Section 6.

1 Inverse Circular Functions 6-1

Chapter 6 Inverse Circular Functions and Trigonometric Equations

6.1 Inverse Circular Functions
■ Inverse Functions ■ Inverse Sine Function ■ Inverse Cosine Function
■ Inverse Tangent Function ■ Other Inverse Circular Functions
■ Inverse Function Values

Key Terms: one-to-one function, inverse function

Inverse Functions

For a function ƒ, every element x in the domain corresponds to one and only one element y, or
ƒ(x), in the range. This means the following:

1. If point (a, b) lies on the graph of ƒ, then there is no other point on the graph that has
____________ as ____________ coordinate.

2. Other points may have ____________ as ____________ coordinate, however, because the
definition of function allows ____________elements to be used more than once.

If a function is defined so that each ____________ element is used only ________________,

then it is called a one-to-one function.

Horizontal Line Test

A function is one-to-one if every horizontal line intersects the graph of the function at most once.

Inverse Function
The inverse function of the one-to-one function ƒ is defined as follows.
f - 1 = { ( y , x ) | ( x , y ) belongs to f }

Do not confuse the −1 in f - 1 with a negative exponent. The symbol f - 1 (x ) represents the
1
________________________ of f, not f (x )
.
 Section 6.1 Inverse Circular Functions 6-2

Summary of Inverse Functions

1. In a one-to-one function, each x-value corresponds to only ____________ y-value, and each
y-value corresponds to only ____________ x-value.
2. If a function f is one-to-one, then f has an ____________ function f - 1.

3. The domain of f is the ____________ of f - 1 , and the range of f is the ____________ of

f - 1. That is, if the point (a, b) is on the graph of f, then the point ____________ lies on the
graph of f - 1.

4. The graphs of f and f - 1 are ____________ of each other across the line y = x.

5. To find f - 1 (x ) for f (x ), follow these steps.

Step 1 ____________________________________________________________
Step 2 ____________________________________________________________
Step 3 ____________________________________________________________

Inverse Sine Function

Inverse Sine Function

y = sin - 1 x or y = arcsin x means that x = sin y, for - p
2 £ y£ p
2.

We can think of y = sin - 1 x or y = arcsin x as

𝝅 𝝅
“y is the number (angle) in the interval !− 𝟐 , 𝟐$ whose sine is x.”

The domain of y = sin - 1 x is ______________. The range of y = sin - 1 x is ______________.

EXAMPLE 1 Finding Inverse Sine Values

Find the value of each real number y if it exists.
1 3
(a) y = arcsin (b) y = arcsin (c) y = sin - 1 (- 1)
2 2

$
(d) 𝑦 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛#$ *− %+ (e) y = sin - 1 (- 2) (f) y = sin - 1 2
 Section 6.1 Inverse Circular Functions 6-3

Be certain that the number given for an inverse function value is in the range of the particular
inverse function being considered.

Inverse Sine Function y = sin - 1 x or y = arcsin x

Domain: __________ Range: __________

• The inverse sine function is increasing on the open interval __________ and continuous on
its domain __________.
• Its x- and y-intercepts are both __________.
• Its graph is symmetric with respect to the __________, so the function is an __________
function. For all x in the domain, sin - 1 (- x ) = __________ .

Inverse Cosine Function

Inverse Cosine Function

y = cos - 1 x or y = arccos x means that x = cos y, for 0 £ y £ p .

We can think of y = cos - 1 x or y = arccos x as

“y is the number (angle) in the interval [0, p ] whose cosine is x.”

The domain of y = cos - 1 x is _____________. The range of y = cos - 1 x is _____________.

EXAMPLE 2 Finding Inverse Cosine Values

Find the value of each real number y if it exists.
(a) y = arccos 1 (b) y = arccos 0

√% 1
(c) 𝑦 = 𝑐𝑜𝑠 #$ *− %
+ (d) y = cos - 1
2
 Section 6.1 Inverse Circular Functions 6-4

Inverse Cosine Function y = cos - 1 x or y = arccos x

Domain: __________ Range: __________

• The inverse cosine function is decreasing on the open interval __________ and continuous
on its domain __________.
• Its x-intercept is __________ and its y-intercept is __________.
• Its graph is not symmetric with respect to either the __________ or the __________.

