Problem

The function $f(x)=\frac{12}{x}$ is one-to-one.
a. Find an equation for $f^{-1}(x)$, the inverse function.
b. Verify that your equation is correct by showing that $f\left(f^{-1}(x)\right)=x$ and $f^{-1}(f(x))=x$.

Answer

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Answer

\(\boxed{f^{-1}(x) = \frac{12}{x}}\) is the final answer.

Steps

Step 1 :Let's find the inverse of the function $f(x)=\frac{12}{x}$. To do this, we switch the x and y (or f(x)) values and solve for y. This means we set x = $\frac{12}{y}$ and solve for y.

Step 2 :Solving for y, we get $y = \frac{12}{x}$. This is the inverse function, $f^{-1}(x)$.

Step 3 :We can verify this by substituting the inverse function into the original function and vice versa. If we get x as the result in both cases, then our inverse function is correct.

Step 4 :Substituting $f^{-1}(x)$ into $f(x)$, we get $f\left(f^{-1}(x)\right) = \frac{12}{f^{-1}(x)} = \frac{12}{\frac{12}{x}} = x$.

Step 5 :Substituting $f(x)$ into $f^{-1}(x)$, we get $f^{-1}\left(f(x)\right) = f^{-1}\left(\frac{12}{x}\right) = \frac{12}{\frac{12}{x}} = x$.

Step 6 :Since $f\left(f^{-1}(x)\right)=x$ and $f^{-1}\left(f(x)\right)=x$, we have verified that the inverse function is correct.

Step 7 :\(\boxed{f^{-1}(x) = \frac{12}{x}}\) is the final answer.

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