Definition: Inverse Function

An inverse function of 𝑓 𝑥 is a function (denoted by 𝑓 −1 (𝑥) ) that has the property 𝑓 𝑓 −1 𝑥 = 𝑓 −1 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 for all 𝑥 in the
domain of 𝑓 (or 𝑓 −1 depending)

Important Note: We need 𝑓 −1 to be a function. Thus, we may need to give a restriction on the domain of 𝑓 to allow for 𝑓 −1 to
be a function.

Example 1:
1
Are 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 and 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 inverses of each other?

Solution:
We can check:
1
𝑓 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 ≠ 𝑥 thus these functions are not inverses.
 Examples: Inverse Function
Example 2:
1
Are 𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 and 𝑔 𝑥 = 3 𝑥 inverses of each other?
Solution:
1
We can check: 𝑓 𝑔 𝑥 =3 𝑥 =𝑥
3
1
𝑔 𝑓 𝑥 = 3 3𝑥 = 𝑥
Thus, these functions are inverses of each other.

Example 3:
Are 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 and 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 inverses of each other?
Solution:
We may think these are inverses, but if we check: 𝑔 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥2
We note that if 𝑥 = −1 we get:
𝑔 𝑓 𝑥 = −1 2

= 1 ≠ −1 = 𝑥
Thus, we do not have all values of 𝑥 work for this inverse (positive numbers would work, but negative numbers would not). If we
restrict the domain of 𝑔(𝑥) to be 0, ∞ then we would have these two functions as inverses.
 Strategy: Finding Inverses Graphically by switching coordinates
How To Use it: When To Use it: Why this works?
1) Select key points (𝑥, 𝑦) on the original graph (vertex, When finding the inverse of When finding an inverse function of 𝑓(𝑥), we
intercepts, endpoints, etc..) a function when given a want to find a function 𝑔(𝑥) such that
2) Switch the coordinates of the points to become (𝑦, 𝑥) graph (alternatively if you 𝑔 𝑓 𝑥 =𝑥
3) Plot the new points to construct the graphical are given an equation, you
representation of the inverse. can graph the function and This means that if we have a point on 𝑓 called
4) If the questions requests for an inverse function, then find the inverse graph as 𝑥, 𝑓 𝑥 then this point will appear in 𝑔 as
restrict the domain of the original that will allow the well). 𝑓 𝑥 , 𝑥 which simply switches the
inverse graph to be a function (pass the vertical line test). coordinates.

Example 4:
How can we look at a graph and know that its inverse will be a function?

Solution:
If the function passes the horizontal line test, then its inverse will be a function (as a horizontal line in the original function will
represent a vertical line in the inverse when we switch 𝑥 and 𝑦).
 Examples: Finding Inverses Graphically
Example 5:
Determine the graphical representation of the inverse of 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 . Is it a function? If it is not a function, explain how you can
restrict the domain of 𝑓(𝑥) to make the inverse a function.

Solution:
Graphing the function gives: When choosing key points, and switching the coordinates, it gives us the graph:

Since it does not pass the vertical line test, this inverse is not a function.
If we restrict the domain of the original to be [0, ∞) or (−∞, 0], we will have
that the inverse will be a function.
 Definition: Inverse Trigonometric Function
We define 𝐴𝑟𝑐𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑟 , 𝐴𝑟𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝑟), and 𝐴𝑟𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛(𝑟) to be the inverse functions of 𝑆𝑖𝑛 𝜃 , 𝐶𝑜𝑠 𝜃 , and 𝑇𝑎𝑛(𝜃). Since we require
these new relations to be functions, it imposes a domain restriction on the original function. What piece of the function will pass
the “horizontal line test”?

𝑟 = sin 𝜃

𝝅 𝝅
∴ 𝑨𝒓𝒄𝒔𝒊𝒏(𝒓) enforces a hidden domain restriction of − 𝟐 ≤ 𝜽 ≤ 𝟐 .

This gives us the following graph for 𝜃 = 𝐴𝑟𝑐𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝑟):

 Definition: Inverse Trigonometric Function

𝑟 = cos 𝜃

∴ 𝑨𝒓𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒔(𝒓) enforces a hidden domain restriction of 𝟎 ≤ 𝜽 ≤ 𝝅

This gives us the following graph for 𝜃 = 𝐴𝑟𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝑟):

 Definition: Inverse Trigonometric Function

𝑟 = tan 𝜃 𝝅 𝝅
∴ 𝑨𝒓𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒏(𝒓) enforces a hidden domain restriction of − 𝟐 < 𝜽 < 𝟐

This gives us the following graph for 𝜃 = 𝐴𝑟𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛(𝑟):

 Examples: Inverse Trigonometric Functions
Example 6:
2
Simplify the following tan arcsin
2

Solution:
2
To solve this, we work on the inner function first: Let 𝜃 = arcsin
2
𝜋 𝜋
Since we are using an inverse trig function, we have a hidden domain restriction of − ≤ 𝜃 ≤ (the arcsin restriction).
2 2
2 2
Thus applying sin to both sides yields sin 𝜃 = sin arcsin 2
which simplifies to sin 𝜃 = 2
= 𝑦. Looking to the unit circle, we get:

𝜋 3𝜋
This gives us 𝜃 = . (We cannot select 𝜃 = as it is outside of the hidden domain restriction).
4 4
We simplify our result to get:
2
tan arcsin 2
= tan 𝜃
𝜋
= tan 4
𝑦
=𝑥
2 2
= ÷
2 2
=1
 Examples: Inverse Trigonometric Functions
Example 7:
Simplify the following arccos cos −2𝜋

Solution:
This question is actually very misleading. One would think we can simply cancel the cos and the arccos, but −2𝜋 is not in our domain
restriction for cos (which is 0 ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 𝜋). Thus we solve this more carefully:

We first note that we have a negative argument for cos, but cos repeats itself every 2𝜋 which means we can add 2𝜋 to the argument to
get a simpler answer (and/or to use the unit circle). This means we get:
arccos cos −2𝜋 = arccos cos 0
= arccos(1)

Let 𝜃 = arccos(1) then cos 𝜃 = 1 = 𝑥. Here we can use the unit circle to solve the question:
This gives us our result of 𝜃 = 0 thus our solution is arccos cos −2𝜋 = arccos 1 = 0.

