The function f\mathrm{f} is given by
f(x)={52−x,x∈R, x<21x,x∈R, x≥2\mathrm{f}(x) = \begin{cases} \frac{5}{2} - x, & x \in \mathbb{R},\ x < 2 \\ \frac{1}{x}, & x \in \mathbb{R},\ x \ge 2 \end{cases}

  1. (i)

    Sketch the graph of y=f(x)y = \mathrm{f}(x), stating the equation of any asymptotes and the coordinates of any points where the curve crosses the xx- and yy-axes.

  2. (ii)

    Explain why f\mathrm{f} has an inverse. Hence find f−1(x)\mathrm{f}^{-1}(x), giving your answer in a similar form.

  3. (iii)

    Let g(x)=x3\mathrm{g}(x) = x^3, x∈Rx \in \mathbb{R}, x≥2x \ge 2.
    Determine whether gf−1\mathrm{g}\mathrm{f}^{-1} exists.

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Worked solution

4(i)

1. Analyse the linear part of the function for $x < 2$ to find any intercepts.

For x<2x < 2, f(x)=52−x\mathrm{f}(x) = \frac{5}{2} - x, which is a straight line with gradient −1-1.
When x=0x = 0, y=52−0=52y = \frac{5}{2} - 0 = \frac{5}{2}. The yy-intercept is (0,52)(0, \frac{5}{2}).
To find the xx-intercept, set y=0  ⟹  x=52y = 0 \implies x = \frac{5}{2}. However, 52>2\frac{5}{2} > 2, so this point is outside the domain x<2x < 2. Thus, this part of the graph does not cross the xx-axis.
At the domain boundary x=2x = 2, f(2)\mathrm{f}(2) approaches 52−2=12\frac{5}{2} - 2 = \frac{1}{2}.

2. Analyse the rational part of the function for $x \ge 2$ to find asymptotes and continuation.

For x≥2x \ge 2, f(x)=1x\mathrm{f}(x) = \frac{1}{x}.
At x=2x = 2, f(2)=12\mathrm{f}(2) = \frac{1}{2}. Since this matches the boundary value of the linear part, the graph is continuous at (2,12)(2, \frac{1}{2}).
As x→∞x \to \infty, 1x→0\frac{1}{x} \to 0. Therefore, y=0y = 0 is a horizontal asymptote.
Since 1x>0\frac{1}{x} > 0 for all x≥2x \ge 2, this part does not cross the xx-axis.

3. Synthesize the findings into the final sketch properties.

The combined sketch should show:

  1. A straight line segment starting from the top left, passing through (0,52)(0, \frac{5}{2}) and ending at (2,12)(2, \frac{1}{2}).
  2. A smooth curve starting from (2,12)(2, \frac{1}{2}) decreasing gradually and approaching the horizontal line y=0y=0.
  3. Explicit labels for the asymptote y=0y=0 and the intercept (0,52)(0, \frac{5}{2}).
Answer

Asymptote: y=0y = 0
yy-axis crossing: (0,52)(0, \frac{5}{2})
xx-axis crossing: None

(A continuous graph with a straight line from the left passing through (0,52)(0, \frac{5}{2}) meeting a y=1xy=\frac{1}{x} curve at (2,12)(2, \frac{1}{2}) which then approaches y=0y=0 asymptotically.)

4(ii)

1. Explain the existence of the inverse function based on the graph from part (i).

From the graph of y=f(x)y = \mathrm{f}(x) sketched in part (i), any horizontal line y=ky = k intersects the curve at most once. Therefore, f\mathrm{f} is a one-to-one function, which means its inverse f−1\mathrm{f}^{-1} exists.

2. Find the inverse rule and its domain for the first branch ($x < 2$).

Let y=52−xy = \frac{5}{2} - x.
Making xx the subject gives x=52−yx = \frac{5}{2} - y.
The domain for this piece is x<2x < 2.
Substituting the expression for xx, we get 52−y<2  ⟹  y>12\frac{5}{2} - y < 2 \implies y > \frac{1}{2}.
Thus, one piece of the inverse is f−1(x)=52−x\mathrm{f}^{-1}(x) = \frac{5}{2} - x for x>12x > \frac{1}{2}.

3. Find the inverse rule and its domain for the second branch ($x \ge 2$).

Let y=1xy = \frac{1}{x}.
Making xx the subject gives x=1yx = \frac{1}{y}.
The domain for this piece is x≥2x \ge 2.
Substituting the expression for xx, we get 1y≥2\frac{1}{y} \ge 2.
Since x≥2x \ge 2, yy must be positive. Multiplying by yy gives 1≥2y  ⟹  0<y≤121 \ge 2y \implies 0 < y \le \frac{1}{2}.
Thus, the other piece of the inverse is f−1(x)=1x\mathrm{f}^{-1}(x) = \frac{1}{x} for 0<x≤120 < x \le \frac{1}{2}.

4. Combine the results into a single piecewise function in a similar form.

Writing the branches in ascending order of the domain of xx:
f−1(x)={1x,x∈R, 0<x≤1252−x,x∈R, x>12\mathrm{f}^{-1}(x) = \begin{cases} \frac{1}{x}, & x \in \mathbb{R},\ 0 < x \le \frac{1}{2} \\ \frac{5}{2} - x, & x \in \mathbb{R},\ x > \frac{1}{2} \end{cases}

Answer

f−1(x)={1x,x∈R, 0<x≤1252−x,x∈R, x>12\mathrm{f}^{-1}(x) = \begin{cases} \frac{1}{x}, & x \in \mathbb{R},\ 0 < x \le \frac{1}{2} \\ \frac{5}{2} - x, & x \in \mathbb{R},\ x > \frac{1}{2} \end{cases}

4(iii)

1. State the range of the inner function, $\mathrm{f}^{-1}$.

The range of an inverse function f−1\mathrm{f}^{-1} is identically the domain of the original function f\mathrm{f}. From the piecewise definition in the stem, f(x)\mathrm{f}(x) is defined for all real numbers.
Rf−1=Df=R\mathrm{R}_{\mathrm{f}^{-1}} = \mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{f}} = \mathbb{R}

2. Check the condition for the existence of the composite function.

For the composite function gf−1\mathrm{gf}^{-1} to exist, the range of f−1\mathrm{f}^{-1} must be a subset of the domain of g\mathrm{g}.
The domain of g\mathrm{g} is given as Dg=[2,∞)\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{g}} = [2, \infty).
Since R⊈[2,∞)\mathbb{R} \not\subseteq [2, \infty), we have Rf−1⊈Dg\mathrm{R}_{\mathrm{f}^{-1}} \not\subseteq \mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{g}}.
Therefore, gf−1\mathrm{g}\mathrm{f}^{-1} does not exist.

Answer

Since Rf−1⊈Dg\mathrm{R}_{\mathrm{f}^{-1}} \not\subseteq \mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{g}}, the composite function gf−1\mathrm{gf}^{-1} does not exist.

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