This presentation is for the use of APG school students only

Inverse

Page 427-432

Prepared by Ms. Zahraa AlMoamen

Inverse Functions
A function takes and input and produces an output.
The inverse of a function does the opposite: it describes how we get from the
output back to the input.

Input Output

×3
2 6
÷3 Notation: The -1 notation
means that we apply the
function “-1 times”, i.e. once
backwards! You’ve actually
seen this before, remember
So if 𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥, then the inverse function is : sin−1 (𝑥) from trigonometry to
𝒙 mean “inverse sin”?
𝒇−𝟏 𝒙 =
𝟑 It’s possible to have 𝑓 2 (𝑥),
we’ll see this when we cover
composite functions.
Quickfire Questions
In your head, find the inverse functions, by thinking what the original
functions does, and what the reverse process would therefore be.

𝑓 𝑥 =𝑥+5 −1
𝑓 𝑥 =𝒙−𝟓

𝒙+𝟏
𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 − 1 𝑓 −1
𝑥 =
𝟑
𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥+3 −1 𝟐
𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒙−𝟑
1 −1
𝟏
𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑓 𝑥 =
𝑥 𝒙
Fact: If a function is the same as its inverse, it is known as
self-inverse. 𝑓 𝑥 = 1 − 𝑥 is also a self-inverse function.
Full Method
𝑥
If 𝑓 𝑥 = + 1, find 𝑓 −1 (𝑥).
5

𝑥 STEP 1: Write the output 𝑓(𝑥) as 𝑦

𝑦 = +1
5 This is purely for convenience.

𝑥
𝑦−1= STEP 2: Get the input in terms of
5 the output (make 𝑥 the subject).
5𝑦 − 5 = 𝑥 This is because the inverse function is the
reverse process, i.e. finding the input 𝑥 in
terms of the output 𝑦.

𝑓 −1 𝑥 = 5𝑥 − 5 STEP 3: Swap 𝑦 back for 𝑥 and 𝑥

back for 𝑓 −1 𝑥 .
This is because the input to a function is
generally written as 𝑥 rather than 𝑦.
But technically 𝑓 −1 𝑦 = 5𝑦 − 5 would be
correct!
Harder One
𝑥+1
If 𝑓 𝑥 = , find 𝑓 −1 (𝑥).
𝑥−2

𝑥+1
𝑦=
𝑥−2
𝑥𝑦 − 2𝑦 = 𝑥 + 1
𝑥𝑦 − 𝑥 = 1 + 2𝑦
𝑥 𝑦 − 1 = 1 + 2𝑦
1 + 2𝑦
𝑥=
𝑦−1
−1
1 + 2𝑥
𝑓 𝑥 =
𝑥−1
Test Your Understanding
2𝑥+1 𝑥
If 𝑓 𝑥 = , find 𝑓 −1
(4). If 𝑓 𝑥 = , find 𝑓 −1 (𝑥).
3 2𝑥−1

𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏 𝒙
𝒚= 𝒚=
𝟑 𝟐𝒙 − 𝟏
𝟑𝒚 = 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏 𝟐𝒙𝒚 − 𝒚 = 𝒙
𝟑𝒚 − 𝟏 = 𝟐𝒙 𝟐𝒙𝒚 − 𝒙 = 𝒚
𝟑𝒚 − 𝟏 𝒙 𝟐𝒚 − 𝟏 = 𝒚
𝒙= 𝒚
?
𝟐 𝒙=
−𝟏
𝟑𝒙 − 𝟏 𝟐𝒚 − 𝟏
𝒇 𝒙 =
𝟐
𝟏𝟏 𝒙
−𝟏
𝒇 𝟑 = 𝒇−𝟏 𝒙 =
𝟐 𝟐𝒙 − 𝟏
Exercise 2 (exercises on provided sheet)

−1
1 Find 𝑓 (𝑥) for the following functions.

−𝟏 𝒙
a 𝑓 𝑥 = 5𝑥 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝟓
b 𝑓 𝑥 =1+𝑥 𝒇−𝟏 𝒙 = 𝒙 − 𝟏
−𝟏 𝒙+𝟒
c 𝑓 𝑥 = 6𝑥 − 4 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝟔
𝑥+7
d 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒇−𝟏 𝒙 = 𝟑𝒙 − 𝟕
3
𝒙−𝟏 𝟐
e 𝑓 𝑥 =5 𝑥+1 𝒇−𝟏 𝒙 =
𝟓
−𝟏 𝟏𝟎−𝒙
f 𝑓 𝑥 = 10 − 3𝑥 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝟑

2 [Edexcel IGCSE Jan2016(R)-3H Q16c]

2𝑥
𝑓 𝑥 =
𝑥−1
Find 𝑓 −1 𝑥
𝒙
=
𝒙−𝟐
Exercise 2 (exercises on provided sheet)

3 Find 𝑓 −1 (𝑥) for the following functions.

𝑥 −𝟏
𝟑𝒙
a 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝑥+3 𝟏−𝒙
𝑥−2 −𝟏
𝟐
b 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝑥 𝟏−𝒙
2𝑥 − 1 −𝟏
𝒙−𝟏
c 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝑥−1 𝒙−𝟐
1−𝑥 −𝟏
𝟏−𝒙
d 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒇 𝒙 =
3𝑥 + 1 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟏
3𝑥 −𝟏
𝟑𝒙
e 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒇 𝒙 =
3 + 2𝑥 𝟑 − 𝟐𝒙