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7.4 Inverse Functions

What you should learn GOAL 1 FINDING INVERSES OF LINEAR FUNCTIONS
GOAL 1 Find inverses of
linear functions. In Lesson 2.1 you learned that a relation is a mapping of input values onto output
GOAL 2 Find inverses of
values. An inverse relation maps the output values back to their original input
nonlinear functions, as values. This means that the domain of the inverse relation is the range of the original
applied in Example 6. relation and that the range of the inverse relation is the domain of the original relation.
Original relation Inverse relation
Why you should learn it
x º2 º1 0 1 2 x 4 2 0 º2 º4
 To solve real-life
problems, such as finding y 4 2 0 º2 º4 y º2 º1 0 1 2
your bowling average
in Ex. 59. AL LI
The graph of an inverse relation is the reflection of the graph of the original relation.
FE
RE

The line of reflection is y = x.

Graph of original relation Reflection in y = x Graph of inverse relation
y y y

1 1
1 x x 1 x

To find the inverse of a relation that is given by an equation in x and y, switch the
roles of x and y and solve for y (if possible).

EXAMPLE 1 Finding an Inverse Relation

Find an equation for the inverse of the relation y = 2x º 4.

STUDENT HELP SOLUTION

Look Back y = 2x º 4 Write original relation.
For help with solving x = 2y º 4 Switch x and y.
equations for y, see p. 26.
x + 4 = 2y Add 4 to each side.
1
x + 2 = y Divide each side by 2.
2
1
 The inverse relation is y = x + 2.
2
..........

In Example 1 both the original relation and the inverse relation happen to be
functions. In such cases the two functions are called inverse functions.

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INVERSE FUNCTIONS
STUDENT HELP

Study Tip Functions ƒ and g are inverses of each other provided:

The notation for an
ƒ(g(x)) = x and g(ƒ(x)) = x
inverse function, ļ1,
looks like a negative The function g is denoted by ƒº1, read as “ƒ inverse.”
exponent, but it should
not be interpreted that
way. In other words,
1 Given any function, you can always find its inverse relation by switching x and y. For
ƒ º1(x) ≠ ( ƒ(x))º1 = 
ƒ(x)
.
a linear function ƒ(x) = mx + b where m ≠ 0, the inverse is itself a linear function.

EXAMPLE 2 Verifying Inverse Functions

1
Verify that ƒ(x) = 2x º 4 and ƒº1(x) = x + 2 are inverses.
2
SOLUTION Show that ƒ(ƒº1(x)) = x and ƒº1(ƒ(x)) = x.


1
ƒ(ƒº1(x)) = ƒ x + 2
2
 ƒº1(ƒ(x)) = ƒº1(2x º 4)


1

= 2 x + 2 º 4
2
1
= (2x º 4) + 2
2
=x+4º4 =xº2+2
=x✓ =x✓

L
AL I EXAMPLE 3 Writing an Inverse Model
FE
RE

Science When calibrating a spring scale, you need to know how far spring with
the spring stretches based on given weights. Hooke’s law unweighted weight
spring attached
states that the length a spring stretches is proportional to
the weight attached to the spring. A model for one scale
3
is ¬ = 0.5w + 3 where ¬ is the total length (in inches) of
the spring and w is the weight (in pounds) of the object. l
0.5w
a. Find the inverse model for the scale.
b. If you place a melon on the scale and the spring
stretches to a total length of 5.5 inches, how much
does the melon weigh?
Not drawn to scale
SOLUTION
STUDENT HELP
a. ¬ = 0.5w + 3 Write original model.
Study Tip
Notice that you do not ¬ º 3 = 0.5w Subtract 3 from each side.
switch the variables ¼3
when you are finding  = w Divide each side by 0.5.
0.5
inverses for models. This
would be confusing 2¬ º 6 = w Simplify.
because the letters are
chosen to remind you of b. To find the weight of the melon, substitute 5.5 for ¬.
the real-life quantities w = 2¬ º 6 = 2(5.5) º 6 = 11 º 6 = 5
they represent.
 The melon weighs 5 pounds.

7.4 Inverse Functions 423

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GOAL 2 FINDING INVERSES OF NONLINEAR FUNCTIONS

The graphs of the power functions ƒ(x) = x2 and g(x) = x3 are shown below along
with their reflections in the line y = x. Notice that the inverse of g(x) = x3 is a
function, but that the inverse of ƒ(x) = x2 is not a function.

STUDENT HELP y y
g (x)  x 3
Look Back 3
For help with recognizing ƒ (x)  x 2 2 g 1(x)  x
1
when a relationship is a
function, see p. 70. 2 x 1 x

x  y2

If the domain of ƒ(x) = x2 is restricted, say to only nonnegative real numbers, then
the inverse of ƒ is a function.

