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Understanding Functions and Their Inverses

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BISHWAMBHER KUMAR SINGH
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10 views7 pages

Understanding Functions and Their Inverses

Details of function

Uploaded by

BISHWAMBHER KUMAR SINGH
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

Functions

A function is a rule which maps one number (sometimes called the input or 𝑥) onto another number
(sometimes called the output or 𝑦).
A function can written as an equation, for example: 𝑦 = 3𝑥 + 2

Changing the value of 𝑥 changes the value of 𝑦

Function notation:
We can use different notations to refer to this function:

• For example, it can be expressed as: 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 + 2


This function is called 𝑓, and it takes 𝑥, multiplies it by 3 and then adds 2.

• This function can also be written with a mapping arrow, for example: 𝑓: 𝑥 → 3𝑥 + 2
This means 𝑓 is a function that takes each 𝑥-value and maps it onto 3𝑥 + 2.
Examples

𝑥 2 +1
1. 𝑓(𝑥 ) = . Find:
2
a) 𝑓(0) b) 𝑓(3)

2. ℎ: 𝑥 → 2𝑥 . Find:
a) ℎ(2) b) ℎ(5)

𝑥+1
3. 𝑔(𝑥 ) = . Find:
𝑥−1
a) 𝑔(2) b) 𝑔(3)

4. 𝑓: → 2𝑥 + 5.
a) If 𝑓(𝑎) = 0, what is the value of 𝑎? b) If 𝑓(𝑏) = 𝑏, what is the value of 𝑏?
The domain and range of a function
The domain of a function is the set of all acceptable inputs.
The range is the set of resulting outputs.
For example, given the rule 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 + 2 and the domain {−1, 0, 1, 2} we can find the range:

It is more common for a function to be defined over a continuous interval, rather than a set of discrete
values.
Example:
The function 𝑓(𝑥) = 4𝑥 − 7 is defined over the domain −2 ≤ 𝑥 < 5. Find the range of this function.

More examples
1. What values of 𝑥 must be excluded from the domains of the following functions?
a) 𝑔: 𝑥 → √𝑥 b) 𝑓: 𝑥 → √𝑥 + 1

1 1
c) ℎ: 𝑥 → d) 𝑗: 𝑥 →
𝑥+1 2𝑥+1

2. Suppose the domain is {1, 2, 3, 4}, find the range of the following functions:
a) 𝑓(𝑥) = (𝑥 − 2)2 b) 𝑔(𝑥) =
1
𝑥
Inverse functions
If the function itself is considered a "DO" action, then the inverse is the "UNDO".
Consider the function 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 + 2
We can write this function using a flow diagram as follows:
×𝟑 +𝟐
𝒙→ 𝟑𝒙 → 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟐
To find the inverse of 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 + 2, we start with 𝑥 and perform the inverse operations in reverse
order.

𝒙−𝟐 ÷𝟑 −𝟐
← 𝒙 − 𝟐← 𝒙
𝟑
𝑥−2
The inverse of 𝑓(𝑥) is written as 𝑓 −1 (𝑥), so if 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 + 2, 𝑓 −1 (𝑥 ) = .
3

How to find an inverse function algebraically


Find the inverse of the following function: 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 + 2

Examples
1. Find 𝑓 −1 (𝑥) for the following functions:
a) 𝑓(𝑥) = 4(𝑥 − 5) 𝑥+4
b) 𝑓(𝑥 ) =
5
2𝑥+5
2. 𝑔(𝑥) = . Find 𝑔−1 (2)
3

𝑥+5
3. 𝑓(𝑥) = . Solve the equation 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑓 −1 (𝑥)
2
Composite functions
Suppose you are given these two functions: 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 + 1
The composition of these two functions means combining them in a manner where the output from one
function becomes the input for the next function.

𝑔(𝑓(𝑥)) means the output for 𝑓(𝑥) becomes the input for 𝑔(𝑥)

This can be written as 𝑔(𝑓(𝑥)) = (3𝑥)2 + 1 = 9𝑥 2 + 1

Examples

1. 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 + 1 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 2𝑥 − 2.


a) Find an expression for 𝑔𝑓(𝑥). Write your answer as simply as possible.
b) Find 𝑓𝑔(𝑥). Write your answer as simply as possible.
2. In the following cases find 𝑓𝑔(𝑥). Write your answer as simply as possible.
a) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 3𝑥 + 4 b) 𝑓(𝑥) = 2𝑥 + 3 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 3𝑥 − 4

𝑥
3. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 − 𝑥 and 𝑔(𝑥) = + 3. Find:
2
a) 𝑓𝑔(4) b) 𝑔𝑓(4)
𝑥+4
4. ℎ(𝑥) = and 𝑘(𝑥) = 3𝑥 − 5. Find:
2

a) ℎ−1 𝑘(𝑥) b) ℎℎ(𝑥)

