1.

6 Inverse Functions
Objectives
• Find inverse functions informally and verify
that two functions are inverse functions of
each other.
• Determine from the graphs of functions
whether the functions have inverse
functions.
• Determine if functions are one to one.
• Find inverse functions algebraically.
Mapping Relations
• Mapping shows how each member of
the domain and range are paired.
1. 2.
– Example: 1 9 4 3
-3 2 1 0
7 -5 -2 -6
7
– 1. Relation: {(1,2), (-3,9), (7,-5)}
– 2. Relation: {(4,-6), (1,3), (1,0), (-2,7)}
 Mapping Example
1 0
5 2
7
11
-1

Relation  {(1, 0), (5, 2), (7, 2), (-1, 11)}

Domain  {1, 5, 7, -1}
Range  {0, 2, 11}
Types of Relations
 Which Relations are also Functions?

• Many to One Relationship

{ (3, 2), (1, 2), (2, 2), (8, 2), (7, 2) }

• One to One Relationship

{ (0, 2), (1, 0), (2, 6), (8, 12) }

What is an Inverse Function?

INVERSE FUNCTION – reversing a

function, “undoing” it.

f -1 notates an inverse function. (not 1/f)

Remember we talked about functions---taking a set X and
mapping into a Set Y

1
1 2
2
2
2 4
4
3
3 6
6
4 8
4 8
5 10
5 10

Set X Set Y

An inverse function would reverse that process and map

from SetY back into Set X
Inverse Relation
Every function y = f (x) has an inverse relation x = f (y).
Function y = |x| + 1 Inverse relation x = |y| + 1
x y x y
2 2
1 3 1 3
0 2 0 2
-1 1 -1 1
-2 -2
Domain Range Range Domain
The ordered pairs of :
y = |x| + 1 are {(-2, 3), (-1, 2), (0, 1), (1, 2), (2, 3)}.
x = |y| + 1 are {(3, -2), (2, -1), (1, 0), (2, 1), (3, 2)}.
The inverse relation is not a function. It pairs 2 to both -1 and +1.
 Inverse Relations: Ordered Pairs

• Original relation, y1: {(0, 4) (2, 6) (5, 9) (10, 14)}

• Inverse relation, y2: {(4, 0) (6, 2) (9, 5) (14, 10)}

• To find the inverse relation, represented by ordered

pairs, simply switch the x and y of each ordered pair.
• If y1 contains (x, y), then y2 contains (y, x).

• Are these two relations, a function (f(x)) and it’s

inverse function (f-1(x))? YES
If we map what we get out of the function back, we won’t always have a
function going back.

1
2
2
4
3
6
4 8
5

Since going back, 6 goes back to both 3 and 5, the mapping going
back is NOT a function
These functions are called
many-to-one functions

Only functions that pair the y value (value in the range) with only
one x will be functions going back the other way. These functions
are called one-to-one functions.
One-to-One Functions

A function y = f(x) with domain D is one-to-one on D

if and only if for every x1 and x2 in D, f(x1) = f(x2) implies
that x1 = x2.

A function is a mapping from its domain to its range

so that each element, x, of the domain is mapped to one,
and only one, element, f(x), of the range.

A function is one-to-one if each element f(x) of the

range is mapped from one, and only one, element, x,
of the domain.
 This would not be a one-to-one function because to be one-to-one, each y
would only be used once with an x.

1
1 2
2 2
2 4
3 4
3 6
6
4 8
4 8
5 10
5 10

This function IS one-to-one. Each x is paired with only one y and

each y is paired with only one x

Only one-to-one functions will have inverse functions, meaning the

mapping back to the original values is also a function.
 Recall that to determine by the graph if an equation is a function, we
have the vertical line test.

If a vertical line intersects the graph of an equation more than

one time, the equation graphed is NOT a function.

This is NOT a
This is a function function This is a function
Horizontal Line Test
A function y = f(x) is one-to-one if and only if
no horizontal line intersects the graph of y = f(x)
in more than one point.
y
Example: The function
y = x2 – 4x + 7 is not one-to-one (0, 7) (4, 7)
on the real numbers because the y=7
line y = 7 intersects the graph at
2
both (0, 7) and (4, 7). x
2
 To be a one-to-one function, each y value could only be paired with one x. Let’s
look at a couple of graphs.

Look at a y value (for example y = For any y value, a horizontal line will
3)and see if there is only one x only intersection the graph once so will
value on the graph for it. only have one x value

This is a many-to-one function This then IS a one-to-one function

 If a horizontal line intersects the graph of an equation more
than one time, the equation graphed is NOT a one-to-one
function and will NOT have an inverse function.

This is NOT a one-to-

This is a one function This is NOT a one-to-
one-to-one function one function
Example: Apply the horizontal line test to the graphs
below to determine if the functions are one-to-one.
a) y = x3 b) y = x3 + 3x2 – x – 1
y y
8 8

4 4

-4 4 -4 4
x x

one-to-one not one-to-one

Why are one-to-one
functions important?

