  1  2x
3 y  2x 1
2x 1
y
3
2x 1
f 1 
3
FA #2: Find Inverse:
f  x  x  4
2
2
f (x)  x  4
y  x 4
2

x y 4
2

y  x4
2

y  x4
1
f ( x)   x  4
 Draw the inverse. Compare to the
line y = x. What do you notice?
y  x
  5,3  3,5
  4,2  2,4
  3,1 1,3
  2,1 1,2
 1,1 1,1
 0,1 1,0
1,5  5,1
 Graph the inverse of the following:

The function and

x y its inverse are
symmetric with
0 -5
-3 -4 respect to the
1 2 Line y = x.
1 4
How Does an Inverse Exist
  
 Things to note..
 The domain of f 1
 x is the range of f(x).

 The graph of an inverse function can be found

by reflecting a function in the line y=x.

Check this by plotting y = 3x + 1 and

x  1 on your graphic calculator.
y
3 Take a look
 5
y=3x+1
Reflecting..
4

3 y=x
2
1
y=(x-1)/3
0
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
-1
-2
-3

-4
-5
Composition and Inverses
 If f and g are functions and
( f  g )( x)   g  f  x   x,
then f and g are inverses of one
another.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 Example: Show that the following are
inverses of each other.

1 2
f  x   7 x  2 and g  x   x 
7 7
 1 2
f  g  x   7 x    2
 g  f  x   1  7 x  2   2
7 7
7 7
2 2
 x22  x 
7 7
x x

The composition of each both produce

a value of x; Therefore, they are inverses
of each other.
FA #3: Are f & g inverses?

f ( x)  x3  4
g ( x)  3 x  4

Send your answer via messenger

until 8:00 pm today
 Notice that the x and y values These functions are
Let’s consider
traded places for the function
the  
functionf x  2reflections
x  1 and of each other
computeandsome values and graph them.
its inverse. about the line y = x

x f (x)
f  x  2x  1
-2
-1
-3
-1
f 1  x   .5 x  .5 (2,5)
(5,2)
0 1 x f -1(x)
1 3
-3 -2
2 5 (-3,-2) f 1  x   .5 x  .5
-1 -1
Let’s take the
values we got out
1 0 (-2,-3)
of the function and 3 1
put them into the 5 2
inverse function
and plot them
Yes, so it will have an inverse
Is this a one-to-one function?
function
 Notice that the x and y values
Let’s consider
traded the
places for function f
function
the  x   xreflections
3 These functions are
and compute
of each other
some values
and its and graph them.
inverse. about the line y = x

x f (x) (2,8)
f  x  x3
-2
-1
-8
-1
f 1
 x  3 x
(8,2)
0 0 x f -1(x)
1 1
2 8 -8 -2 f 1  x   3 x
-1 -1
Let’s take the (-8,-2)
values we got out
0 0
of the function and 1 1
put them into the 8 2
(-2,-8)
inverse function
and plot them
Yes, so it will have an inverse
Is this a one-to-one function?
function
What will “undo” a cube? A cube root
 To sum up.....
y = f(x) y=x

The graph of a
function and
its inverse are y = f-1(x)
mirror images
about the line

y=x