INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Mr. GS Pai
School of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
North-West University
18 February 2025
References
1 Study Section 6.1 James Stewart Calculus 8th Edition
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Lecture 3: Inverse Functions
1 One-to-one Functions
2 Inverse Functions
3 Horizontal Line Test
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Inverse Functions
Now given an output we wish to find the input. That is given the y ∈ Rf , we wish to
find x ∈ Df for which y = f (x ). For instamce suppose that f (x ) = x 3 and y = 8, can
we find x such that x 3 = 8? That is can we find x corresponding to y = 8? Of course
it is simple, x = 81/3 = 2.
Basically if x 3 = y then x = y 1/3 , that is, cube root function is the inverse of
f (x ) = x 3 . That is
f (g(x )) = f (x 1/3 ) = (x 1/3 )3 = x
and
g(f (x )) = f (x 1/3 ) = (x 1/3 )3 = x
So these two functions reverse the action of each other. So this reversal is only
possible provided each value in the range of f will have a unique and distinct input
value in the domain of f . For that we define the following:
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Definition 9: One-to-one function
A function f is a one-to-one function if it never assumes the same value more than
once. Therefore f (x1 ) ̸= f (x2 ) for x1 ̸= x2 .
This means that a function is one-to-one provided that no two inputs correspond to
the same output. In other words, f is one-to-one if and only if different input values
result in different output.
This means f cannot take on the same input values twice.
In symbols:
x1 ̸= x2 ⇐⇒ f (x1 ) ̸= f (x2 ),
or equivalently,
f (x1 ) = f (x2 ) ⇐⇒ x1 = x2
for all x1 and x2 in the domain of f .
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
One-to-one Functions
For example let us take f (x ) = x 2 . Now f takes on −2 to give 4 and 2 to give 4. That
is
−2 ̸= 2 but f (−2) = f (2) = 4
As a result we say f is not one-to-one. We show on the graph below that if we draw a
horizontal line on the graph of f (x ), the horizontal line is going to cut the parabola
twice.
The same happens to the circle.
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Functions
One-to-one Functions
y
5
x
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
One-to-one Functions
For example let us take f (x ) = x 3 . Now f takes on −2 to give −8 and 2 to give 8.
That is
−2 ̸= 2 and f (−2) ̸= f (2)
As a result we say f is one-to-one. Draw the graph of f (x ) = x 3 and check if the
horizontal line will intersect the graph twice.
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Horizontal Line Test
A function is one-to-one if and only if no horizontal line intersects its graph more than
once. One-to-one functions are important because they are precisely the functions that
possess inverse functions according to the following definition.
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Example
Determine if the function f (x ) = 2−3x
2 is one-to-one: (a) analytically using Definition 9
and (b) graphically using the Horizontal Line Test.
Solution
(a) To determine if f is one-to-one analytically, we assume f (x1 ) = f (x2 ) and
deduce that x1 = x2 .
f (x1 ) = f (x2 )
2 − 3x1 2 − 3x2
⇐⇒ =
2 2
3x1 3x2
⇐⇒ 1 − =1−
2 2
3x1 3x2
⇐⇒ =
2 2
⇐⇒ x1 = x2
(b) Exercise
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Definition 10: Inverse functions
Let f be a one-to-one function with domain A and range B. Then its inverse function
f −1 has domain B and range A and is defined by
f −1 (y ) = x ⇐⇒ f (x ) = y
for any y ∈ B
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Another definition of inverse function is the following:
Definition 11: Inverse Functions
If f and g are two functions such that
f (g(x )) = x for all x ∈ Dg
and
g(f (x )) = x for all x ∈ Df ,
then f is called the inverse of g and g is called the inverse of f .
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Definition: Inverse Functions
The relationship between a function and its inverse can be viewed graphically. If the
coordinate (a, b) lies on the graph of f , then the coordinate (b, a) is on the graph of
f −1 because f (a) = b if and only f −1 (b) = a. The domain of f becomes the range
f −1 and the range of f becomes the domain of f −1 . The visual effect is that of
symmetry diagonal line y = x .
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Definition: Inverse Functions
√
Given f (x ) = x 3 − 4 and g(x ) = 3
x + 4, test whether g = f −1
√
f (g(x )) = (g(x ))3 − 4 = ( 3 x + 4)3 − 4 = (x + 4) − 4 = x
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Finding the inverse
Follow these steps
Write y = f (x )
Interchange/swap x and y
Solve x = f (y ) for y to obtain y = f −1 (x )
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Finding the Inverse
Find the inverse of y = 3x − 1
Solution
Write y = 3x − 1.
Interchange x and y : x = 3y − 1
Solve for y :
x +1
3y = x + 1 ⇐⇒ y = = f −1 (x )
3
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111
Reversal action
Do you recall the reversal action we talked about in the previous slides? This is what
happened in the last slide: We had an input x and we
multiplied it by 3
subtracted 1
That was f (x ) = 3x − 1. Then we reversed the action starting from last step
added 1: giving x + 1
x +1
divided by 3: giving 3
Hence f −1 (x ) = x +1
3
End of Lecture
Mr. GS Pai INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA AND CALCULUS MTHS111