Inverse Tangent Function

Inverse Tangent Function

y = tan - 1 x or y = arctan x means that x = tan y, for - p
2 < y < p2 .

We can think of y = tan - 1 x or y = arctan x as

𝝅 𝝅
“y is the number (angle) in the interval *− 𝟐 , 𝟐+ whose tangent is x.”

The domain of y = tan - 1 x is _____________. The range of y = tan - 1 x is _____________.

 Section 6.1 Inverse Circular Functions 6-5

Inverse Tangent Function y = tan - 1 x or y = arctan x

Domain: __________ Range: __________

• The inverse tangent function is increasing on __________ and continuous on its domain
__________.
• Its x- and y-intercepts are both __________.
• Its graph is symmetric with respect to the __________, so the function is an __________
function. For all x in the domain, tan - 1 (- x ) = __________ .
• The lines __________ and __________ are horizontal asymptotes.

Other Inverse Circular Functions

Inverse Cotangent, Secant, and Cosecant Functions

y = cot - 1 x or y = arccot x means that x = cot y, for 0 < y < p .

y = sec- 1 x or y = arcsec x means that x = sec y, for 0 £ y £ p , y π p

2.

y = csc - 1 x or y = arccsc x means that x = csc y, for - p

2 £ y£ p
2, y π 0.
 Section 6.1 Inverse Circular Functions 6-6

Summary of Inverse Circular Functions

Range
Quadrants of the
Inverse Function Domain Interval Unit Circle
-1
y = sin x

y = cos - 1 x

y = tan - 1 x

y = cot - 1 x

y = sec - 1 x

y = csc - 1 x

Inverse Function Values

EXAMPLE 3 Finding Inverse Function Values (Degree-Measured Angles)

Find the degree measure of 𝜃 if it exists.
(a) 𝜃 = arctan 1 (b) 𝜃 = arctan √3

(c) 𝜃 = sec #$ 2 (d) 𝜃 = csc #$ −√2

Use the following to evaluate these inverse trigonometric functions on a calculator.

sec - 1 x is evaluated as cos - 1 1x ; csc - 1 x is evaluated as sin - 1 1x ;

𝟏
𝒕𝒂𝒏#𝟏 𝒙 𝒊𝒇 𝒙 > 𝟎
cot - 1 x is evaluated as ; 𝟏
Degree mode
𝟏𝟖𝟎° + 𝒕𝒂𝒏#𝟏 𝒙 𝒊𝒇 𝒙 < 𝟎
 Section 6.1 Inverse Circular Functions 6-7

EXAMPLE 4 Finding Inverse Function Values with a Calculator

Use a calculator to approximate each value.
(a) Find y in radians if y = csc - 1 (- 3). (b)Find y in radians if y = sec - 1 (- 4).

(c) Find 𝜃 in degrees if 𝜃 = arccot(−0.3541) (d)Find 𝜃 in degrees if 𝜃 = arccot(−.2528)

Be careful when using a calculator to evaluate the inverse cotangent of a negative quantity.
Enter the inverse tangent of the _____________ of the negative quantity, which returns an angle
in quadrant _____________. Because inverse cotangent is _____________ in quadrant II, adjust
)
the calculator result by adding 𝜋 or 180° accordingly. (Note that cot #$ = % or 90°.)

EXAMPLE 5 Finding Function Values Using Definitions of the Trigonometric

Functions
Evaluate each expression without using a calculator.
* %
(a) sin *𝑡𝑎𝑛#$ %+ (b) cos *𝑠𝑖𝑛#$ *+

+ $+
(c) tan V𝑐𝑜𝑠 #$ *− $*+W (d) cot V𝑐𝑜𝑡 #$ *− , +W
 Section 6.1 Inverse Circular Functions 6-8

EXAMPLE 6 Finding Function Values Using Identities

Evaluate each expression without using a calculator.
$ - $%
(a) cos *𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛 √3 + 𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑠𝑖𝑛 *+ (a) sin *𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛 * + 𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑠 $*+

%
(b) tan *2𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑠𝑖𝑛 ++ (b) sin(2 arccot −5)