Functions

# Inverse Functions

### Learning Objectives

In this section, you will:

• Verify inverse functions.
• Determine the domain and range of an inverse function, and restrict the domain of a function to make it one-to-one.
• Find or evaluate the inverse of a function.
• Use the graph of a one-to-one function to graph its inverse function on the same axes.

A reversible heat pump is a climate-control system that is an air conditioner and a heater in a single device. Operated in one direction, it pumps heat out of a house to provide cooling. Operating in reverse, it pumps heat into the building from the outside, even in cool weather, to provide heating. As a heater, a heat pump is several times more efficient than conventional electrical resistance heating.

If some physical machines can run in two directions, we might ask whether some of the function “machines” we have been studying can also run backwards. (Figure) provides a visual representation of this question. In this section, we will consider the reverse nature of functions.

### Verifying That Two Functions Are Inverse Functions

Suppose a fashion designer traveling to Milan for a fashion show wants to know what the temperature will be. He is not familiar with the Celsius scale. To get an idea of how temperature measurements are related, he asks his assistant, Betty, to convert 75 degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius. She finds the formula

and substitutes 75 forto calculate

Knowing that a comfortable 75 degrees Fahrenheit is about 24 degrees Celsius, he sends his assistant the week’s weather forecast from (Figure) for Milan, and asks her to convert all of the temperatures to degrees Fahrenheit.

At first, Betty considers using the formula she has already found to complete the conversions. After all, she knows her algebra, and can easily solve the equation forafter substituting a value forFor example, to convert 26 degrees Celsius, she could write

After considering this option for a moment, however, she realizes that solving the equation for each of the temperatures will be awfully tedious. She realizes that since evaluation is easier than solving, it would be much more convenient to have a different formula, one that takes the Celsius temperature and outputs the Fahrenheit temperature.

The formula for which Betty is searching corresponds to the idea of an inverse function, which is a function for which the input of the original function becomes the output of the inverse function and the output of the original function becomes the input of the inverse function.

Given a functionwe represent its inverse asread asinverse ofThe raisedis part of the notation. It is not an exponent; it does not imply a power of. In other words,does not meanbecauseis the reciprocal ofand not the inverse.

The “exponent-like” notation comes from an analogy between function composition and multiplication: just as(1 is the identity element for multiplication) for any nonzero numbersoequals the identity function, that is,

This holds for allin the domain ofInformally, this means that inverse functions “undo” each other. However, just as zero does not have a reciprocal, some functions do not have inverses.

Given a functionwe can verify whether some other functionis the inverse ofby checking whether eitheroris true. We can test whichever equation is more convenient to work with because they are logically equivalent (that is, if one is true, then so is the other.)

For example,andare inverse functions.

and

A few coordinate pairs from the graph of the functionare (−2, −8), (0, 0), and (2, 8). A few coordinate pairs from the graph of the functionare (−8, −2), (0, 0), and (8, 2). If we interchange the input and output of each coordinate pair of a function, the interchanged coordinate pairs would appear on the graph of the inverse function.

### Inverse Function

For any one-to-one functiona functionis an inverse function ofifThis can also be written asfor allin the domain ofIt also follows thatfor allin the domain ofifis the inverse of

The notation is read inverse.” Like any other function, we can use any variable name as the input for so we will often write which we read as inverse of
Keep in mind that

and not all functions have inverses.

### Identifying an Inverse Function for a Given Input-Output Pair

If for a particular one-to-one functionandwhat are the corresponding input and output values for the inverse function?

The inverse function reverses the input and output quantities, so if

Alternatively, if we want to name the inverse functionthenand[/hidden-answer]

#### Analysis

Notice that if we show the coordinate pairs in a table form, the input and output are clearly reversed. See (Figure).

### Try It

Given thatwhat are the corresponding input and output values of the original function

### How To

Given two functionsandtest whether the functions are inverses of each other.

1. Determine whetheror
2. If either statement is true, then both are true, andandIf either statement is false, then both are false, andand

### Testing Inverse Relationships Algebraically

Ifandis

so

This is enough to answer yes to the question, but we can also verify the other formula.

#### Analysis

Notice the inverse operations are in reverse order of the operations from the original function.