EXAMPLE 4 Finding an Inverse Power Function

Find the inverse of the function ƒ(x) = x2, x ≥ 0.

SOLUTION
ƒ(x) = x2 Write original function.
2
y=x Replace ƒ(x) with y.

x = y2 Switch x and y.


x =y Take square roots of each side.
Because the domain of ƒ is restricted to nonnegative values, y
the inverse function is ƒº1(x) = x . (You would choose ƒ(x)  x 2
x≥0
ƒº1(x) = ºx if the domain had been restricted to x ≤ 0.)
✓CHECK To check your work, graph ƒ and ƒº1 as shown.
1 ƒ 1(x)  x
Note that the graph of ļ1(x) = x is the reflection of
x
the graph of ƒ(x) = x2, x ≥ 0 in the line y = x. 1

..........

In the graphs at the top of the page, notice that the graph of ƒ(x) = x2 can be
intersected twice with a horizontal line and that its inverse is not a function. On the
other hand, the graph of g(x) = x3 cannot be intersected twice with a horizontal line
and its inverse is a function. This observation suggests the horizontal line test.

H O R I Z O N TA L L I N E T E S T

If no horizontal line intersects the graph of a function ƒ more than once, then the
inverse of ƒ is itself a function.

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EXAMPLE 5 Finding an Inverse Function

1
Consider the function ƒ(x) = x3 º 2. Determine whether the inverse of ƒ is a
2
function. Then find the inverse.

SOLUTION
Begin by graphing the function and noticing that no y
horizontal line intersects the graph more than once. This 1
tells you that the inverse of ƒ is itself a function. To find
1 x
an equation for ļ1, complete the following steps.
1
ƒ(x) = x3 º 2 Write original function.
2
1
y = x3 º 2 Replace ƒ(x) with y.
2
1
x = y3 º 2 Switch x and y.
2
1
x + 2 = y3 Add 2 to each side.
2
2x + 4 = y3 Multiply each side by 2.
3
2x+
4 =y Take cube root of each side.

 3
The inverse function is ļ1(x) = 2x+
.
4

EXAMPLE 6 Writing an Inverse Model

ASTRONOMY Near the end of a star’s life the star will eject gas, forming a
planetary nebula. The Ring Nebula is an example of a planetary nebula. The volume
V (in cubic kilometers) of this nebula can be modeled by V = (9.01 ª 10 26)t 3 where
t is the age (in years) of the nebula. Write the inverse model that gives the age of the
nebula as a function of its volume. Then determine the approximate age of the Ring
FOCUS ON Nebula given that its volume is about 1.5 ª 1038 cubic kilometers.
APPLICATIONS

SOLUTION
V = (9.01 ª 1026)t3 Write original model.
V
 = t3 Isolate power.
9.01 ª 1026


3
V
 = t
9.01 ª 10 26
Take cube root of each side.

L
AL I
ASTRONOMY
(1.04 ª 10º9)3 
V =t Simplify.
FE
RE

The Ring Nebula is To find the age of the nebula, substitute 1.5 ª 1038 for V.
part of the constellation Lyra. 3
The radius of the nebula is t = (1.04 ª 10º9)
V Write inverse model.
expanding at an average rate
= (1.04 ª 10º9)1.5
 ª1038

3
of about 5.99 108 kilometers Substitute for V.
per year.
NE
ER T ≈ 5500 Use a calculator.
INT

APPLICATION LINK
www.mcdougallittell.com  The Ring Nebula is about 5500 years old.

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GUIDED PRACTICE
Vocabulary Check ✓ 1. Explain how to use the horizontal line test to determine if an inverse relation is
an inverse function.
Concept Check ✓ 2. Describe how the graph of a relation and the graph of its inverse are related.
3. Explain the steps in finding an equation for an inverse function.

Skill Check ✓ Find the inverse relation.

4. x 1 2 3 4 5 5. x º4 º2 0 2 4
y º1 º2 º3 º4 º5 y 2 1 0 1 2

Find an equation for the inverse relation.

2
6. y = 5x 7. y = 2x º 1 8. y = ºx + 6
3
Verify that ƒ and g are inverse functions.
x1/3 1 1
9. ƒ(x) = 8x3, g(x) =  10. ƒ(x) = 6x + 3, g(x) = x º 
2 6 2
Find the inverse function.
y
11. ƒ(x) = 3x4, x ≥ 0 12. ƒ(x) = 2x3 + 1
3x
13. The graph of ƒ(x) = º|x| + 1 is shown. Is the inverse of 1
ƒ a function? Explain.
Ex. 13

PRACTICE AND APPLICATIONS

STUDENT HELP INVERSE RELATIONS Find the inverse relation.
Extra Practice
to help you master 14. x 1 4 1 0 1 15. x 1 º2 4 2 º2
skills is on p. 949. y 3 º1 6 º3 9 y 0 3 º2 2 º1

FINDING INVERSES Find an equation for the inverse relation.

