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In Mathematics / College | 2025-07-03

Find $f(g(x))$ and $g(f(x))$ and determine whether the pair of functions $f$ and $g$ are inverses of each other.

$f(x)=5 x-2 \text { and } g(x)=\frac{x+5}{2}$

a. $f(g(x))=$ $\square$
(Simplify your answer. Use integers or fractions for any numbers in the expression.)
b. $g(f(x))=$ $\square$
(Simplify your answer. Use integers or fractions for any numbers in the expression.)
c.
$f$ and $g$ are not inverses of each other.
$f$ and $g$ are inverses of each other.

Asked by 23069233

Answer (2)

Calculate f ( g ( x )) by substituting g ( x ) into f ( x ) and simplifying: f ( g ( x )) = 2 5 x + 21 ​ .
Calculate g ( f ( x )) by substituting f ( x ) into g ( x ) and simplifying: g ( f ( x )) = 2 5 x + 3 ​ .
Check if f ( g ( x )) = x and g ( f ( x )) = x . Since this is not the case, the functions are not inverses.
Conclude that f ( g ( x )) = 2 5 x + 21 ​ , g ( f ( x )) = 2 5 x + 3 ​ , and the functions are not inverses of each other. f and g are not inverses of each other. ​

Explanation

Understanding the Problem We are given two functions, f ( x ) = 5 x − 2 and g ( x ) = 2 x + 5 ​ . We need to find f ( g ( x )) and g ( f ( x )) and then determine if these two functions are inverses of each other. Two functions are inverses if and only if f ( g ( x )) = x and g ( f ( x )) = x .

Calculating f(g(x)) First, let's find f ( g ( x )) . We substitute g ( x ) into f ( x ) : f ( g ( x )) = f ( 2 x + 5 ​ ) = 5 ( 2 x + 5 ​ ) − 2
Now, we simplify the expression: f ( g ( x )) = 2 5 ( x + 5 ) ​ − 2 = 2 5 x + 25 ​ − 2 = 2 5 x + 25 ​ − 2 4 ​ = 2 5 x + 21 ​

Calculating g(f(x)) Next, let's find g ( f ( x )) . We substitute f ( x ) into g ( x ) : g ( f ( x )) = g ( 5 x − 2 ) = 2 ( 5 x − 2 ) + 5 ​
Now, we simplify the expression: g ( f ( x )) = 2 5 x − 2 + 5 ​ = 2 5 x + 3 ​

Checking for Inverses Now we check if f ( g ( x )) = x and g ( f ( x )) = x . We found that f ( g ( x )) = 2 5 x + 21 ​ and g ( f ( x )) = 2 5 x + 3 ​ . Since 2 5 x + 21 ​  = x and 2 5 x + 3 ​  = x , the functions f ( x ) and g ( x ) are not inverses of each other.

Final Answer Therefore, f ( g ( x )) = 2 5 x + 21 ​ and g ( f ( x )) = 2 5 x + 3 ​ , and f and g are not inverses of each other.


Examples
In cryptography, inverse functions are crucial for encoding and decoding messages. If f ( x ) represents an encoding function, its inverse g ( x ) would be the decoding function. If f ( x ) and g ( x ) were inverses, applying f and then g would return the original message, ensuring secure communication. However, if they are not inverses, the decoding process would not correctly recover the original message, compromising security.

Answered by GinnyAnswer | 2025-07-03

The compositions of the functions yield f ( g ( x )) = 2 5 x + 21 ​ and g ( f ( x )) = 2 5 x + 3 ​ . Since neither composition equals x , the functions f and g are not inverses of each other. Therefore, the final conclusion is that f and g are not inverses of each other.
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Answered by Anonymous | 2025-07-04