<s>[INST] Find $(f^{-1})' (a) $ for $f(x) = x - \frac {2}{x}$, $x < 0, a = 1$ The textbook answer is $\frac {1}{3}$, I went through all the steps, but couldn't interpret it.
Below were my steps.
Find $(f^{-1})' (a) $ for $f(x) = x - \frac {2}{x}$, x < 0, a = 1
First I tried to find the inverse, rearrange the equation to $$x = y - \frac{2}{y} \implies x = \frac{y^{2}-2}{y}$$
Rearrange, $xy=y^{2}-2 \implies y^{2}-xy-2 = 0$
Then, I tried to use the equation $\frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^{2}-4ac}}{2a}$, and I got:
$y = \frac{x \pm \sqrt{x^{2}+8}}{2}=f^{-1}$
Next, I tried to find $(f^{-1}){'}$, for both $+$ and $-$
$\frac{1}{2} \cdot (x' + ((x^{2}+8)^{\frac{1}{2}})')$
Apply chain rule:
$((x^{2}+8)^{\frac{1}{2}})'$ = $\frac{1}{2}(x^{2}+8)^{\frac{-1}{2}} \cdot2x$
Then do the same for -
And I got $(f^{-1})'$ = $\begin{cases} \frac{1}{2}\cdot(1+\frac{1}{2}(x^{2}+8)^{\frac{-1}{2}} \cdot2x) \\ \frac{1}{2}\cdot(1-\frac{1}{2}(x^{2}+8)^{\frac{-1}{2}} \cdot2x) \end{cases}$
When a = 1,
$(f^{-1})'=\begin{cases} \frac{\sqrt{9}+1}{2\sqrt{9}} = \frac{2}{3} \\ \frac{\sqrt{9}-1}{2\sqrt{9}} = \frac{1}{3} \end{cases}$
I need some help. It says when $x < 0$, but both of my answers are positive. How do I interpret it?
 [/INST] So the issue is you have not used $x<0$. By the way be careful when you use a variable like x. in one part you have used it for the domain and in one for the range set.
By using the quadratic formula you have obtained two solutions, so your question is which is the right one at $a=1$. When $a=1$
$$ 1= x-\frac{2}{x} $$
Hence,
$$x^2-x-2=0 $$
using the quadratic formula you will get two solution +1, -2, so you have only use the negative one. And hence your answer will be 1/3.
Another interesting way to solve this is, as you $f(-2)=1=a$, differentiate $f^{-1}(f(x))=x$ at x=-2 using the chain rule and you should get your required.
Hope this helped.
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