INVERSE FUNCTIONS; INVERSE

TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS
INVERSE FUNCTIONS
The idea of solving an equation y = f (x) for x as a function of y, say x =
g(y), is one of the most important ideas in mathematics.
For example, using basic algebra the equation
𝑦 = 𝑥 3 + 1; 𝑦 = 𝑓 𝑥
can be solved for x as a function of y
𝑥 = 3 𝑦 − 1; 𝑥 = 𝑔(𝑦)
The first equation is better for computing y if x is known, and the
second is better for computing x if y is known
 Inverse Function
If the functions f and g satisfy the two conditions
𝑔(𝑓 𝑥 ) = 𝑥 for every x in the domain of f
𝑓 (𝑔(𝑦)) = 𝑦 for every y in the domain of g
then we say that f is an inverse of g and g is an inverse of f or that f and g are
inverse functions
Example: If 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 + 1; 𝑦 = 𝑓 𝑥 find the inverse of f.
Sol: Given that 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 + 1
or, 𝑥 3 = 𝑦 − 1
or, 𝑥 = 3 𝑦 − 1
3
so, 𝑓 −1 𝑦 = 3 𝑦 − 1, or 𝑓 −1 𝑥 = 𝑥 − 1
 DOMAIN AND RANGE OF INVERSE FUNCTIONS
Relationships between the domains and ranges of 𝑓 and 𝑓 −1
domain of 𝑓 −1 = range of 𝑓
range of 𝑓 −1 = domain of 𝑓

Example
−1
4 Find a formula for the inverse of 𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 − 2 with x as the independent variable, and state the domain of
𝑓 .
Sol: Given that y = 𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 − 2
or, 𝑦 2 = 3𝑥 − 2
or, 3𝑥 = 𝑦 2 + 2
1
or, 𝑥 = 3 (𝑦 2 + 2)
1
so, 𝑓 −1 𝑦 = 3 (𝑦 2 + 2)
1
We can write the above equation as 𝑓 −1 𝑥 = 3 (𝑥 2 + 2)
We know that the domain of 𝑓 −1 is the range of f . In general, this need not be the same as the natural domain of the
formula for 𝑓 −1 . Indeed, in this example the natural domain of 𝑓 −1 is (−∝, +∝), whereas the range 𝑓 𝑥 = 1 3𝑥 − 2 is [0,
+∝). Thus, if we want to make the domain of f −1 clear, we must express it explicitly by rewriting 𝑓 −1 𝑥 = 3 (𝑥 2 + 2)
1
as 𝑓 −1 𝑥 = 3 (𝑥 2 + 2), x ≥ 0
 One-One Function
A function that assigns distinct outputs to distinct inputs is said to be one-to-one
or invertible.
If a function f has an inverse, then it must be one-to-one. The converse is also
true.
Algebraically, a function f is said one-to-one if and only if 𝑓(𝑥1) ≠ 𝑓(𝑥2)
whenever x1 ≠ x2; geometrically, a function f is said one-to-one if and only if the
graph of y = f (x) is cut at most once by any horizontal line
 EXISTENCE OF INVERSE FUNCTIONS

Theorem: A function has an inverse if and only if it is one-to-one

Theorem (The Horizontal Line Test): A function has an inverse function if and
only if its graph is cut at most once by any horizontal line.
Example5: Use the horizontal line test to show that 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 has no inverse
but that 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 3 does.
Sol: Figure 0.4.4 shows a horizontal line that cuts the graph of y = 𝑥 2 more than
once, so f (x) = 𝑥 2 is not invertible. Figure 0.4.5 shows that the graph of y = 𝑥 3 is
cut at most once by any horizontal line, so f (x) = 𝑥 3 is invertible
Example 6 Explain why the function f that is graphed in Fig. has an
inverse, and find 𝑓 −1 (3).

Solution. The function 𝑓 has an inverse since its graph passes the horizontal
line test. To evaluate 𝑓 −1 (3), we view 𝑓 −1 (3) as that number x for which
𝑓(𝑥) = 3. From the graph we see that 𝑓(2) = 3, so𝑓 −1 (3) = 2.
INCREASING OR DECREASING FUNCTIONS ARE INVERTIBLE
A function whose graph is always rising as it is traversed from left to right is
said to be an increasing function,
and
A function whose graph is always falling as it is traversed from left to right is
said to be a decreasing function.

