Question 192·Hard·Nonlinear Functions
The function is defined by
Let be the inverse of . Which of the following equations defines ?
For inverse-of-exponential questions, avoid guessing: systematically find the inverse. Replace with , swap and , then solve for . Isolate the exponential term, take a logarithm with the same base as the exponential (here, base ), and then solve the resulting linear equation for . Finally, rewrite your result cleanly and match it to the answer choices, watching carefully for common algebra slips like using instead of or multiplying by instead of dividing.
Hints
Think about what an inverse does
If , then the inverse function satisfies and . Another way: the inverse swaps the input and the output.
Set up an equation you can solve
Replace with so you have , then switch and to get an equation involving and that you can solve for .
Undo the exponential step by step
After swapping, first isolate the power of by dividing by . Then use a logarithm with base to bring the exponent down, and finally solve the resulting linear equation for .
Match your expression to the choices
Once you have an expression for in terms of , rewrite it neatly and compare it to options A–D to see which one is exactly the same.
Desmos Guide
Graph the original function
In Desmos, type f(x)=5*2^(3x-4) to graph the given function .
Graph the line of reflection
Add the line y=x. The graph of the true inverse of will be the reflection of across this line.
Graph each answer choice as a candidate inverse
Enter each option as a separate function, for example gA(x)=(log_2(5x)-4)/3, gB(x)=3*log_2(x/5)+4, gC(x)=(log_2(x/5)+4)/3, and gD(x)=(log_2(x)-4)/15. (Use log_2(...) for base-2 logs.)
Decide which graph is the true inverse
Look for the candidate whose graph is exactly the mirror image of across the line . That candidate defines the correct inverse function .
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the definition of an inverse function
Start by writing the function with instead of :
For the inverse, we swap the roles of and and then solve for :
Isolate the exponential expression
We want to isolate .
Divide both sides of
by :
Now the exponential term is alone on one side.
Use a logarithm to bring down the exponent and solve
Because the base of the exponential is , take of both sides:
Solve for :
Therefore, the inverse is .