5. 𝑓(𝑥) = 2𝑥 + 3. Find:
a) 𝑓 −1 𝑓(𝑥) b) 𝑓𝑓 −1 (𝑥)

Common questions

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To find the range, evaluate the function at the endpoints of the domain interval. Calculating for x = -2 gives f(-2) = 4(-2) - 7 = -15. For x approaching 5, calculate f(5-ε) = 4(5-ε) - 7. As ε approaches 0, this equals 4*5 - 7 = 20 - 7 = 13. Therefore, the range of the function as x varies from -2 to just under 5 is [-15, 13), using inclusive bracket for -15 and exclusive for 13, indicating it doesn't reach 13 but gets infinitely close .

To resolve f(x) = f^{-1}(x) for f(x) = (x + 5)/2, first find the inverse: y = (x + 5)/2 => 2y = x + 5 => x = 2y - 5. So f^{-1}(x) = 2x - 5. Equating f and f^{-1} gives (x + 5)/2 = 2x - 5. Solving, multiply through by 2: x + 5 = 4x - 10. Then, subtract x, add 10, and find x = 5. Finally, check: f(5) = (5 + 5)/2 = 5, confirming both functions are equal at x = 5 .

To determine if f(x) = 3x + 2 is one-to-one, utilize the horizontal line test: graphing the function shows a line with slope 3, which never touches the same y-value more than once as the line is straight and non-horizontal, indicating it's one-to-one. Alternatively, establish algebraically by showing f(x1) = f(x2) leads to x1 = x2: if 3x1 + 2 = 3x2 + 2, subtract 2, getting 3x1 = 3x2, divide by 3, x1 = x2, confirming injectivity. It thus confirms each y-value maps back uniquely to an x-value .

To show the relationship between f(x) = 2x + 3 and its inverse f^{-1}(x), first solve the equation f(x) = y for x: y = 2x + 3 leads to 2x = y - 3, hence x = (y - 3)/2. Therefore, f^{-1}(x) = (x - 3)/2. Verifying, f(f^{-1}(x)) should equal x: f((x-3)/2) = 2((x-3)/2) + 3 = x - 3 + 3 = x, and similarly, f^{-1}(f(x)) = (2x + 3 - 3)/2 = x, which confirms the functions are indeed inverses .

For radical functions like g(x) = √x, understanding domain and range is crucial since the square root function is only defined for x ≥ 0, establishing a domain of [0, ∞). Consequently, the range is also [0, ∞), since the square root of any non-negative number yields a non-negative output. Misunderstanding domain can lead to attempts to apply the function to values outside its permissible set, causing errors and undefined scenarios in calculations .

The composite function fg(x) means applying f to the result of g(x), leading to f(g(x)) = f(3x - 4) = (3x - 4)^2. This evaluates as (3x - 4)(3x - 4) = 9x^2 - 24x + 16. The composite fg(x) modifies the behavior of the quadratic function by influencing both the scaling and translation of the parabola represented by f. It encapsulates changes in shape and position by integrating g's linear transformation on the input into f's quadratic growth .

The function f(x) = 3x + 2 with a domain {1, 2, 3, 4} results in the range {5, 8, 11, 14}. The domain refers to the set of permissible input values; here, those input values are 1, 2, 3, and 4. The function maps each x-value in the domain to a unique output, calculated using the formula 3x + 2. Specifically, f(1) = 5, f(2) = 8, f(3) = 11, and f(4) = 14, which collectively form the range .

The function h(x) = 1/(x+1) will be undefined when the denominator x+1 is zero, necessitating the exclusion of x = -1 from the domain. For h(x) to be defined, the denominator must be non-zero to prevent division by zero, which is mathematically undefined, hence the domain excludes x = -1 .

The composition g(f(x)) means applying g to the result of f(x), giving g(3x) = (3x)^2 + 1 = 9x^2 + 1. Composing functions involves using the output of one function (f) as the input to another (g), modifying the behavior by essentially layering transformations on the x-values. In this case, the linear multiplication by 3 from function f magnifies x before squaring it in g, which results in an output that grows rapidly as x increases, reflecting a parabolic relationship in the composite .

The inverse function of g(x) = (2x + 5)/3 is g^{-1}(x) = (3x - 5)/2. To find it, solve the equation y = (2x + 5)/3 for x: multiply both sides by 3 to get 3y = 2x + 5, then subtract 5 and divide by 2, resulting in x = (3y - 5)/2. This inverse function allows us to determine the original x-value (input) when given an output value y. For instance, if g(x) = 2, substituting y = 2 into g^{-1}(x) gives the input value x = (3*2 - 5)/2, which simplifies to 1.

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