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Mathematics LibreTexts

1: Inverse Functions

  • Page ID
    111966
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    • 1.1: Inverse Functions
      If some physical machines can run in two directions, we might ask whether some of the function “machines” we have been studying can also run backwards. In this section, we will consider the reverse nature of functions.
    • 1.2: Logarithmic Functions
      The inverse of an exponential function is a logarithmic function, and the inverse of a logarithmic function is an exponential function.
    • 1.3: Graphs of Logarithmic Functions
      In this section we will discuss the values for which a logarithmic function is defined, and then turn our attention to graphing the family of logarithmic functions.
    • 1.4: Derivatives of Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
      In this section, we explore derivatives of exponential and logarithmic functions. As we discussed in Introduction to Functions and Graphs, exponential functions play an important role in modeling population growth and the decay of radioactive materials. Logarithmic functions can help rescale large quantities and are particularly helpful for rewriting complicated expressions.
    • 1.5: Inverse Trigonometric Functions
      In this section, we will explore the inverse trigonometric functions. Inverse trigonometric functions “undoes” what the original trigonometric function “does,” as is the case with any other function and its inverse. In other words, the domain of the inverse function is the range of the original function, and vice versa.
    • 1.6: Derivatives of Inverse Functions
      Because each function represents a process, a natural question to ask is whether or not the particular process can be reversed. That is, if we know the output that results from the function, can we determine the input that led to it? Connected to this question, we now also ask: if we know how fast a particular process is changing, can we determine how fast the inverse process is changing?


    1: Inverse Functions is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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