How do you find the inverse of y = 3x-9 and is it a function?

1 Answer
Apr 25, 2016

x=(y+8)/3. In general, if y=f(x), a function of x, f^(-1)(y)=x.
The operators f and f^(-1) are each the inverse operator for the other.

Explanation:

Solving for x, x=(y+8)/3.
In inversions, y may be a single-valued function of x. But, inversely, x might be many-valued, and vice versa.

For example, y =x^2 > 0, is single, valued. Inversely, x=+-sqrt y has two values.

In the example, y=sin^(-1)x is many-valued. The inverse x = sin y is single-valued.