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Rational Functions and Their Graphs

Let f(x) = x2 - 2 x Vertical: None Horizontal: None (n ≠ m) To find the slant asymptote, perform long division: x2 - 2 = x(x) + (-2) x Therefore, the slant asymptote is y = x So in summary, there are no vertical or horizontal asymptotes, but the slant asymptote is y = x.

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91 views33 pages

Rational Functions and Their Graphs

Let f(x) = x2 - 2 x Vertical: None Horizontal: None (n ≠ m) To find the slant asymptote, perform long division: x2 - 2 = x(x) + (-2) x Therefore, the slant asymptote is y = x So in summary, there are no vertical or horizontal asymptotes, but the slant asymptote is y = x.

Uploaded by

Romel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Rational Functions and Their Graphs

Why Should You Learn This?


 Rational functions are used to model and
solve many problems in the business world.
 Some examples of real-world scenarios are:
 Average speed over a distance (traffic
engineers)
 Concentration of a mixture (chemist)
 Average sales over time (sales manager)
 Average costs over time (CFO’s)
Introduction to Rational Functions

 What is a rational number? 5


A number that can be expressed as a fraction: , 3, 4.5
2
 So what is an irrational number?

A number that cannot be expressed as a fraction: , 2

 A rational function has the form


p( x)
f ( x) 
q( x)
where p and q are polynomial functions
Parent Function
 The parent function is
1
x
 The graph of the
parent rational
function looks
like…………………….

 The graph is not


continuous and has
asymptotes
Transformations
1
 The parent function x
1
 How does this move? 3
x
Transformations
1
 The parent function x
 How does this move?
1
( x  3)
Transformations
1
 The parent function x
 And what about this?
1
4
( x  2)
Transformations
1
 The parent function x
1
 How does this move? x 2
Transformations
1 1
2
2
x2 x

1 1
4
( x  3) 2 ( x  3) 2
Domain
f(x)  1
Find the domain of
x2
Think: what numbers can I put in for x????

Denominator can’t equal 0


(it is undefined there)
x20
x  2

Domain  , 2   2,  


You Do: Domain

Find the domain of f(x)  x -1


(x  1)(x  2)

Denominator can’t equal 0


 x  1 x  2   0
x  1, 2

Domain  , 2   2, 1   1,  


You Do: Domain

Find the domain of f(x)  x


x2  1

Denominator can’t equal 0


x2  1  0
x 2  1

Domain  ,  
Vertical Asymptotes
At the value(s) for which the domain is undefined,
there will be one or more vertical asymptotes. List
the vertical asymptotes for the problems below.

f(x)  1
x2 x  2
f(x)  x - 1 x  1, x  2
(x  1)(x  2)

f(x)  2x none
x 1
Vertical Asymptotes
f(x)  1
The figure below shows the graph of x2

The equation of the vertical asymptote is x  2


Vertical Asymptotes
Definition: The line x = a is a vertical
asymptote of the graph of f(x) if f  x   
or f  x    as x approaches “a” either from
the left or from the right.

Look at the table of values for f(x)  1


x2
Vertical Asymptotes
x f(x) x f(x)
-3 -1 -1 1
-2.5 -2 -1.5 2
-2.1 -10 -1.9 10
-2.01 -100 -1.99 100
-2.001 -1000 -1.999 1000
As x As x
approaches____-2 approaches____-2
from the _______,
left right
from the _______,

 
f(x) approaches f(x) approaches
_______. _______.
Therefore, by definition, there is a vertical asymptote at
x  2
Vertical Asymptotes - 4
Describe what is happening to x and determine if a vertical
asymptote exists, given the following information:
x f(x) x f(x)
-4 -1.333 -2 1
-2.5 2.2222
-3.5 -2.545
-3.1 -12.16 -2.9 11.837