If x1 and x2 are points in the domain of a function 𝑓 , then 𝑓 is increasing if

𝑓(𝑥1) < 𝑓(𝑥2) whenever 𝑥1 < 𝑥2
and 𝑓 is decreasing if
𝑓 𝑥1 > 𝑓(𝑥2) whenever 𝑥1 < 𝑥2
Geometrically the increasing and decreasing functions pass the horizontal line
test and hence are invertible.
Theorem If 𝑓 has an inverse, then the graphs of 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) and 𝑦 = 𝑓 −1 (𝑥) are
reflections of one another about the line y = x; that is, each graph is the mirror
image of the other with respect to that line y = x
 1
Sketch the graph of a) 𝑦 = 2𝑥, b) 𝑦 = 𝑥3, c) 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 + 2 and its inverse function.
3
Sol: a) Given that 𝑦 = 2𝑥 or 𝑥 = 𝑦/2,
so inverse of the given function is 𝑦 = 𝑓 −1 (𝑥) = 𝑥/2.
At first we plot the graph of y=2x, then plot symmetric graph of y=2x w.r.t y=x to get the
graph of inverse function is y = 𝑥/2
 3 1 2
Sketch the graph of a) 𝑦 = 𝑥 , b) 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 2 and its
3
inverse function.
 INVERSE TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS
A common problem in trigonometry is to find an angle x using a known
value of sin x, cos x, or some other trigonometric function.
The six basic trigonometric functions do not have inverses because their
graphs repeat periodically and hence do not pass the horizontal line test.
To circumvent this problem we will restrict the domains of the trigonometric
functions to produce one-to-one functions and then define the “inverse
trigonometric functions” to be the inverses of these restricted functions
Restrictions made for sin x, cos x, tan x, and sec x to find inverse of
these functions, graph of those restricted functions are shown bellow
 Inverse Functions
The inverse sine function, denoted by 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1 , is defined to be the
inverse of the restricted sine function sin x, −π/2 ≤ x ≤ π/2
The inverse cosine function, denoted by 𝑐𝑜𝑠 −1 , is defined to be the
inverse of the restricted cosine function cos x, 0 ≤ x ≤ π
The inverse tangent function, denoted by 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 , is defined to be the
inverse of the restricted tangent function tan x, −π/2 <x < π/2
The inverse secant function, denoted by 𝑠𝑒𝑐 −1 , is defined to be the
inverse of the restricted secant function sec x, 0 ≤ x ≤ π with 𝑥 ≠ 𝜋/2
 EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS
A function of the form 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑏 𝑥 , where b > 0, is called an exponential
function with base b. Some examples are
1 𝑥
𝑓 𝑥 = 2𝑥 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝜋𝑥
2
Exponential function has a constant base and variable exponent
Functions such as 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 and 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 𝜋 would not be classified as
exponential functions, since they have a variable base and a constant
exponent
The graph of 𝒚 = 𝒃𝒙 has the following properties:
• The graph passes through (0, 1) because 𝑏 0 = 1.
• If b > 1, the value of 𝑏 𝑥 increases as x increases. As you traverse the graph
of 𝑦 = 𝑏 𝑥 from left to right, the values of 𝑏 𝑥 increase indefinitely. If you
traverse the graph from right to left, the values of bx decrease toward zero
but never reach zero. Thus, the x-axis is a horizontal asymptote of the graph
of 𝑏 𝑥 .
• If 0 <b< 1, the value of 𝑏 𝑥 decreases as x increases. As you traverse the
graph of 𝑦 = 𝑏 𝑥 from left to right, the values of 𝑏 𝑥 decrease toward zero but
never reach zero. Thus, the x-axis is a horizontal asymptote of the graph of
𝑏 𝑥 . If you traverse the graph from right to left, the values of 𝑏 𝑥 increase
indefinitely.
• If b = 1, then the value of bx is constant.
Some typical members of the family of exponential functions are sketched in Fig.

The figure says that for b > 1, the larger the base b, the 1 𝑥
This figure illustrates that the graph of y= is the reflection
more rapidly the function 𝑦 = 𝑏 𝑥 increases for x > 0 𝑏
of the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑏 𝑥 about the y-axis
HW: Example 1
 THE NATURAL EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION
The function 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑒 𝑥 is called the natural exponential function.
value to six decimal places of 𝑒 is e ≈ 2.718282

This base is important in calculus because, b = e is the only base for which the slope of the tangent line to the
curve y = 𝑏 𝑥 at any point P on the curve is equal to the y-coordinate at P.

For example, the tangent line to y = 𝑒 𝑥 at (0, 1) has slope 1

 LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS
Logarithm is an exponent. More precisely, if b > 0 and 𝑏 ≠ 1, then for a
positive value of x the expression
log 𝑏 𝑥 (read “the logarithm to the base b of x”) denotes that exponent
to which b must be raised to produce x.

