LESSON 1.

4
INVERSE FUNCTION
A relation is a set of ordered pairs. The
domain of a relation is the set of first
coordinates. The range is the set of second
coordinates.

A function is a one-to-one if no horizontal line

intersects its graph more than once.
A one-to-one is a function in which for
each value of y in the range of f, there is
just one value x in the domain of f such
that y=f(x).

In other words, f is one-to-one if

f(x1)=f(x2) implies x1=x2
Properties of Equality

Let any x, y, and z be any real number:

1. Additional Property of Equality (APE)

if x=y, then x+z=y+z.
Equal values may be added on both sides of the
equation.
2. Subtraction Property of Equality
(SPE)
If x=y, then x-z=y-z.
Equal values may be subtracted from
both sides of the equation.
3. Multiplication Property of
Equality (MPE)
If x=y, then xz=yz.
Both sides of the equation may be
multiplied by the same value.
4. Division Property of Equality
(DPE)
If x=y and z≠0, then x/z=y/z.
Both sides of the equation may be
divided by the same non-zero real
number.
5. Substitution Law
If x+y=z and x=y, then or y+y=z or
x+x=z.
Equals may be substituted for equals.
A relation reversing the process performed by any function f(x) is
called inverse of f(x).
This means that the domain of the inverse is the range of the original
function and that the range of the inverse is the domain of the
original function.

x 20 30 50 100 x 68 86 122 212

y 68 86 122 212 y 20 30 50 100
GRAPHS OF INVERSE FUNCTION
The graph of the inverse is the reflection of the
graph of the original function. The axis of symmetry
is the line y=x.

Note: the inverse of a function is formed in the same

way as you find the inverse of a relation because a
function is simply a special type of relation.
The Reflective Property of the Graphs of f

The graph of the inverse of f can be found from the

graph of f by locating the mirror image of each point
of f with respect to y=x. We say that the graphs of f
and its inverse f-1 have symmetry about the line
whose equation is y=x.