2014 H2 Mathematics Paper 1 Question 1

Functions

Answers

f3(x)=x{f^3(x)=x}

Full solutions

(i)

f2(x)=f(11x)=1111x=1÷1x11x=1×1xx=x1x\begin{align*} f^2(x) &= f \left( \frac{1}{1-x} \right) \\ &= \frac{1}{1-\frac{1}{1-x}} \\ &= 1 \div \frac{1-x-1}{1-x} \\ &= 1 \times \frac{1-x}{-x} \\ &= \frac{x-1}{x} \end{align*}
y=11xyxy=1xy=y1x=y1y\begin{gather*} y = \frac{1}{1-x} \\ y-xy = 1 \\ xy = y-1 \\ x = \frac{y-1}{y} \end{gather*}
f1(x)=x1x\therefore f^{-1}(x) = \frac{x-1}{x}
Hence f2(x)=f1(x)  {f^2(x)=f^{-1}(x) \; \blacksquare}

(ii)

f3(x)=ff2(x)=ff1(x)=x  \begin{align*} f^3(x) &= ff^2(x) \\ &= ff^{-1}(x) \\ &= x \; \blacksquare \end{align*}