Is |x^3-1| One to One? Monotonicity and Inverse Function Analysis

  • Thread starter Thread starter peripatein
  • Start date Start date
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
4 replies · 2K views
peripatein
Messages
868
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



Is the function |x^3-1| one to one? Is it monotonous?

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



Since |x^3-1|=|y^3-1| does not necessarily imply that x=y for every x and y, I presume it is not one to one. Hence it has no inverse function.
It is also not monotonous.
Are all these statements correct?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
While the statements are correct, they are not sufficient to complete the exercise. To actually solve it, you need to find counterexamples. For example, if you want to show that [itex]|x^3-1|[/itex] is not one-to-one, you need to come up with two particular and distinct points x and y such that [itex]|x^3-1|=|y^3-1|[/itex]. Just saying that it is one-to-one is not enough without counterexample.
 
Have done so, simply didn't specify it :-). Thank you, micromass!