1
16. y = º2x + 5 17. y = 3x º 3 18. y = x + 6
2
4
19. y = ºx + 11 20. y = 11x º 5 21. y = º12x + 7
5
1 3 5
22. y = 3x º  23. y = 8x º 13 24. y = ºx + 
4 7 7

STUDENT HELP
VERIFYING INVERSES Verify that ƒ and g are inverse functions.
1 1
HOMEWORK HELP 25. ƒ(x) = x + 7, g(x) = x º 7 26. ƒ(x) = 3x º 1, g(x) = x + 
3 3
Example 1: Exs. 14–24
1 1
Example 2: Exs. 25–32 27. ƒ(x) = x + 1, g(x) = 2x º 2 28. ƒ(x) = º2x + 4, g(x) = ºx + 2
Example 3: Exs. 57–59 2 2
Example 4:
Example 5:
Exs. 33–41
Exs. 42–56 29. ƒ(x) = 3x3 + 1, g(x) = 
3  
x  1 1/3 1
30. ƒ(x) =  x2, x ≥ 0; g(x) = (3x)1/2
3
Example 6: Exs. 60–62 4
x5 + 2 5 x
31. ƒ(x) = , g(x) = 7xº
2 32. ƒ(x) = 256x4, x ≥ 0; g(x) = 
7 4

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VISUAL THINKING Match the graph with the graph of its inverse.
33. y 34. 35. y
3

1 1
1 x 1 x 1 x

A. y B. y C. y

1 1 1
1 x 1 x 3x

INVERSES OF POWER FUNCTIONS Find the inverse power function.

36. ƒ(x) = x7 37. ƒ(x) = ºx6, x ≥ 0 38. ƒ(x) = 3x4, x ≤ 0
1 9
39. ƒ(x) = x5 40. ƒ(x) = 10x3 41. ƒ(x) = ºx2, x ≤ 0
32 4
INVERSES OF NONLINEAR FUNCTIONS Find the inverse function.
1
42. ƒ(x) = x3 + 2 43. ƒ(x) = º2x 5 +  44. ƒ(x) = 2 º 2x2, x ≤ 0
3
3 1 1 2
45. ƒ(x) = x3 º 9 4
46. ƒ(x) = x º , x ≥ 0 47. ƒ(x) = x5 + 
5 2 6 3
HORIZONTAL LINE TEST Graph the function ƒ. Then use the graph to
determine whether the inverse of ƒ is a function.
FOCUS ON
CAREERS 48. ƒ(x) = º2x + 3 49. ƒ(x) = x + 3 50. ƒ(x) = x2 + 1
51. ƒ(x) = º3x2 52. ƒ(x) = x3 + 3 53. ƒ(x) = 2x3

54. ƒ(x) = |x| + 2 55. ƒ(x) = (x + 1)(x º 3) 56. ƒ(x) = 6x4 º 9x + 1

57. EXCHANGE RATE The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports
international exchange rates at 12:00 noon each day. On January 20, 1999,
the exchange rate for Canada was 1.5226. Therefore, the formula that gives
Canadian dollars in terms of United States dollars on that day is
DC = 1.5226DUS
where DC represents Canadian dollars and DUS represents United States dollars.
Find the inverse of the function to determine the value of a United States dollar
in terms of Canadian dollars on January 20, 1999.
NE
L ER T
AL I
INT

INVESTMENT
FE

DATA UPDATE of Federal Reserve Bank of New York data at www.mcdougallittell.com

RE

BANKER
Investment bankers have 58. TEMPERATURE CONVERSION The formula to convert temperatures from
a wide variety of job degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius is:
descriptions. Some buy and 5
sell international currencies C = (F º 32)
9
at reported exchange rates,
discussed in Ex. 57.
NE
Write the inverse of the function, which converts temperatures from degrees
ER T
Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit. Then find the Fahrenheit temperatures that are
INT

CAREER LINK
www.mcdougallittell.com equal to 29°C, 10°C, and 0°C.

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59. BOWLING In bowling a handicap is a change in score to adjust for

differences in players’ abilities. You belong to a bowling league in which each
bowler’s handicap h is determined by his or her average a using this formula:
h = 0.9(200 º a)
(If the bowler’s average is over 200, the handicap is 0.) Find the inverse of the
function. Then find your average if your handicap is 27.
60. GAMES You and a friend are playing a number-guessing game. You ask
your friend to think of a positive number, square the number, multiply the result
by 2, and then add 3. If your friend’s final answer is 53, what was the original
number chosen? Use an inverse function in your solution.
61. FISH The weight w (in kilograms) of a hake, a
type of fish, is related to its length l (in centimeters)
by this function:
w = (9.37 ª 10º6)l3
Find the inverse of the function. Then determine
the approximate length of a hake that weighs
0.679 kilogram.  Source: Fishbyte Hake
STUDENT HELP 62. SHELVES The weight w (in pounds) that can be supported by a shelf made
NE
ER T
from half-inch Douglas fir plywood can be modeled by
HOMEWORK HELP
INT

Visit our Web site

www.mcdougallittell.com w =  82d.9 3

for help with problem

solving in Ex. 62. where d is the distance (in inches) between the supports for the shelf. Find the
inverse of the function. Then find the distance between the supports of a shelf
that can hold a set of encyclopedias weighing 66 pounds.
Test QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON In Exercises 63 and 64, choose the statement
Preparation that is true about the given quantities.

