Calculus Query

[Manoel]

Originally Posted by EricH

A 1-1 function (also written as one-to-one) is one that only goes down or up, not both, over its entire length. I don't understand why Denman says you can only call a function if it's 1-1 in theory, but he may know more than I do, which is quite likely. However, y=x^2 is a function, and it's not 1-1.

Well, that's not the definition of a one-to-one function; in general it is, indeed, a consequence of the function being one-to-one. However, it does not apply to every function. For example: y = x^3 would be one-to-one by your definition, but, if you consider its complex roots*, then it is not.

* - For the record, I never had much of a formal, theoretical education on complex numbers, just its practical applications. Therefore, I may be wrong on the above statement.