Appendix 2

Inverse Functions
This appendix is devoted to furnishing some precise proofs of a few intuitively reasonable results which seemed a bit harder to nail down than we expected. Recall Denition 2.8 on page 37 or inverse functions. Let f be a function (Denition 1.1 on page 2). The function g is said to be the inverse function of f if dmn g = rng f (dmn g stands for the domain of g, rng f stands for the range of f ) for each x in dmn f, g( f ( x)) = x.

It seems almost obvious that f is also the inverse function of g i.e., that for each y in dmn g f (g( y)) = y. And this isnt hard to establish, as follows. Choose any y in dmn g. Because dmn g = rng f, y = f ( x ) for at least one x in dmn f. Then f (g( y)) = f (g( f ( x))) = f ( x) = y, establishing the asserted result. Now lots of functions have inverse functions, but one class of real-valued functions of a real variable is particularly important in this regard the strictly monotone functions (Denition 2.9 on page 37). We want to show that every member of the class of strictly monotone functions has an inverse function. Well only treat the monotone increasing case (the decreasing case being handled in the same way). If f is monotone increasing, suppose y is in rng f. Then for at least one x in dmn f, y = f ( x). A2.1

But there can only be one such x satisfying equation A2.1, because if x x * , either x < x * implying f ( x ) < f ( x *) or x > x * implying f ( x ) > f ( x *) . Dene g with dmn g = rng f by the equation

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g( y) = x. Then since g ( y ) = g ( f ( x ) ) , we have g ( f ( x ) ) = x , proving our assertion. Notice that the inverse function g of a strictly increasing real-valued function of a real variable is itself strictly increasing. Its worth noting that the heart of a function having an inverse function is the property of being one-to-one (see Denition 12.18 on page 460). Strictly monotone functions are one-to-one, and it is this property which makes them invertible (having an inverse). If f is a one-to-one function, then (by denition) for all pairs x, x * in dmn f, if x x * then f ( x ) f ( x *) . To dene the inverse function, g of f, let y be in rng f. Then y = f ( x ) for at least one x in dmn f, and this x is unique for any given y (since if x * x , then f ( x *) f ( x ) . Hence dene g by the equation g ( y ) = x where y = f ( x ) . Then g( f ( x)) = g( y) = x. Also, as before in the monotone case, f is also the inverse of g. (Same arguments as before; if y is in dmn g then y = f ( x ) for some unique x in dmn f, and f (g( y)) = f (g( f ( x))) = f ( x) = y. Clearly if f isnt one-to-one, it cannot have an inverse function. We summarize the results established here in the following theorem.

Theorem A2.1: Inverses and one to one functions

The function f (Denition 1.1 on page 2) has an inverse function g (i.e., a function satisfying g ( f ( x ) ) = x for all x in dmn f ) if and only if f is one to one (i.e., for all x, x * in dmn f, if x x * then f ( x ) f ( x *) ). If f is one to one with inverse function g, then g is one to one with inverse function f. If f is a strictly monotone real-valued function of a real variable (Denition 2.9 on page 37) it has an inverse function which is of the same type as f (increasing if f is increasing, decreasing if f is decreasing).

1999 by CRC Press LLC