¡
A The quantity in column A is greater.
¡
B The quantity in column B is greater.
¡
C The two quantities are equal.
¡
D The relationship cannot be determined from the given information.

Column A Column B
º1 º1
63. ƒ (3) where ƒ(x) = 6x + 1 ƒ (º4) where ƒ(x) = º2x + 9
64. ƒº1(2) where ƒ(x) = º5x3 ƒº1(0) where ƒ(x) = x3 + 14

★ Challenge INVERSE FUNCTIONS Complete Exercises 65–68 to explore functions that are
their own inverses.
65. VISUAL THINKING The functions ƒ(x) = x and g(x) = ºx are their own
inverses. Graph each function and explain why this is true.
66. Graph other linear functions that are their own inverses.
67. Write equations of the lines you graphed in Exercise 66.
EXTRA CHALLENGE
68. Use your equations from Exercise 67 to find a general formula for a family of
www.mcdougallittell.com linear equations that are their own inverses.

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MIXED REVIEW
ABSOLUTE VALUE FUNCTIONS Graph the absolute value function.
(Review 2.8 for 7.5)
69. ƒ(x) = |x| º 1 70. ƒ(x) = 2|x| + 7
71. ƒ(x) = |x º 4| + 5 72. ƒ(x) = º3|x + 2| º 7

QUADRATIC FUNCTIONS Graph the quadratic function. (Review 5.1 for 7.5)
73. ƒ(x) = x2 + 2 74. ƒ(x) = (x + 3)2 º 7
75. ƒ(x) = 2(x + 2)2 º 5 76. ƒ(x) = º3(x º 4)2 + 1

SIMPLIFYING EXPRESSIONS Simplify the expression. Assume all variables

are positive. (Review 7.2)
4
77. 2
4
5
0 • 4  78.  19  19
1/6 1/3 (5y)1/5
79. 
(5y)6/5

80. 
6
2
x6
7
81. 35 + 25
7 3
82. 2
70 + 210

3

83. SNACK FOODS Delia, Ruth, and Amy go to the store to buy snacks. Delia
buys 3 bagels and 3 apples. Ruth buys 1 pretzel, 2 bagels, and 3 apples. Amy
buys 2 pretzels and 4 bagels. Delia’s bill comes to $3.72, Ruth’s to $5.06, and
Amy’s to $6.58. How much does one bagel cost? (Review 3.6)

QUIZ 2 Self-Test for Lessons 7.3 and 7.4

Let ƒ(x) = 6x 2 º x1/2 and g(x) = 2x1/2. Perform the indicated operation and
state the domain. (Lesson 7.3)
ƒ(x)
1. ƒ(x) + g(x) 2. ƒ(x) º g(x) 3. ƒ(x) • g(x) 4. 
g(x)
Let ƒ(x) = 3xº1 and g(x) = x º 8. Perform the indicated operation and state
the domain. (Lesson 7.3)
5. ƒ(g(x)) 6. g(ƒ(x)) 7. ƒ(ƒ(x)) 8. g(g(x))

Verify that ƒ and g are inverse functions. (Lesson 7.4)

1 3
9. ƒ(x) = 2x º 3, g(x) = x +  10. ƒ(x) = (x + 1)1/3, g(x) = x3 º 1
2 2

Find the inverse function. (Lesson 7.4)

11. ƒ(x) = x + 8 12. ƒ(x) = 2x4, x ≤ 0 13. ƒ(x) = ºx5 + 6

Graph the function ƒ. Then use the graph to determine whether the inverse of
ƒ is a function. (Lesson 7.4)
3
14. ƒ(x) = 3x6 + 2 15. ƒ(x) = º2x5 + 3x º 1 16. ƒ(x) = 6x+
4
17. RIPPLES IN A POND You drop a pebble into a calm pond causing ripples of
concentric circles. The radius r (in feet) of the outer ripple is given by r(t) = 0.6t
where t is the time (in seconds) after the pebble hits the water. The area A (in
square feet) of the outer ripple is given by A(r) = πr2. Use composition of functions
to find the relationship between area and time. Then find the area of the outer ripple
after 2 seconds. (Lesson 7.3)

7.4 Inverse Functions 429