Ifandis

Yes

### Determining Inverse Relationships for Power Functions

If(the cube function) andis

No, the functions are not inverses.

#### Analysis

The correct inverse to the cube is, of course, the cube rootthat is, the one-third is an exponent, not a multiplier.

Ifis

Yes

### Finding Domain and Range of Inverse Functions

The outputs of the functionare the inputs toso the range ofis also the domain ofLikewise, because the inputs toare the outputs ofthe domain ofis the range ofWe can visualize the situation as in (Figure).

When a function has no inverse function, it is possible to create a new function where that new function on a limited domain does have an inverse function. For example, the inverse ofisbecause a square “undoes” a square root; but the square is only the inverse of the square root on the domainsince that is the range of

We can look at this problem from the other side, starting with the square (toolkit quadratic) functionIf we want to construct an inverse to this function, we run into a problem, because for every given output of the quadratic function, there are two corresponding inputs (except when the input is 0). For example, the output 9 from the quadratic function corresponds to the inputs 3 and –3. But an output from a function is an input to its inverse; if this inverse input corresponds to more than one inverse output (input of the original function), then the “inverse” is not a function at all! To put it differently, the quadratic function is not a one-to-one function; it fails the horizontal line test, so it does not have an inverse function. In order for a function to have an inverse, it must be a one-to-one function.

In many cases, if a function is not one-to-one, we can still restrict the function to a part of its domain on which it is one-to-one. For example, we can make a restricted version of the square functionwith its domain limited towhich is a one-to-one function (it passes the horizontal line test) and which has an inverse (the square-root function).

Ifonthen the inverse function is

• The domain of= range of=
• The domain of= range of=

Is it possible for a function to have more than one inverse?

No. If two supposedly different functions, say,andboth meet the definition of being inverses of another functionthen you can prove thatWe have just seen that some functions only have inverses if we restrict the domain of the original function. In these cases, there may be more than one way to restrict the domain, leading to different inverses. However, on any one domain, the original function still has only one unique inverse.

### Domain and Range of Inverse Functions

The range of a functionis the domain of the inverse function

The domain ofis the range of

### How To

Given a function, find the domain and range of its inverse.

1. If the function is one-to-one, write the range of the original function as the domain of the inverse, and write the domain of the original function as the range of the inverse.
2. If the domain of the original function needs to be restricted to make it one-to-one, then this restricted domain becomes the range of the inverse function.

### Finding the Inverses of Toolkit Functions

Identify which of the toolkit functions besides the quadratic function are not one-to-one, and find a restricted domain on which each function is one-to-one, if any. The toolkit functions are reviewed in (Figure). We restrict the domain in such a fashion that the function assumes all y-values exactly once.

Reciprocal squared Cube root Square root Absolute value

The constant function is not one-to-one, and there is no domain (except a single point) on which it could be one-to-one, so the constant function has no inverse.

The absolute value function can be restricted to the domainwhere it is equal to the identity function.

The reciprocal-squared function can be restricted to the domain

#### Analysis

We can see that these functions (if unrestricted) are not one-to-one by looking at their graphs, shown in (Figure). They both would fail the horizontal line test. However, if a function is restricted to a certain domain so that it passes the horizontal line test, then in that restricted domain, it can have an inverse.

### Try It

The domain of functionisand the range of functionisFind the domain and range of the inverse function.

The domain of functionisand the range of functionis

### Finding and Evaluating Inverse Functions

Once we have a one-to-one function, we can evaluate its inverse at specific inverse function inputs or construct a complete representation of the inverse function in many cases.

#### Inverting Tabular Functions

Suppose we want to find the inverse of a function represented in table form. Remember that the domain of a function is the range of the inverse and the range of the function is the domain of the inverse. So we need to interchange the domain and range.

Each row (or column) of inputs becomes the row (or column) of outputs for the inverse function. Similarly, each row (or column) of outputs becomes the row (or column) of inputs for the inverse function.

### Interpreting the Inverse of a Tabular Function

A functionis given in (Figure), showing distance in miles that a car has traveled inminutes. Find and interpret

 30 50 70 90 20 40 60 70

The inverse function takes an output ofand returns an input forSo in the expression70 is an output value of the original function, representing 70 miles. The inverse will return the corresponding input of the original function90 minutes, soThe interpretation of this is that, to drive 70 miles, it took 90 minutes.

