- While up in Canada recently, I had to convert between Fahrenheit
and Celsius. In particular, I was given a temperature in Celsius
(-20oC) and wanted to hear it in oF.
-
Activity 1: given a sheet of graph paper, the fact that the
relationship is linear, and using the two points
independent |
dependent |
oC |
oF |
0 |
32 |
100 |
212 |
create a nice graph of (Fahrenheit as
a function of Celsius). Compute .
Then write the linear function g that converts C to F.
As soon as we answer that question, we'll probably want to know: how do
we convert between Celsius and Fahrenheit? That's the inverse function!
Write the linear function
that converts F to C.
-
Activity 2: given the graph of , create the
graph of the inverse function ().
Now: would we want to carry out stage three of the three-step process of
computing an inverse function? That is, would you want to exchange the
variable names of the dependent and independent variables?
Mathematica summary of the
temperature problem
- A function is
invertible if and only if each value of in the range is associated with a
unique value of in the
domain:
Non-uniqueness is represented by a graph failing to pass the
horizontal line test, as we saw last time in our example of the parabola.
- Why study inverse functions (and inverse problems, more generally)?
- Pollution
- Forensics
- Ballistics
- Activity 3: Examine this figure:
- Is Temperature an
invertible function of altitude ()? Why (or
why not)?
- Is Atmospheric Mass Density an
invertible function of altitude ()? Why (or
why not)?
- What does the inverse function measure, if it exists? What
questions can it answer?
- How can you explain those values for mass density along
the y axis?
- Examples: Let's run the odd exercises from 5-15, p. 390.
- Now, let's look at a particular function: : How do we
- compute ?
- ?
- find a formula for ?
- Now: is
invertible? (Mathematica) How can we use
- properties of this class of function to help us answer this question?
- calculus to help us answer this question? (In particular,
how we can use the derivative?)
- Let's derive the derivative of the inverse, using a neat trick:
the inverse identity
and the chain rule.
(Notice that we're using as the independent
variable, rather than . We could use any variable
name here, of course, even "nose". It's just because we
generally prefer
the use of as an
independent variable name. Sigh.)
- Whether a function is invertible or not, one can propose
to find the derivative of its inverse using this process. Use
the process to find the derivative of the "inverse of sine"
(although that clearly makes no sense at this point, since sine
is not one-to-one).
- How about the derivative of the inverse of ?
- Examples (more from p. 390): use the fact that