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    Horizontal and Slant Asymptotes

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    Anonymous NL4u0dtVbc
    This document discusses different types of asymptotes for rational functions: - Horizontal asymptotes are the constant values a rational function approaches as x grows large. Their equation is y = some constant. - To find the horizontal asymptote, compare the degrees of the numerator and denominator polynomials. - Slant asymptotes occur when the numerator degree is 1 larger than the denominator degree. They are found using long division to get the equation of a line y = f(x). - Multiple types of asymptotes may exist for a single rational function, so you need to check for horizontal, slant, and vertical asymptotes.

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    Horizontal and Slant Asymptotes

    Uploaded by

    Anonymous NL4u0dtVbc
    129 views4 pages
    This document discusses different types of asymptotes for rational functions: - Horizontal asymptotes are the constant values a rational function approaches as x grows large. Their equation is y = some constant. - To find the horizontal asymptote, compare the degrees of the numerator and denominator polynomials. - Slant asymptotes occur when the numerator degree is 1 larger than the denominator degree. They are found using long division to get the equation of a line y = f(x). - Multiple types of asymptotes may exist for a single rational function, so you need to check for horizontal, slant, and vertical asymptotes.

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    Horizontal and Slant Asymptotes

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    This document discusses different types of asymptotes for rational functions: - Horizontal asymptotes are the constant values a rational function approaches as x grows large. Their equation is y = some constant. - To find the horizontal asymptote, compare the degrees of the numerator and denominator polynomials. - Slant asymptotes occur when the numerator degree is 1 larger than the denominator degree. They are found using long division to get the equation of a line y = f(x). - Multiple types of asymptotes may exist for a single rational function, so you need to check for horizontal, slant, and vertical asymptotes.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    129 views4 pages

    Horizontal and Slant Asymptotes

    Uploaded by

    Anonymous NL4u0dtVbc
    This document discusses different types of asymptotes for rational functions: - Horizontal asymptotes are the constant values a rational function approaches as x grows large. Their equation is y = some constant. - To find the horizontal asymptote, compare the degrees of the numerator and denominator polynomials. - Slant asymptotes occur when the numerator degree is 1 larger than the denominator degree. They are found using long division to get the equation of a line y = f(x). - Multiple types of asymptotes may exist for a single rational function, so you need to check for horizontal, slant, and vertical asymptotes.

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    Horizontal and Slant Asymptotes

    Vertical asymptotes are fairly easy to find. Horizontal and slant asymptotes are a bit more
    complicated, though. Not actually complicated, but they require a little more work. Just warning
    you ahead of time.
    The horizontal asymptote is the value that the rational function approaches as it wings off into
    the far reaches of the x-axis. It's all about the graph's end behavior as x grows huge either in the
    positive or the negative direction. The equation of a horizontal asymptote will be "y = some
    constant number." Just like the equation of any horizontal line. Hint, hint.

    We've already seen a few horizontal asymptotes in the previous section, like in our buddy
    up there.

    Horizontal asymptotes aren't nearly as strict as vertical ones. It doesn't matter to them how many
    times they are crossed over, as long as the graph approaches them in the end.
    Now, here's how we find horizontal asymptotes. It's all a matter of degrees. The degree of the
    polynomial, that is:
    If the degree of the numerator (up top) is smaller than the degree of the denominator (down
    below), then the horizontal asymptote is the x-axis itself (y = 0).
    If the degree of the numerator (top dog) is equal to the degree of the denominator (down low
    Joe), then we look at the leading coefficient of each polynomial. Divide them out, and the
    horizontal asymptote is y = that number.
    Let's take one final look at

    . Each polynomial has degree 1. So, at that point we

    ignore every term except the leading coefficients. We have , and as expected, our graph has a
    horizontal asymptote at y = 1.
    Here's another one,

    The numerator has degree 1, while the denominator has degree 2. As x gets larger and larger
    let's say 1000check out the first term of each polynomial. We have
    . We have to
    squint to see a number that tiny, and it's going to get even smaller as x gets larger. That's why
    having a bottom-heavy rational expression leads to a horizontal asymptote at y = 0.

    Front-ways, Side-ways, and Slant-ways


    What will happen when a rational function is top-heavy by 1 in its degree? Will it tip and tumble
    downhill? No, even worse: it forces us to use long division.
    That's because a rational function with the degree of the numerator exactly 1 larger than the
    degree of the denominator has a slant asymptote. It's an asymptote that follows some line, y =
    f(x). We find the line by going through the long division of our polynomial fraction.

    Sample Problem
    Find the equation of any asymptotes of
    We've got to go through long division here.

    Our division has a remainder, but we don't care about that. Throw it out like week-old Chinese
    food. The equation of our slant asymptote is y = x + 4.
    Don't go celebrating just yet, though. We also need to look for vertical asymptotes and holes.
    Yes, we can have multiple types of asymptotes, plus points of discontinuity. Don't freak out over
    it; just remember to check for all of them. Factoring the numerator, we get:

    Nothing cancels out, so we just have a vertical asymptote at x = 1.

    See how the line approaches but never touches the line y = x + 4? Slant asymptotes are just as
    touchy as vertical ones. Poke at your own peril.
    For any rational function, we need to check for horizontal and slant asymptotes by scoping out
    the degree of each polynomial. Don't be a creeper, though; just ask to take a look. Unlike vertical
    asymptotes and holes, we will only find one horizontal or one slant asymptote.

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