GENERAL MATHEMATICS
Learning Competency
Represent an Inverse Function Through its: (a) table of values, and (b) graph
Name: _____________________ Score: _______ Section: _________ Date:
Key Concepts: ___________________
Inverse function
is function that “reverses another function,if the function f(x) is applied to an input x gives a
result of y, then applying its inverse function g(x) to y gives the result x, and vice versa.
If a point (x,y) lies on function f then point (y,x) lies on the inverse of function f .
The inverse of f is denoted by f-1(x).
Steps to determine the inverse of a function
1. Substitute y for f(x).
2. Interchange x and y.
3. Solve for y in terms of x.
4. Substitute f-1(x) for y.
Example 1.
Find the inverse of: f(x) = 5x - 2 Example 2.
Find the inverse of: f (x) = 4x + 6
Solution : Solution:
f(x) = 5x - 2 Begin by substituting y for f (x).
y = 5x - 2 Substitute y for f(x).
y = 4x + 6
x = 5y - 2 Interchange x and y. Interchanging x and y yields
5y = x + 2 Solve for y in terms of x. x = 4y + 6
Solve for y,
4y = x - 6
x2 y = 1/4 x - 3/2
y= 5
x2 The inverse notation,
f -1 (x) = 1/4 x - 3/2
f-1(x) = 5 Substitute f-1(x) for y.
Example 3.
Find the inverse of the function: g ( x ) = 3x / ( x + 2 ).
Solution: y = 3x / ( x + 2 )
x = 3y / (y + 2 )
xy + 2x = 3y
3y - xy = 2x
y ( 3 - x ) = 2x
y = 2x / ( 3 - x ) g -1 ( x ) = 2x / ( 3 - x )
Generalization
After knowing how to determine the inverse of a function, it is very important to remember that a
function has an inverse if and only if it is one-to-one.
The inverse of f-1 (x) = f(x)
f (f-1(x)) = x for all x in the domain of f-1.
f-1( f (x)) = x for all x in the domain of f.
1
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY
INVERSE FUNCTION CODE PUZZLE
“How do you make the number 7 an even number without addition, subtraction, multiplication
or division?”
Direction:
1. For each function, find the inverse function (A to T) below.
2. To decode the answer to the riddle, match each question number to the corresponding
letter in the answer code.
8 2 5 6 4 9 3 1 3 4 4 3 2 7
1. y = 2 – x 6. y = 9 x
x8 1
2. y = 12 7. y = 2 x
3. y=x
4. y= x 1 8. y = 6x
3
5. y= x 1 9. y =
3
2x 1
ANSWER CODE
4
A. y= x B. y = x 3
x
C. y = 2x 2 D. y= 6
E. y = x F. y = - 2x - 12
G. y = x + 7 H. y = x3 - 1
2
I. y = 10 - 3x J. y = 3x
x4
K. y = 3 L. y = 2 - x
x 1
1
M. y = 5 N. y = x
3
1
O. y = x P. y = 9 - x 2
5
Q. y = x/2 R. y = 12x - 8
1
S. y = 2 x T. y = x 2
A. Verify that two functions are inverse functions algebraically. Are f and g inverse functions?
f (x) g2 (x) Yes or No
x4 4
1. 2 x 1 2x
2. - x 3 - 3 4
B. Use a table to decide if a function has an inverse function.
Consider a function with the following table of values.
1. x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
f(x) 5 4 1.5 2 1 3 4
________
2. x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
f(x) -4 -4 1.5 3 1 4 -4
________
3. x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
f(x) 6 3 1.5 2 1 3 4
________
4. x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
f(x) -4 -3 1 7 1 3 4
_________
5. x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
f(x) 6 -4 1.5 3 1 4 -4
C. Use the horizontal line test to determine if the following graphs have inverse
_________
function.
Function Yes or No
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
3
4