Alternatively, recall that the definition of the inverse was that ifthenBy this definition, if we are giventhen we are looking for a valueso thatIn this case, we are looking for aso thatwhich is when

### Try It

Using (Figure), find and interpret (a)and (b)

 30 50 60 70 90 20 40 50 60 70

1. In 60 minutes, 50 miles are traveled.
2. To travel 60 miles, it will take 70 minutes.

#### Evaluating the Inverse of a Function, Given a Graph of the Original Function

We saw in Functions and Function Notation that the domain of a function can be read by observing the horizontal extent of its graph. We find the domain of the inverse function by observing the vertical extent of the graph of the original function, because this corresponds to the horizontal extent of the inverse function. Similarly, we find the range of the inverse function by observing the horizontal extent of the graph of the original function, as this is the vertical extent of the inverse function. If we want to evaluate an inverse function, we find its input within its domain, which is all or part of the vertical axis of the original function’s graph.

### How To

Given the graph of a function, evaluate its inverse at specific points.

1. Find the desired input on the y-axis of the given graph.
2. Read the inverse function’s output from the x-axis of the given graph.

### Evaluating a Function and Its Inverse from a Graph at Specific Points

A functionis given in (Figure). Findand

To evaluate we find 3 on the x-axis and find the corresponding output value on the y-axis. The point tells us that

To evaluaterecall that by definitionmeans the value of x for whichBy looking for the output value 3 on the vertical axis, we find the pointon the graph, which meansso by definition,See (Figure).

### Try It

Using the graph in (Figure), (a) findand (b) estimate

a. 3; b. 5.6

#### Finding Inverses of Functions Represented by Formulas

Sometimes we will need to know an inverse function for all elements of its domain, not just a few. If the original function is given as a formula—for example,as a function ofwe can often find the inverse function by solving to obtainas a function of

### How To

Given a function represented by a formula, find the inverse.

1. Make sureis a one-to-one function.
2. Solve for
3. Interchangeand

### Inverting the Fahrenheit-to-Celsius Function

Find a formula for the inverse function that gives Fahrenheit temperature as a function of Celsius temperature.

By solving in general, we have uncovered the inverse function. If

then

In this case, we introduced a functionto represent the conversion because the input and output variables are descriptive, and writingcould get confusing.[/hidden-answer]

### Try It

Solve forin terms ofgiven

### Solving to Find an Inverse Function

Find the inverse of the function

#### Analysis

The domain and range ofexclude the values 3 and 4, respectively. and are equal at two points but are not the same function, as we can see by creating (Figure).

 1 2 5 3 2 5

### Solving to Find an Inverse with Radicals

Find the inverse of the function

So

The domain ofisNotice that the range ofisso this means that the domain of the inverse functionis also[/hidden-answer]

#### Analysis

The formula we found forlooks like it would be valid for all realHowever,itself must have an inverse (namely,) so we have to restrict the domain oftoin order to makea one-to-one function. This domain ofis exactly the range of

### Try It

What is the inverse of the functionState the domains of both the function and the inverse function.

### Finding Inverse Functions and Their Graphs

Now that we can find the inverse of a function, we will explore the graphs of functions and their inverses. Let us return to the quadratic functionrestricted to the domain on which this function is one-to-one, and graph it as in (Figure).

Restricting the domain tomakes the function one-to-one (it will obviously pass the horizontal line test), so it has an inverse on this restricted domain.

We already know that the inverse of the toolkit quadratic function is the square root function, that is, What happens if we graph both and on the same set of axes, using the axis for the input to both

We notice a distinct relationship: The graph ofis the graph ofreflected about the diagonal linewhich we will call the identity line, shown in (Figure).

This relationship will be observed for all one-to-one functions, because it is a result of the function and its inverse swapping inputs and outputs. This is equivalent to interchanging the roles of the vertical and horizontal axes.