One-to-One Functions
have
Inverse functions
Existence of an Inverse Function

A function, f, has
an inverse function, g,
if and only if (iff) the function f
is
a one-to-one (1-1) function.
Ordered Pairs
The ordered pairs of the function f are reversed to produce the
ordered pairs of the inverse relation.

Example: Given the function

f = {(1, 1), (2, 3), (3, 1), (4, 2)}, its domain is {1, 2, 3, 4} and its
range is {1, 2, 3}.

The inverse relation of f is {(1, 1), (3, 2), (1, 3), (2, 4)}.

The domain of the inverse relation is the range of the original

function.
The range of the inverse relation is the domain of the original
function.
Domain of f Range of f
f

1
f

1 1
Range of f Domain of f
1
Domain of f  Range of f
1
Range of f  Domain of f
Domain and Range
• The domain of f is the range of f -1
• The range of f is the domain of f -1

• Thus ... we may be required to restrict the

domain of f so that f -1 is a function
 Restricting a Domain
• When the inverse of a function is not a
function, the domain of the function can
be restricted to allow the inverse to be a
function.
• In such cases, it is convenient to consider
“part” of the function by restricting the
domain of f(x). If the domain is
restricted, then its inverse is a function.
Restricting the Domain

Recall that if a function is not one-to-one,

then its inverse will not be a function.
 Restricting the Domain

If we restrict the domain values of f(x) to those greater than or equal to

zero, we see that f(x) is now one-to-one and its inverse is now a
function.
Your Turn:

(a) Sketch the function y  f ( x) where

f ( x)  x 2  1 .
(b) Write down the range of f ( x ).
(c) Suggest a suitable domain for f ( x ) so that the inverse
f 1 ( x ) function can be found.
(d) On the same axes sketch f 1 ( x ) .
Solution:
f ( x ):
(a) y  x2  1 (b) Range of
f ( x )  1
(c) Restricted domain:
x0
( We’ll look at the other
possibility next.x)  0

(a) Sketch the function y  f ( x) where

f ( x)  x 2  1 .
(b) Write down the range of f ( x ).
(c) Suggest a suitable domain for f ( x ) so that the inverse
f 1 ( x ) function can be found.
(d) On the same axes sketch f 1 ( x ) .
The other possibility:

y  x2  1 (b) Range of f ( x) :
(a)
f ( x )  1
(c) Suppose you chose
x0
for the domain

(a) Sketch the function y  f ( x) where

f ( x)  x  1 .
2

(b) Write down the range of f ( x ).

(c) Suggest a suitable domain for f ( x ) so that the inverse
f 1 ( x ) function can be found.
(d) On the same axes sketch f 1 ( x ) .
The graphs of a relation and its inverse are reflections
in the line y = x.
Example: Find the graph of the inverse relation
geometrically from the graph of f (x) = ( x 3
 2)
4
The ordered pairs of f are 3 y y=x
( x  2)
given by the equation y  . 2
4
The ordered pairs of the inverse are
( y 3
 2) . x
given by x  -2 2
4
-2
( y  2)
3
( x 3  2)
x y
4 4
 f x   x
Notice that the x and y values traded
3 These functions are
Let’s consider
places the function
for the function and its inverse. and compute some values and
graph them.
reflections of each other
about the line y = x
This means “inverse function”
x f (x) (2,8)
f x   x 3
x   3
-2 -8 1
-1 -1 f x
0 0 (8,2)
1 1 x f -1(x)
2 8
-8 -2 f 1 x   3 x
-1 -1
Let’s take the 0 0
1 1 (-8,-2)
values we got out
8 2
of the function and
put them into the
(-2,-8)
inverse function
and plot them
Is this a one-to-one function? Yes, so it will have an inverse
function
What will “undo” a cube? A cube root
Inverses of Functions
If the inverse of a function f is also a
function, it is named f 1 and read “f-
inverse.”
The negative 1 in f 1 is not an exponent.
This does not mean the reciprocal of f.

1
f 1(x) is not equal to
f ( x)
Determine Inverse Function
Example: From the graph of the
function y = f (x), determine if the
inverse relation is a function and, if it y y = f -1(x)
is, sketch its graph. y=x
y = f(x)
The graph of f passes the
horizontal line test. x

The inverse
relation is a function.

Reflect the graph of f in the line y = x to produce the graph

of f -1.
Example:
Consider the graph of the function f ( x)  2 x  4

y  2x  4

x4
y
2

1 x4
The inverse function is f ( x) 
2
Consider the graph of the function f ( x)  2 x  4

y  2x  4 x ( 0, 4 )

( 4, 0 )
x
( 3,  2)x x4
y
x 2
(  2,  3 )

1 x4
The inverse function is f ( x) 
2
An inverse function is just a rearrangement with x and y swapped.

