Chapter 3 - Functions Assignment

Question 1. Let m ̸= 0 and b be real numbers and consider the function

f : R → R given by f (x) = mx + b.

(a) Prove that f is a bijection.

(b) Since f is a bijection, it is invertible. Find its inverse f −1 , and show it

is an inverse by demonstrating that

f −1 (f (x)) = x.

Solution 1.

Discussion 1(a):
What we want: We want to show that f is an injection as well as a surjection.
This fact will ultimately prove that it is a bijection.

What we will do: To prove that f is an injection we will show that if

f (x) = f (y). To prove that f is a surjection, we will show that for ev-
ery t ∈ R, there exists some s ∈ R such that f (s) = ms + b = t.

Proof 1(a):
If f (x) = f (y) then
mx + b = my + b
where m ̸= 0. Then, the bs cancel out:

mx = my

From here, ms can also be canceled, leaving us with

x=y

If whenever f (x) = f (y), then x = y. This shows that f is injective.

To show that f : R → R is a surjection, we can take an arbitrary element

in the co-domain t ∈ R and find a pre-image in the domain s ∈ R. Thus, s
must satisfy the equation

f (s) = ms + b = t.

If we let
t−b
s=
m

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where m ̸= 0, then the equation should will hold because
t−b
f (s) = m( )+b
m
Canceling the ms we’re left with:

f (s) = t − b + b
From here, we can cancel out the bs which proves that
f (s) = t
t−b
Thus, every t ∈ R has the pre-image m
∈ R. This proves that f is
surjective.

Since f is both injective and surjective, it is a bijection.

Discussion 1(b):

What we want: We need to find the inverse of f and prove that it is the
inverse.

What we will do: We will do this by finding the inverse and consequently
inputting the inverse into the equation f −1 (f (x)) = x to complete our proof.

Proof 1(b):
→ f (x) = mx + b
→ f (x) = y
→ y = mx + b
→ y − b = mx
→ y−b
m
=x
−1
→ f (y) = x
→ f −1 (y) = y−b
m
→ f −1 (y) = f −1 (x)

Therefore,

f −1 (x) = x−b
m
where m ̸= 0.

We know that f (x) = mx + b

(mx+b)−b
So, f −1 (f (x)) = x would be m
where m ̸= 0.

This becomes mx
m
which can then be simplified to f −1 (f (x)) = x since
both the m in the numerator and denominator cancel out. This proves that
it is an inverse.

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Question 2. Let γ, ρ ∈ R be real numbers such that γ·ρ ̸= 1. Let R−{γ} and
R−{−ρ} be the set of all real numbers R except for γ and −ρ, respectively.
Consider the function f : R−{−ρ} → R−{γ} given by
γx + 1
f (x) = .
x+ρ
Show that f is a bijection.

Solution 2.

Discussion 2:
What we want: We want to show that f (x) is an injection as well as a sur-
jection. This fact will ultimately prove that it is a bijection.

What we will do: To prove that f (x) is an injection we will show that if
f (x) = f (y). To prove that f (x) is a surjection, we will show that for every
t ∈ R−{γ}, there exists some s ∈ R−{−ρ} such that f (s) = γs+1 s+ρ
.

Proof 2:

To prove that f (x) is an injection, we can equate f (x) = f (y), and if it

boils down to x = y that will prove that f (x) is an injection because that
proves that the function is one-to-one.

→ f (x) = f (y)

γx+1 γy+1
→ x+ρ
= y+ρ

→ γxy + y + γρx + ρ = γxy + x + γyρ + ρ

→ γxρ − x = γyρ − y

→ x(γρ − 1) = y(γρ − 1)
where both (γρ − 1) are not equal to 0 because from the question, we know
that γ · ρ ̸= 1 which can be rearranged to write γ · ρ − 1 ̸= 0, proving that
both expressions are not 0.

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 This leaves us with y = x after cancelling out both (γρ − 1).

Therefore, we can say that f (x) is injective.

To show that f : R − {−ρ} → R − {γ} is a surjection, we can take an

arbitrary element in the co-domain t ∈ R−{γ} and find a pre-image in the
domain s ∈ R−{−ρ}. Thus, s must satisfy the equation
γs + 1
f (s) = = t.
s+ρ
If we let
ρt − 1
s=
γ−t
where γ ̸= 0 by finding the inverse of f (s) through the following steps:

ts + tρ = γs + 1

tρ − 1 = γs − ts
tρ − 1 = s(γ − t)

ρt − 1
=s
γ−t
then the equation should hold. We can show this by substituting s into
the function:

