In pure functional languages, is there an algorithm to get the inverse function?

Question

In pure functional languages like Haskell, is there an algorithm to get the inverse of a function, (edit) when it is bijective? And is there a specific way to program your f

Answer 1

In some cases, it is possible to find the inverse of a bijective function by converting it into a symbolic representation. Based on this example, I wrote this Haskell program to find inverses of some simple polynomial functions:

bijective_function x = x*2+1

main = do
    print $ bijective_function 3
    print $ inverse_function bijective_function (bijective_function 3)

data Expr = X | Const Double |
            Plus Expr Expr | Subtract Expr Expr | Mult Expr Expr | Div Expr Expr |
            Negate Expr | Inverse Expr |
            Exp Expr | Log Expr | Sin Expr | Atanh Expr | Sinh Expr | Acosh Expr | Cosh Expr | Tan Expr | Cos Expr |Asinh Expr|Atan Expr|Acos Expr|Asin Expr|Abs Expr|Signum Expr|Integer
       deriving (Show, Eq)

instance Num Expr where
    (+) = Plus
    (-) = Subtract
    (*) = Mult
    abs = Abs
    signum = Signum
    negate = Negate
    fromInteger a = Const $ fromIntegral a

instance Fractional Expr where
    recip = Inverse
    fromRational a = Const $ realToFrac a
    (/) = Div

instance Floating Expr where
    pi = Const pi
    exp = Exp
    log = Log
    sin = Sin
    atanh = Atanh
    sinh = Sinh
    cosh = Cosh
    acosh = Acosh
    cos = Cos
    tan = Tan
    asin = Asin
    acos = Acos
    atan = Atan
    asinh = Asinh

fromFunction f = f X

toFunction :: Expr -> (Double -> Double)
toFunction X = \x -> x
toFunction (Negate a) = \a -> (negate a)
toFunction (Const a) = const a
toFunction (Plus a b) = \x -> (toFunction a x) + (toFunction b x)
toFunction (Subtract a b) = \x -> (toFunction a x) - (toFunction b x)
toFunction (Mult a b) = \x -> (toFunction a x) * (toFunction b x)
toFunction (Div a b) = \x -> (toFunction a x) / (toFunction b x)


with_function func x = toFunction $ func $ fromFunction x

simplify X = X
simplify (Div (Const a) (Const b)) = Const (a/b)
simplify (Mult (Const a) (Const b)) | a == 0 || b == 0 = 0 | otherwise = Const (a*b)
simplify (Negate (Negate a)) = simplify a
simplify (Subtract a b) = simplify ( Plus (simplify a) (Negate (simplify b)) )
simplify (Div a b) | a == b = Const 1.0 | otherwise = simplify (Div (simplify a) (simplify b))
simplify (Mult a b) = simplify (Mult (simplify a) (simplify b))
simplify (Const a) = Const a
simplify (Plus (Const a) (Const b)) = Const (a+b)
simplify (Plus a (Const b)) = simplify (Plus (Const b) (simplify a))
simplify (Plus (Mult (Const a) X) (Mult (Const b) X)) = (simplify (Mult (Const (a+b)) X))
simplify (Plus (Const a) b) = simplify (Plus (simplify b) (Const a))
simplify (Plus X a) = simplify (Plus (Mult 1 X) (simplify a))
simplify (Plus a X) = simplify (Plus (Mult 1 X) (simplify a))
simplify (Plus a b) = (simplify (Plus (simplify a) (simplify b)))
simplify a = a

inverse X = X
inverse (Const a) = simplify (Const a)
inverse (Mult (Const a) (Const b)) = Const (a * b)
inverse (Mult (Const a) X) = (Div X (Const a))
inverse (Plus X (Const a)) = (Subtract X (Const a))
inverse (Negate x) = Negate (inverse x)
inverse a = inverse (simplify a)

inverse_function x = with_function inverse x

This example only works with arithmetic expressions, but it could probably be generalized to work with lists as well. There are also several implementations of computer algebra systems in Haskell that may be used to find the inverse of a bijective function.