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In mathematics, the inverse function of a function f (also called the inverse of f) is a function that undoes the operation of f. The inverse of f exists if and only if f is bijective , and if it exists, is denoted by f − 1 . {\displaystyle f^{-1}.}
The notation convention chosen here (with W 0 and W −1) follows the canonical reference on the Lambert W function by Corless, Gonnet, Hare, Jeffrey and Knuth. [3]The name "product logarithm" can be understood as follows: since the inverse function of f(w) = e w is termed the logarithm, it makes sense to call the inverse "function" of the product we w the "product logarithm".
An involution is a function f : X → X that, when applied twice, brings one back to the starting point. In mathematics, an involution, involutory function, or self-inverse function [1] is a function f that is its own inverse, f(f(x)) = x. for all x in the domain of f. [2] Equivalently, applying f twice produces the original value.
Subtraction is itself a sort of inverse to addition, in that adding x and subtracting x are inverse functions. Given a set with an addition operation, one cannot always define a corresponding subtraction operation on that set; the set of natural numbers is a simple example.
The inverse of addition is subtraction, and the inverse of multiplication is division. Similarly, a logarithm is the inverse operation of exponentiation. Exponentiation is when a number b, the base, is raised to a certain power y, the exponent, to give a value x; this is denoted =.
[1] [10] Another precarious convention used by a small number of authors is to use an uppercase first letter, along with a “ −1 ” superscript: Sin −1 (x), Cos −1 (x), Tan −1 (x), etc. [11] Although it is intended to avoid confusion with the reciprocal, which should be represented by sin −1 (x), cos −1 (x), etc., or, better, by ...
Under addition, a ring is an abelian group, which means that addition is commutative and associative; it has an identity, called the additive identity, and denoted 0; and every element x has an inverse, called its additive inverse and denoted −x. Because of commutativity, the concepts of left and right inverses are meaningless since they do ...
These identities are useful whenever expressions involving trigonometric functions need to be simplified. An important application is the integration of non-trigonometric functions: a common technique involves first using the substitution rule with a trigonometric function, and then simplifying the resulting integral with a trigonometric identity.