What is an one-to-one function?

Question

How do you check if a function is one-to-one by looking at its graph? How do you check if two function is the inverse of each other? Provide an one-to-one function for you classmate to find the inverse function.

Answer 1

One to one function is a function in which for every X, in domain,there is one and only one value for f( X)

 

  i.e.   a linear function: 

      

          f( X) = 2X + 3

 

        X= 2   f(x) = 2* 2 + 3 = 7 , it can be tried for all X

 

              f (X )= 11           2X = 11 -3 = 8     X = 4 it is true also for all values of f(X).

 

            Now consider   g( X) = X²        X = ( 1, 2, 3, .......) result in g(X) = ( 1, 4, 9, ......)

 

              But for g(X) = ( 1, 4, 9 , .....)  result in  X (±1,±2, ±3) and so on.

             

                 Therefore by definition g(x) is not a one to one function.

 

      For a function to be one to one. It has to pass the vertical and horizontal test.

      From each point of the curve, if we draw a horizontal and vertical line it should have only one

      intersection point. 

 

      In above example of g(x) = 4 , drawing  Y = 4 intersects g(X) in 2 points of X=±2 . 

        

Answer 2

One to one

 

If you can draw a horizontal line that crosses the graph in more than one place, then the function is NOT one to one.  For example, a parabola is a u-shaped graph.  You can cross the graph in two places.  Any straight line is a one to one graph.