-3.01 -120.2 -2.99 119.84


-3.001 -1200 -2.999 1199.8

As x As x
approaches____-3 -3
approaches____
left
from the _______, right
from the _______,

 
f(x) approaches f(x) approaches
_______. _______.
Therefore, a vertical asymptote occurs at x = -3.
Vertical Asymptotes
 Set denominator = 0; solve for x
 Substitute x-values into numerator. The
values for which the numerator ≠ 0 are the
vertical asymptotes
Example
2 x 2  3x  1
f ( x) 
x2

 What is the domain?


 x ≠ 2 so (, 2)  (2, )

 What is the vertical asymptote?


 x = 2 (Set denominator = 0, plug back into
numerator, if it ≠ 0, then it’s a vertical asymptote)
You Do
2 x2  7 x  4
f ( x)  2
x  x2
 Domain: x2 + x – 2 = 0
 (x + 2)(x - 1) = 0, so x ≠ -2, 1
(, 2)  (2,1)  (1, )

 Vertical Asymptote: x2 + x – 2 = 0
 (x + 2)(x - 1) = 0
 Neither makes the numerator = 0, so
 x = -2, x = 1
The graph of a rational function NEVER
crosses a vertical asymptote. Why?
2 x2  7 x  4
 Look at the last example: f ( x)  2
x  x2

Since the domain is (, 1)  (1, 2)  (2, ) , and


the vertical asymptotes are x = 2, -1, that
means that if the function crosses the
vertical asymptote, then for some y-value,
x would have to equal 2 or -1, which would
make the denominator = 0!
Class work 4-1
Asymptotes
Examples
4 2x
f ( x)  2 f ( x)  2
x 1 3x  1
Horizontal Asymptote at y = 0 Horizontal Asymptote at y = 0

The degree of the n < m, y =o is horizontal asymptote.


Examples
2x  1 5x 2  1
h( x)  g(x)  2
x1 2x  8
5
Horizontal Asymptote at y = 2 Horizontal Asymptote at y
2

What similarities do you see between problems?

The degree of the numerator is the same as the


degree or the denominator. n = m
Examples
3x  5x  4x  5
3 2
x2  9
f(x)  g(x) 
3x  1 x2
No Horizontal Asymptote n >m No Horizontal Asymptote n>m
Asymptotes: Summary
1. The graph of f has vertical asymptotes at the
_________
zeros of q(x).
2. The graph of f has at most one horizontal
asymptote, as follows:
line y = 0
a) If n < m, then the ____________ is a
horizontal asymptote. a
y
b) If n = m, then the line ____________
b is a
horizontal asymptote (leading coef. over
leading coef.)
no
c) If n > m, then the graph of f has ______
horizontal asymptote.
You Do
Find all vertical and horizontal asymptotes
of the following function
2x 1
f  x 
x 1

Vertical Asymptote: x = -1

Horizontal Asymptote: y = 2
You Do Again
Find all vertical and horizontal asymptotes
of the following function
4
f  x  2
x 1

Vertical Asymptote: None

Horizontal Asymptote: y = 0
Oblique/Slant Asymptotes
The graph of a rational function has a slant asymptote if
the degree of the numerator is exactly one more than the
degree of the denominator.Long division is used to find
slant asymptotes.
The only time you have an oblique asymptote is when
there is no horizontal asymptote. You cannot have both.
When doing long division, we do not care about the
remainder.
Example
Find all asymptotes.

x2  x  2
f  x 
x 1
Vertical Horizontal y=x
Slant
x
x=1 None y=x x 1 x2  x  2


 x2  x 
-2
Vertical x -1 =1
Horizontal since n not equal m No horizontal asymptote
Slant n > m use long division
Example
x2  2
 Find all asymptotes: f ( x) 
x 1
Vertical asymptote at x = 1
x 1
x 1 x2  2

-  x2  x 
n > m by exactly one, so no
horizontal asymptote, but there
is an oblique asymptote.
x2
Slant asymptote y = x + 1 ( x  1)
1
CW 4-2

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