
Existence of an Inverse
There are two numbers that f takes to 4, f(2) = 4 and f(-2) = 4. If f had an inverse, then the fact that f(2) = 4 would imply that the inverse of f takes 4 back to 2. On the other hand, since f(-2) = 4, the inverse of f would have to take 4 to -2.