The following real-life situations illustrate important type of function- the one-to-

one function:
1. Deoxyribonucleic acid is a molecule that carries most of the genetic
structures used in the development and functioning of all known living
organisms and microorganisms . It is the hereditary material in humans and
almost all other organisms . Every human being has a unique DNA molecule ,
and every existing DNA molecule is unique to a human being. In other words ,
no two individual has exactly the same DNA molecule.

2. DepEd is developing a system of identification for al learners of the

Philippine public schools. This is the Learner’s Identification Number (LIS)
System that aims to provide a unique LIS to every public school learner . Its
aim is to ensure that no two LIS is assigned to a Filipino learner , and that no
two Filipino learners have the same LIS.

3. One of the primary moral values that is advocated and taught by the Catholic
Church is the sanctity of the marriage vow. It aims to promote happy marriage
between a living Catholic man and a living Catholic woman who have entered
into a marriage contract, that is, one man-one woman relationship.

These are just some of the situations that use the concept of one-to-one
relationships. This concept will be expounded mathematically in the next
lessons.
ONE-TO-ONE FUNCTION

In Unit One, functions are described as mapping of its domain to its range. Recall that a
relation is one-to-one if and only if each element of its domain corresponds to a unique
element in its range, and each element of its range corresponds to a unique element in its
domain.

In other words, when a function has additional property that no two unique elements of the
domain have the same image in the range, the function is said to be one-to-one. This
suggests that each element of the range is the image of exactly one element of the
domain.

The arrow diagrams below show an example and non-example of one-to-one function:

Domain Range Domain

Range
x₁ y₁ x₁ y₁

x₂ y₂ x₂ y₂

x₃ y₃ x₃

One-to-one function Not One-to-one Function

Suppose F is a one-to-one function. Since F is a function,
it follows that any vertical line, x=h, will intersect the graph
of F in one and only point; and since F is one-to-one, any
horizontal line, y=k, will intersect the graph of F in one and
only point.

To determine whether the graph of a function is a one-to-

one function, the horizontal line test is used.

Horizontal Line Test

A function f is one-to-one if and only if no horizontal line

drawn through the graph of f intersects it more than once.
EXAMPLE I State whether each relation whose graph is given is a one-to-one function or not.

Y y
a. b.

V(x)
H(x)

x x

y y
c. C(x) d. L(x)

x x
SOLUTION
a. A horizontal line that passes through the graph of the given function
V(x) may intersect the graph at two points. Hence, the function
represented by the graph is not a one-to-one function.

b. When a horizontal line is to pass through the graph of H (x), it will

pass through all its points. Thus, the relation is not a one-to-one
function.

c. The graph of C(x) and any horizontal line will intersect at only 1 point.
Therefore, it is a one-to-one function.

D. The line L(x) and any horizontal line will intersect at only one point.
Hence, L(x) is a one-to-one function.
The function rule y= f(x) of one-to-one function f defines a
second function fˉ¹, with a function rule y= f ˉ¹ . This
second function is referred to as the inverse of f. If the
typical ordered pair for f is (x, y), the ordered pair for f ˉ¹ is
(y, x). Consequently, the domain of f is the range of f ˉ¹ ,
and the domain of fˉ¹ is the range of f.

Recall that a function is one-to-one if and only if each

element of the domain is paired with a unique element of
the range and each element of the range, is paired with a
unique element of the domain.

If a function is one-to-one, it has an inverse and its inverse

is also a function.