In computing real-valued functions, it is ordinarily assumed that the input to the function is known, and it is the output that we need to approximate. In this work, we take the opposite approach: we show how to compute the values of some transcendental functions by approximating the input to these functions, and obtaining exact answers for their output. Our approach assumes only the most rudimentary knowledge of algebra and trigonometry, and makes no use of calculus. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)