So the graphs just swap x and y!

What else do you notice about the graphs?

yx
y  2 x  4 x ( 0, 4 )
( 4, 0 )
x
x4
( 3,  2)x y
x
2
(  4,  4 )
x (  2,  3 )

f 1 ( x ) is a reflection of f ( x ) in the line y = x

The function and its inverse must meet on y =x
Your Turn:
Graph f(x) and f -1(x) on the same graph.
Your Turn:
On the same axes, sketch the graph of
y  ( x  2) 2 , x2
and its inverse.

Solution: yx
( 4, 4 )
x
(1, 3)
( 0, 2 )
( 3, 1)
( 2, 0 )
Inverse Relation Algebraically
To find the inverse of a relation algebraically, interchange x and
y and solve for y.
Example: Find the inverse relation algebraically for the
function f (x) = 3x + 2.

y = 3x + 2 Original equation defining f

x = 3y + 2 Switch x and y.
3y + 2 = x Reverse sides of the equation.
( x  2)
y= Solve for y.
3
To calculate a value for the inverse of f, subtract 2, then divide
by 3.
Inverse Function

For a function y = f (x), the inverse relation of f

is a function if and only if f is one-to-one.

For a function y = f (x), the inverse relation of f

is a function if and only if the graph of f passes the
horizontal line test.
If f is one-to-one, the inverse relation of f
is a function called the inverse function of f.

The inverse function of y = f (x) is written y = f -1(x).

Steps for Finding the Inverse of a
One-to-One Function

y = f -1(x)

Solve for y

Trade x and y
places

Replace f(x)
with y
 f x  
4 Let’s check this by doing
Find the inverse of
2 x
4  2x
f x   
1

or x
y = f -1(x)
2x  4
f x  
1

x
Solve for y x2  y   4
2 x  xy  4
 xy  4  2 x
4
Trade x and y
x 4  2x
places
2 y y
x
4 Ensure f(x) is one to one first.
y
Replace f(x)
Domain may need to be restricted.
2 x
with y
 Your Turn:
Find the inverses of these functions:

5  3x
1) f (x)  2) f (x)  3 x 1
2
5  2x f 1  x3  1
f 1 
3
1
3) f (x)   4) f (x)  1  x 3
x
1
f 1  f 1  3 1  x
x
1 2 x
5) f (x)   6) f (x) 
 2 x x
1  2x 2
f 1
 f 1 
x x 1

 
So geometrically if a function and its inverse are
graphed, they are reflections about the line y = x and the
x and y values have traded places. The domain of the
function is the range of the inverse. The range of the
function is the domain of the inverse. Also if we start
with an x and put it in the function and put the result in
the inverse function, we are back where we started from.

Given two functions, we can then tell if they are inverses

of each other if we plug one into the other and it “undoes”
the function. Remember subbing one function in the
other was the composition function.

So if f and g are inverse functions, their composition

would simply give x back. For inverse functions then:

f  g  f g x  x g  f  g  f x  x
Alternate Definition of an Inverse
Function

A function, f, has an inverse

function, g, if and only if
f(g(x)) = x and g(f(x)) = x,
for every x in domain of g
and in the domain of f.
Composition of Functions

The inverse function is an “inverse” with respect to

the operation of composition of functions.
The inverse function “undoes” the function,
that is, f -1( f (x)) = x.
The function is the inverse of its inverse function,
that is, f ( f -1(x)) = x.
Example: The inverse of f (x) = x3 is f -1(x)= 3 x .

3 3
f -1( f(x))= x = x and f ( f -1(x)) =( 3 x )3 = x.
Verify that the functions f and g are inverses of each other.

f x   x  2 , x  2; g x   x  2
2

If we graph (x - 2)2 it is a parabola shifted right 2.

Is this a one-to-one function?

This would not be one-to-one

but they restricted the domain
and are only taking the
function where x is greater
than or equal to 2 so we will
have a one-to-one function.
Verify that the functions f and g are inverses of each other.

f x   x  2 , x  2; g x   x  2
2

f g   
2
x 22  x  x
2

g f   x  2
2
2  x22  x

Since both of these = x, if you start with x and apply the

functions they “undo” each other and are inverses.
 x 1
Example: Verify that the function g(x) =
is the inverse of f(x) = 2x – 1. 2

( f ( x)  1) ((2 x  1)  1) 2x
g( f(x)) = = = =x
2 2 2

f(g(x)) = 2g(x) – 1 = 2( x  1 ) – 1 = (x + 1) – 1 = x
2
It follows that g = f -1.
Homework
• Section 1.6, pg. 69 – 72:
Vocabulary Check #1 – 5 all
Exercises: #1-33 odd, 47-55 odd, 111, 113