Note: We could have gotten there a bit faster by understanding that once we adjusted
the argument to become 0, since this is in the domain restriction imposed by
arccos (0 ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 𝜋) we can conclude that arccos cos 0 = 0 (i.e they cancel).
Strategy: Finding Inverses Algebraically by switching coordinates
How To Use it: When To Use it: Why this works?
1) Rewrite 𝑓(𝑥) as 𝑦. When you want to When finding an inverse function of 𝑓(𝑥), we want to
2) Switch 𝑥 for 𝑦 (and vice versa) in the equation. find the inverse find a function 𝑔(𝑥) such that 𝑔 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥
3) Solve for 𝑦. function given an
4) Replace 𝑦 with 𝑓 −1 (𝑥) equation. This means that if we have a point on 𝑓 called 𝑥, 𝑓 𝑥
5) If the relation is not a function, impose a domain then this point will appear in 𝑔 as 𝑓 𝑥 , 𝑥 which simply
restriction on the original function (not the inverse switches the coordinates.
function) so that the inverse will be a function.
Relations that are not functions usually are things The remainder is simply solving for the output (as
that include ±√ . functions are written in the form 𝑓 𝑥 = ⋯
Example 8:
3𝑥+2
Determine the inverse function of the following: 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥−1
Solution:
3𝑥+2 𝑥+2
1) 𝑦 = 𝑦 = 𝑥−3
𝑥−1
3𝑦+2 𝑥+2
2) 𝑥 = 4) ∴ 𝑓 −1 𝑥 = 𝑥−3
𝑦−1
5) Since the inverse is a function (it does not have any ± ) we do not
3) 𝑥 𝑦 − 1 = 3𝑦 + 2
need to impose a restriction on the domain.
𝑥𝑦 − 𝑥 = 3𝑦 + 2
𝑥𝑦 − 3𝑦 = 𝑥 + 2
𝑦 𝑥−3 = 𝑥+2
 Examples: Finding Inverses Algebraically
Example 9:
Determine the inverse function of the following: 𝑓 𝑥 = 2𝑥 2 + 8𝑥 − 4

Solution:
1) 𝑦 = 2𝑥 2 + 8𝑥 − 4 5) Since this is not a function (as it has
2) 𝑥 = 2𝑦 2 + 8𝑦 − 4 ±), we must restrict the domain of the
3) 𝑥 = 2(𝑦 2 + 4𝑦) − 4 original function. We note that if we
complete the square on the original,
(Completing the square, 4 ÷ 2 then square gives +4)
we get: 𝑦 = 2 𝑥 + 2 2 − 12. This is a
𝑥 = 2(𝑦 2 + 4𝑦 + 4 − 4) − 4 parabola opening up with a vertex at
𝑥 = 2(𝑦 2 + 4𝑦 + 4) − 12 (−2,12):
𝑥 = 2 𝑦 + 2 2 − 12
𝑥 + 12 = 2 𝑦 + 2 2 ∴ If we restrict the domain of 𝑓(𝑥) to
𝑥+12 (−∞, −2] we will get the inverse
2
= 𝑦+2
2 𝑥+12
function to be 𝑓 −1 𝑥 = − − 2
2
𝑥+12
± =𝑦+2
2
Or we can restrict the domain of 𝑓(𝑥) to
𝑥+12
± − 2=𝑦 [−2, ∞) to get the inverse function to
2
𝑥+12
𝑥+12
be 𝑓 −1 𝑥 = −2
2
4) ∴𝑦=± 2
− 2
 Strategy: Finding Range using Inverse Functions
How To Use it: When To Use it: Why this works?
To find the range of a function 𝑓(𝑥), you can: When you want to Finding an inverse function means to switch the
1) Find the inverse function 𝑓 −1 (𝑥) find the range of a input (x) and the output (y). This means that it
2) Identify the domain of 𝑓 −1 (𝑥), as this will be function and the switches the domain and range. Since finding the
the range of 𝑓 𝑥 . inverse function can domain of a function is a lot easier to spot, finding
be found. the inverse can help find the range.

Example 10:
3𝑥+2
Determine the domain and range of the following: 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥−1

Solution:
We note that the domain is easy to spot, as we simply cannot have any divisions by 0. In this case, we see that 𝑥 ≠ 1 which
means that the domain is 𝐷 = −∞, 1 ∪ 1, ∞ .

To find the range, we can simply find the inverse function rather than graphing the function. We note this was our previous
𝑥+2
example, so the inverse function we found earlier was: ∴ 𝑓 −1 𝑥 = .
𝑥−3

The domain of the inverse function is easy to calculate as we cannot divide by 0 which means that 𝑥 ≠ 3. This means the domain
of the inverse is 𝐷 = (−∞, 3) ∪ 3, ∞ which is also equal to the range of the original function.