### Finding the Inverse of a Function Using Reflection about the Identity Line

Given the graph ofin (Figure), sketch a graph of

This is a one-to-one function, so we will be able to sketch an inverse. Note that the graph shown has an apparent domain ofand range ofso the inverse will have a domain ofand range of

If we reflect this graph over the linethe pointreflects toand the pointreflects toSketching the inverse on the same axes as the original graph gives (Figure).

### Try It

Draw graphs of the functionsandfrom (Figure).

Is there any function that is equal to its own inverse?

Yes. Ifthenand we can think of several functions that have this property. The identity function does, and so does the reciprocal function, because

Any functionwhereis a constant, is also equal to its own inverse.

Access these online resources for additional instruction and practice with inverse functions.

Visit this website for additional practice questions from Learningpod.

### Key Concepts

• Ifis the inverse ofthenSee (Figure), (Figure), and (Figure).
• Only some of the toolkit functions have an inverse. See (Figure).
• For a function to have an inverse, it must be one-to-one (pass the horizontal line test).
• A function that is not one-to-one over its entire domain may be one-to-one on part of its domain.
• For a tabular function, exchange the input and output rows to obtain the inverse. See (Figure).
• The inverse of a function can be determined at specific points on its graph. See (Figure).
• To find the inverse of a formula, solve the equationforas a function ofThen exchange the labelsandSee (Figure), (Figure), and (Figure).
• The graph of an inverse function is the reflection of the graph of the original function across the lineSee (Figure).

### Section Exercises

#### Verbal

Describe why the horizontal line test is an effective way to determine whether a function is one-to-one?

Each output of a function must have exactly one output for the function to be one-to-one. If any horizontal line crosses the graph of a function more than once, that means that-values repeat and the function is not one-to-one. If no horizontal line crosses the graph of the function more than once, then no-values repeat and the function is one-to-one.

Why do we restrict the domain of the functionto find the function’s inverse?

Can a function be its own inverse? Explain.

Yes. For example,is its own inverse.

Are one-to-one functions either always increasing or always decreasing? Why or why not?

How do you find the inverse of a function algebraically?

Given a functionsolve forin terms ofInterchange theandSolve the new equation forThe expression foris the inverse,

#### Algebraic

Show that the functionis its own inverse for all real numbers

For the following exercises, findfor each function.

For the following exercises, find a domain on which each functionis one-to-one and non-decreasing. Write the domain in interval notation. Then find the inverse ofrestricted to that domain.

domain of

domain of

Givenand

1. Findand

a.andb. This tells us thatandare inverse functions

For the following exercises, use function composition to verify thatandare inverse functions.

and

and

#### Graphical

For the following exercises, use a graphing utility to determine whether each function is one-to-one.

one-to-one

one-to-one

For the following exercises, determine whether the graph represents a one-to-one function.

not one-to-one

For the following exercises, use the graph ofshown in (Figure).

Find

Solve

Find

Solve

For the following exercises, use the graph of the one-to-one function shown in (Figure).

Sketch the graph of

Find

If the complete graph ofis shown, find the domain of

If the complete graph ofis shown, find the range of

#### Numeric

For the following exercises, evaluate or solve, assuming that the functionis one-to-one.

Iffind

Iffind

Iffind

Iffind

For the following exercises, use the values listed in (Figure) to evaluate or solve.

0 8
1 0
2 7
3 4
4 2
5 6
6 5
7 3
8 9
9 1

Find

Solve

Find

Solve

Use the tabular representation ofin (Figure) to create a table for

 3 6 9 13 14 1 4 7 12 16

 1 4 7 12 16 3 6 9 13 14

#### Technology

For the following exercises, find the inverse function. Then, graph the function and its inverse.

Find the inverse function ofUse a graphing utility to find its domain and range. Write the domain and range in interval notation.

#### Real-World Applications

To convert fromdegrees Celsius todegrees Fahrenheit, we use the formulaFind the inverse function, if it exists, and explain its meaning.

Given the Fahrenheit temperature,this formula allows you to calculate the Celsius temperature.

The circumferenceof a circle is a function of its radius given byExpress the radius of a circle as a function of its circumference. Call this functionFindand interpret its meaning.

A car travels at a constant speed of 50 miles per hour. The distance the car travels in miles is a function of time,in hours given byFind the inverse function by expressing the time of travel in terms of the distance traveled. Call this functionFindand interpret its meaning.

