Difference between revisions of "Involution"

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An involution is a function whose inverse is itself.
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An involution is a function whose inverse is itself.  
  
  
 
== Examples ==
 
== Examples ==
 
* The function <math>y(x)=x</math> has the inverse <math>x(y)=y</math>, which is the same function, and thus <math>f(x)=x</math> is an involution.
 
* The function <math>y(x)=x</math> has the inverse <math>x(y)=y</math>, which is the same function, and thus <math>f(x)=x</math> is an involution.
* The logical NOT is an involution because <math>\neg \neg p} \equiv p</math>.
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* The [[logical NOT]] is an involution because <math>\neg \neg p} \equiv p</math>.
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* The additive negation is an involution because <math>--x=x</math>.
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* The [[multiplicative inverse]] is an involution because <math>\frac{1}{\frac{1}{x}}=x</math>. In fact, for any <math>n \neq 0</math>, <math>f(x)=\frac{n}{x}</math> is an involution.
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== Properties ==
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* An function is an involution [[iff]] it is symmetric about the line <math>f(x)=x</math> in the coordinate plane.

Revision as of 19:29, 19 September 2008

An involution is a function whose inverse is itself.


Examples

  • The function $y(x)=x$ has the inverse $x(y)=y$, which is the same function, and thus $f(x)=x$ is an involution.
  • The logical NOT is an involution because $\neg \neg p} \equiv p$ (Error compiling LaTeX. Unknown error_msg).
  • The additive negation is an involution because $--x=x$.
  • The multiplicative inverse is an involution because $\frac{1}{\frac{1}{x}}=x$. In fact, for any $n \neq 0$, $f(x)=\frac{n}{x}$ is an involution.

Properties

  • An function is an involution iff it is symmetric about the line $f(x)=x$ in the coordinate plane.