Reciprocal Function
The reciprocal function is a mathematical function that calculates the reciprocal (multiplicative inverse) of a given input number
The reciprocal function is a mathematical function that calculates the reciprocal (multiplicative inverse) of a given input number. The reciprocal of a number “a” is obtained by dividing 1 by “a”, denoted as 1/a.
The general form of a reciprocal function is:
f(x) = 1 / x
This function is defined for all real numbers except when x = 0, because dividing any number by zero is undefined.
Graphically, the reciprocal function produces a hyperbola. As x moves away from zero (either positively or negatively), the value of the reciprocal function approaches zero. As x approaches zero, the value of the reciprocal function tends to infinity. This creates two asymptotes: one at x = 0 and one at y = 0.
To understand the behavior of the reciprocal function, consider the following examples:
1. When x = 1, f(1) = 1/1 = 1. This means that the reciprocal of 1 is 1.
2. When x = 2, f(2) = 1/2 = 0.5. This means that the reciprocal of 2 is 0.5.
3. When x = -3, f(-3) = 1/(-3) = -0.3333…. This means that the reciprocal of -3 is approximately -0.333.
In summary, the reciprocal function calculates the inverse of a given number by dividing 1 by that number. It is defined for all real numbers except for 0 and produces a hyperbolic graph with asymptotes at x = 0 and y = 0.
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