Inverses

By: Jeffrey Bivin

Lake Zurich High School

jeff.bivin@lz95.org

Last Updated: November 17, 2005
Definition
Inverse Relation A relation obtained by
switching the coordinates of each
ordered pair.

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
INVERSE RELATIONS
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
Relation { (1, 4), (4, 6), (-3, 2), (-4, -2), (-1,5), (0, 1) }
Inverse { (4, 1), (6, 4), (2, -3), (-2, -4), (5, -1), (1, 0) }
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
Inverse {(-6,-4), (4,1), (6, 2), (0,-1), (3,-4), (-2,4)}
Relation {(-4,-6), (1,4), (2, 6), (-1,0), (-4,3), (4,-2)}
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
f(x)= x
2

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
f(x)= x
2

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
G(x)
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
G(x)
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
G(x)
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
G(x)
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
f(x)= x
3

Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
Find the inverse
2 3 ) ( + = x x f
2 3 + = y x
y x 3 2 =
y
x
=

3
2
( )
3
2
1

=

x
x f
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
Find the inverse
2
) ( x x f =
2
y x =
y x =
( ) x x f inv =
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
Find the inverse
5 ) (
2
+ = x x f
5
2
+ = y x
2
5 y x =
( ) 5 = x x f inv
y x = 5
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
Inverse functions
Two functions, f(x) and g(x), are
inverses of each other if and only if:
f(g(x)) = x
and
g(f(x)) = x
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
Are these functions inverses?
3 5 ) ( = x x f
5
3
) (
+
=
x
x g
x x
x x
f x g f = + =
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
|
.
|

\
|
+
= 3 3 3
5
3
5
5
3
)) ( (
x
x x
x g x f g = =
+
= =
5
5
5
3 ) 3 5 (
) 3 5 ( )) ( (
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS
Are these functions inverses?
2
) ( x x f =
x x g = ) (
( ) ( ) x x x f x g f = = =
2
)) ( (
| | ) ( )) ( (
2 2
x x x g x f g = = =
Jeff Bivin -- LZHS