SOLUTION: Given f(x) below, find f^-1(x). F(x)=-3x+1/x-5 X=/ 5

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Question 1149980: Given f(x) below, find f^-1(x).
F(x)=-3x+1/x-5 X=/ 5

Answer by greenestamps(13198) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


Use parentheses!

The function you show, y = -3x+1/x-5, is y+=+-3x%2B1%2Fx-5 -- clearly not what you want.

The function you want is y = (-3x+1)/(x-5), which is y+=+%28-3x%2B1%29%2F%28x-5%29

One standard way of finding the inverse of a given function is to switch the x and y and solve for the new y:

x+=+%28-3y%2B1%29%2F%28y-5%29
x%28y-5%29+=+-3y%2B1
xy-5x+=+-3y%2B1
xy%2B3y+=+5x%2B1 [gather all the terms with y on one side]
y%28x%2B3%29+=+5x%2B1
y+=+%285x%2B1%29%2F%28x%2B3%29

The inverse is

%285x%2B1%29%2F%28x%2B3%29

If you see problems like this often involving inverses of functions like this, note there is a pattern you can use to write the inverse without going through the algebra to find it.

Look at the original function and it inverse:

%28-3x%2B1%29%2F%28x-5%29 and %285x%2B1%29%2F%28x%2B3%29

The coefficient of x in the numerator and the constant in the denominator switch places and change sign; the constant in the numerator and the coefficient of x in the denominator remain unchanged.

In general, the inverse of %28ax%2Bb%29%2F%28cx%2Bd%29 is %28-dx%2Bb%29%2F%28cx-a%29