For example:
log10 100 = 2, 102 = 100
log 2 16 = 4, 24 = 16
log 𝑏 1 = 0, 𝑏0 = 1
log 𝑏 𝑏 =1, 𝑏1 = 𝑏
1 1 1
log10 =-3, 10−3 = =
1000 103 1000
Relation between Logarithmic functions & exponential functions
Logarithmic functions can also be viewed as inverses of exponential
functions
The graph of 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑏 𝑥 passes the horizontal line test, so 𝑏 𝑥 has an
inverse.
If y = 𝑏 𝑥 then log 𝑏 𝑦 = log 𝑏 𝑏 𝑥 = 𝑥 𝑜𝑟 𝑥 = log 𝑏 𝑦 that is y = 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑏 𝑥
Therefore y = log 𝑏 𝑥 is the inverse of y = 𝑏 𝑥
Theorem: If b > 0 and 𝑏 ≠ 1, then 𝑏 𝑥 and log 𝑏 𝑥 are inverse functions
Since y = 𝑏 𝑥 and y = log 𝑏 𝑥 inverse of each other, so the graphs of y = 𝑏 𝑥 and y = log 𝑏 𝑥 are
reflections of one another about the line y = x
The family y = log 𝑏 𝑥 (b > 1)
Example
 Solving logarithm equation
An equation of the form log 𝑏 𝑥 = k can be solved for x by rewriting it in
the exponential form x = 𝑏 𝑘 , and an equation of the form 𝑏 𝑥 = k can be
solved by rewriting it in the logarithm form x = log 𝑏 𝑘 . Alternatively,
the equation 𝑏 𝑥 = k can be solved by taking any logarithm of both sides
H.W: Example: 3, 4
 CHANGE OF BASE FORMULA FOR LOGARITHMS

Scientific calculators generally have no keys for evaluating logarithms

with bases other than 10 or e.
For example, the following formula expresses a logarithm with base b
in terms of natural logarithms:
𝐥𝐧𝒙
𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝒃 𝒙 =
𝐥𝐧𝒃
Example
 EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC GROWTH
Both functions 𝑒 𝑥 and ln𝑥 increase as x increases, but they increase in
dramatically different ways—the value of 𝑒 𝑥 increases extremely
rapidly and that of ln𝑥 increases extremely slowly which are shown in
the following table
 Logarithmic Scales in Science and Engineering
Logarithms are used in science and engineering to deal with quantities whose
units vary over an excessively wide range of values. For example, the
“loudness” of a sound can be measured by its intensity I (in watts per square
meter), which is related to the energy transmitted by the sound wave—the
greater the intensity, the greater the transmitted energy, and the louder the
sound is perceived by the human ear. For example, a sound at the threshold
of human hearing has an intensity of about 10−12 W/m2 , a close whisper has
an intensity that is about 100 times the hearing threshold, and a jet engine at
50 meters has an intensity that is about 10,000,000,000,000 = 1013 times the
hearing threshold.
To see how logarithms can be used to reduce this wide spread, observe that if
y = log x
then increasing x by a factor of 10 adds 1 unit to y since
log 10x = log 10 + log x = 1 + y.
Here we have multiplied x (input) by 10, but out put is increased only 1.
 Use of Log
Physicists and engineers take advantage the properties of log by measuring
loudness in terms of the sound level β, which is defined by
𝛽 = 10log(𝐼/𝐼0 )
where 𝐼0 = 10−12 W/m2 is a reference intensity close to the threshold of
human hearing.
Space Shuttle
A space shuttle taking off generates a sound level of 150 dB near the launchpad. A
person exposed to this level of sound would experience severe physical injury. By
comparison, a car horn at one meter has a sound level of 110 dB, near the threshold of
pain for many people. What is the ratio of sound intensity of a space shuttle takeoff to
that of a car horn?
Sol: Let 𝐼1 and β1 (=150 dB) denote the sound intensity and sound level of the space
shuttle and
let 𝐼2 and β2 (=110 dB) denote the sound intensity and sound level of a car horn. Then
𝐼1 /𝐼2 = (𝐼1 /𝐼0 )/(𝐼2 /𝐼0 )
or, log 𝐼1 /𝐼2 = 𝑙𝑜𝑔 (𝐼1 /𝐼0 )/(𝐼2 /𝐼0 ) = 𝑙𝑜𝑔(𝐼1 /𝐼0 ) − 𝑙𝑜𝑔(𝐼2 /𝐼0 )
or, 10𝑙𝑜𝑔(𝐼1 /𝐼2 )=10𝑙𝑜𝑔(𝐼1 /𝐼0 ) − 10𝑙𝑜𝑔(𝐼2 /𝐼0 )= β1 − β2 = 150 − 110 = 40
or, 10𝑙𝑜𝑔(𝐼1 /𝐼2 )=40
or, 𝑙𝑜𝑔(𝐼1 /𝐼2 )=4
or, 𝐼1 /𝐼2 =104
So, 𝐼1 /𝐼2 = 104 = 10,000, which tells the sound intensity of the space shuttle taking
off is 10,000 times greater than a car horn!