Difference between inverse and reverse?

(This followup was posted to alt.usage.english and a copy was sent to the cited author.)
[nq:1]Is there a significant difference? What is the exact difference? When would you use one but not the other?[/nq]
In general, reverse means to go back or turn around, as in "reverse one's course", while inverse means to be of a contrary nature, as in "standing on one's head is an inverted position"

[nq:2]Is there a significant difference? What is the exact difference? When would you use one but not the other?[/nq]
[nq:1]In general, reverse means to go back or turn around, as in "reverse one's course", while inverse means to be of a contrary nature, as in "standing on one's head is an inverted position".[/nq]
It seems that "reverse" can be a verb while "inverse" is never a verb.

Mike Henley hayshed:
[nq:1]Is there a significant difference? What is the exact difference? When would you use one but not the other?[/nq]
It depends on context. Most of the time, for me, "inverse" is a mathematical term while "reverse" is an everyday word.

Peter Moylan peter at ee dot newcastle dot edu dot au

[nq:1]Is it correct to say that to reverse also means to put something in an inverse position?[/nq]
Not in music, for example. Take the ascending sequence C-D-E. The reverse is E-D-C; the inverse is C-B flat-A flat.

[nq:1]Is there a significant difference? What is the exact difference? When would you use one but not the other?[/nq]
The one is vertical and the other his horizontal.

Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail

(This followup was posted to alt.usage.english and a copy was sent to the cited author.)
[nq:1]It seems that "reverse" can be a verb while "inverse" is never a verb.[/nq]
The verb would be "invert".
[nq:1]Is it correct to say that to reverse also means to put something in an inverse position?[/nq]
Not in my book.

dg (domain=ccwebster)

Mike Henley filted:
[nq:1]Is there a significant difference? What is the exact difference? When would you use one but not the other?[/nq]
"Inverse" means either "upside-down" or "inside-out"..."reverse" means "backside-front" or "leftside-right"..r

[nq:2]Is there a significant difference? What is the exact difference? When would you use one but not the other?[/nq]
[nq:1]The one is vertical and the other his horizontal.[/nq]
Not always. Consider subject-verb inversion, for example. This might be be vertical in Chinese, but I don't know if it occurs there.

Mark Barratt

[nq:2]It seems that "reverse" can be a verb while "inverse" is never a verb.[/nq]
[nq:1]The verb would be "invert".[/nq]
By the same token, the verb for "reverse" is "revert".

But the OP asked about reverse v. inverse, not revert v. invert.

[nq:1]Inverse also has mathematical definitions: (1) 1/x is the inverse of x for any real number x except zero.[/nq]
That is, the multiplicative inverse. "Reciprocal" is more precise in that sense, and I am in favor of keeping that word alive. After all, functions can have reciprocals. The reciprocal of the sine function is the cosecant; it inverse is the arcsine.

Joe Fineman joe (Ema