$t\left(180\right)=\frac{180}{50}.\,$The time for the car to travel 180 miles is 3.6 hours.

### Chapter Review Exercises

#### Functions and Function Notation

For the following exercises, determine whether the relation is a function.

function

forthe independent variable andthe dependent variable

not a function

Is the graph in (Figure) a function?

For the following exercises, evaluate the function at the indicated values:

$f\left(2\right)=-2;$

$f\left(a+h\right)=-2{a}^{2}+3a-4ah+3h-2{h}^{2}$[/hidden-answer]

For the following exercises, determine whether the functions are one-to-one.

one-to-one

For the following exercises, use the vertical line test to determine if the relation whose graph is provided is a function.

function

function

For the following exercises, graph the functions.

For the following exercises, use (Figure) to approximate the values.

Ifthen solve for

Ifthen solve for

or

For the following exercises, use the functionto find the values in simplest form.

#### Domain and Range

For the following exercises, find the domain of each function, expressing answers using interval notation.

Graph this piecewise function:

#### Rates of Change and Behavior of Graphs

For the following exercises, find the average rate of change of the functions from

For the following exercises, use the graphs to determine the intervals on which the functions are increasing, decreasing, or constant.

increasing
decreasing

increasingconstant

Find the local minimum of the function graphed in (Figure).

Find the local extrema for the function graphed in (Figure).

local minimumlocal maximum

For the graph in (Figure), the domain of the function isThe range isFind the absolute minimum of the function on this interval.

Find the absolute maximum of the function graphed in (Figure).

#### Composition of Functions

For the following exercises, findandfor each pair of functions.

For the following exercises, findand the domain forfor each pair of functions.

For the following exercises, express each functionas a composition of two functionsandwhere

sample:

#### Transformation of Functions

For the following exercises, sketch a graph of the given function.

For the following exercises, sketch the graph of the functionif the graph of the functionis shown in (Figure).

For the following exercises, write the equation for the standard function represented by each of the graphs below.

For the following exercises, determine whether each function below is even, odd, or neither.

even

odd

For the following exercises, analyze the graph and determine whether the graphed function is even, odd, or neither.

even

#### Absolute Value Functions

For the following exercises, write an equation for the transformation of

For the following exercises, graph the absolute value function.

#### Inverse Functions

For the following exercises, findfor each function.

For the following exercise, find a domain on which the functionis one-to-one and non-decreasing. Write the domain in interval notation. Then find the inverse ofrestricted to that domain.

Given and

1. Find and
2. What does the answer tell us about the relationship between and

1. and
2. This tells us that and are inverse functions

For the following exercises, use a graphing utility to determine whether each function is one-to-one.

The function is one-to-one.

The function is not one-to-one.

If find

If find

### Practice Test

For the following exercises, determine whether each of the following relations is a function.

The relation is a function.

For the following exercises, evaluate the function
at the given input.

−16

Show that the functionis not one-to-one.

The graph is a parabola and the graph fails the horizontal line test.

Write the domain of the functionin interval notation.

Givenfindin simplest form.

Graph the function

Find the average rate of change of the functionby findingin simplest form.

For the following exercises, use the functionsto find the composite functions.

Expressas a composition of two functions,andwhere

For the following exercises, graph the functions by translating, stretching, and/or compressing a toolkit function.

For the following exercises, determine whether the functions are even, odd, or neither.

Graph the absolute value function

For the following exercises, find the inverse of the function.

For the following exercises, use the graph ofshown in (Figure).

On what intervals is the function increasing?

On what intervals is the function decreasing?

Approximate the local minimum of the function. Express the answer as an ordered pair.

Approximate the local maximum of the function. Express the answer as an ordered pair.

For the following exercises, use the graph of the piecewise function shown in (Figure).

Find

Find

Write an equation for the piecewise function.

For the following exercises, use the values listed in (Figure).

0 1
1 3
2 5
3 7
4 9
5 11
6 13
7 15
8 17

Find

Solve the equation

Is the graph increasing or decreasing on its domain?

Is the function represented by the graph one-to-one?

yes

Find

Givenfind