WorkedMathGlossary

Glossary

What Is Inverse Function?

An inverse function undoes what the original function does: if a function f takes x to y, its inverse f⁻¹ takes y back to x. A function only has an inverse if it's one-to-one, meaning no two different inputs produce the same output. Graphically, a function and its inverse are mirror images across the line y = x.

Example

If f(x) = 2x + 3, its inverse is f⁻¹(x) = (x − 3)/2. Check: f(5) = 2(5)+3 = 13, and f⁻¹(13) = (13−3)/2 = 5, back where you started.

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