Digital Lesson

One-to-one and Inverse

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.
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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.
Example: The function
y = x2 4x + 7 is not one-to-one
on the real numbers because the
line y = 7 intersects the graph at
both (0, 7) and (4, 7).

y
(4, 7)

(0, 7)

y=7
2
2

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Example: Apply the horizontal line test to the graphs

below to determine if the functions are one-to-one.
b) y = x3 + 3x2 x 1

a) y = x3

-4

4
4

one-to-one

-4

not one-to-one

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Every function y = f (x) has an inverse relation x = f (y).

Function y = |x| + 1
y
x
2
3
1
2
0
1
-1
-2
Domain
Range

Inverse relation x = |y| + 1

y
x
2
3
1
2
0
1
-1
-2
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.
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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.
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The graphs of a relation and its inverse are reflections

in the line y = x.
Example: Find the graph of the inverse relation
3
(
x
2)
geometrically from the graph of f (x) =
4
y

The ordered pairs of f are 3

( x 2)
given by the equation y
.
4
The ordered pairs of the inverse are
3
(
y
2) .
given by x
4

y=x

-2

( y 2)
x
4
3

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2
-2

( x 3 2)
y
4
7

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=
3

Solve for y.

To calculate a value for the inverse of f, subtract 2, then

divide by 3.
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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).

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Example: From the graph of the function y = f (x),

determine if the inverse relation is a function and, if it
is, sketch its graph.
The graph of f passes
the horizontal line test.

y y = f -1(x)
y=x
y = f(x)
x

The inverse
relation is a function.
Reflect the graph of f in the line y = x to produce the
graph of f -1.
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10

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.

f ( f(x)) = x = x and f ( f -1(x)) = ( 3 x )3 = x.

-1

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11

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
x 1
f(g(x)) = 2g(x) 1 = 2(
) 1 = (x + 1) 1 = x
2

It follows that g = f -1.

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