γ( ρt−1
γ−t
)+1
f (s) =
( ρt−1
γ−t
)+ρ

ργt − γ + γ − t ρt − 1 + ργ − ρt
f (s) = ÷
γ−t γ−t

ργt − t ργ − 1
f (s) = ÷
γ−t γ−t

Taking the reciprocal we get:

ργt − t γ − t
f (s) = ·
γ − t ργ − 1
where γ − t ̸= 0

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 Cancelling both γ − t, we are left with:
ργt − t
f (s) =
ργ − 1
Taking t common in the numerator, we get:

t(ργ − 1)
f (s) =
ργ − 1
From here, we can cancel out both of the (γρ − 1) which are not equal to
0 because from the question, we know that γ · ρ ̸= 1 which can be rearranged
to write γ · ρ − 1 ̸= 0, proving that both expressions are ̸= 0.

Hence, this leaves us with:

f (s) = t
ρt−1
Thus, every t ∈ R−{γ} has the pre-image γ−t
∈ R−{γ}. This proves
that f is surjective.

Since we’ve shown that f (x) is both injective and surjective, we have
proven that f (x) is a bijection.

Question 3. Let S, T , and R be sets, and let f : S → T and g : T → R be

functions. Show that if g ◦ f is injective, then f is injective.

Solution 3.

Discussion 3:
What we know: We know that g ◦ f is injective.

What we want: We want to show that f is also injective.

What we will do: We will show that f is injective by showing that f (s1 ) =
f (s2 ). If we’re able to show that s1 = s2 that will be proof of the fact that
s1 , s2 ∈ S. Since S is the domain of g ◦ f and we know that g ◦ f is injective,
this will help us prove that f is also injective.

Proof 3:

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 We know that g ◦ f is injective. This can also be written as g ◦ f (s1 ) =
g ◦ f (s2 ), we can say that s1 = s2 . Similarly, if we input the same s1 and
s2 into f , we get f (s1 ) = f (s2 ) which also simplifies to s1 = s2 . This shows
that both f and g ◦ f are injective or one-to-one functions.

Question 4. Let C([0, 1]) be the set of all real, continuous functions on the
interval [0, 1]. That is,

C([0, 1]) = {f | f : [0, 1] → R is a continuous function} .

Thus, an element of the set C([0, 1]) is simply a function f (x) that is con-
tinuous on [0, 1]. Furthermore, consider the function φ : C([0, 1]) → R given
by Z 1
φ(f ) = f (x) dx.
0

(a) Show that the function φ is surjective by showing that for every a ∈ R,
there exists a pre-image f ∈ C([0, 1]) such that φ(f ) = a.

(b) Show that the function φ is not injective by finding two distinct func-
tions f, g ∈ C([0, 1]) such that φ(f ) = φ(g).

Solution 4.

Discussion 4(a):
What we want: We want to show that f is a surjection.

What we will do: To prove that f is a surjection, we will show that for a
there is a pre-image.

Proof 4(a):
We can express φ as φ : C([0, 1]) → R or as φ : f → a. To show that φ is
surjective, we will show that a has a pre-image. We can do this by assuming
that f (x) = a.
Therefore, we can write that:
Z 1
→ φ(f ) = f (x) dx
0
Z 1
→ φ(f (x)) = f (x) dx
0

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 Z 1
→ φ(a) = a dx
0
Z 1
→ φ(a) = a dx
0

→ φ(a) = a[(x)]
→ φ(a) = a(1 − 0)
Hence, we reach the conclusion that:

f (a) = a
which shows that there exists a pre-image for a. This proves that φ is a
surjection.

Discussion 4(b):
What we want: We want to show that φ is NOT an injection.

What we will do: To prove that φ is not an injection, we will show that
φ(f ) = φ(g) but (f ) ̸= (g), which will ultimately prove that φ non-injective.

Proof 4(b):
This can be written as φ(f ) = φ(g) or alternatively as:
Z 1 Z 1
f (x) dx = g(x) dx
0 0

We can take f (x) = x and substitute this in the equation.

Z 1 Z 1 0
1 1 1
f (x) dx = x dx = x2 = (12 − 02 ) =
0 0 2 1 2 2
The above equation tells us that
1
φ(f ) =
2
In order to show that φ(f ) = φ(g), φ(g) should also equal 12 .

Now if we take
1
g(x) =
2
this could possibly come true.

Hence, solving for g(x), we get:

Z 1 Z 1 Z 1 0
1 1 1 1 1
g(x) dx = dx = dx = (x) = (1 − 0) =
0 0 2 2 0 2 1 2 2

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 Through this, we can see that φ(f ) = φ(g) but (f ) ̸= (g) because f (x) =
x while g(x) = 21 which proves that φ is not an injective function.