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devious_
Oct11-04, 05:43 AM
Is there a way (algebraic or otherwise) to find the inverse function of a cubic polynomial?

For example:
y(x) = x³+x-9
y-1(x) = ?

Zurtex
Oct11-04, 07:08 AM
Yes but it is big and nasty.

In the same way you can have:

y = ax^2 + bx + c

ax^2 + bx + (c - y) = 0

x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4a(c-y)}}{2a}

You can do it for cubic equations with this equation: http://www.math.vanderbilt.edu/~schectex/courses/cubic/

devious_
Oct11-04, 10:03 AM
Thanks. Just what I was looking for.