Given a map
between sets
and
, the map
is called a right inverse to
provided that
, that is, composing
with
from the right gives the identity on
. Often
is a map of a specific type, such as a linear map between
vector spaces, or a continuous map between topological spaces, and in each such case,
one often requires a right inverse to be of the same type as that of
.
If has a right inverse, then
is surjective. Conversely,
if
is surjective
and the axiom of choice is assumed, then
has a right inverse, at least as a set mapping.