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Advanced Functions

Rational Functions #3

Warm Up 1: Trifles

Problem 1: When x is very, very large, what is the most important term of: f ( x) = 0.5 x3 + 10 x 2 + 2 x + 1

Problem 2: When x is very, very large, what is the most important term of: f ( x) = 4 x3 + x 4 + 2 x 2 − 20

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Warm Up 2:

Let’s analyze three functions. Plug in a very large positive x-value, and a very large negative x-value into them! Let’s find
the end behavior!

x +1 2x +1 x5 + 1
a ( x) = b( x ) = c( x) =
x2 + 1 x+5 x +1

a(1, 000) ≈ b(1, 000) ≈ c(1, 000) ≈

a(−1, 000) ≈ b(−1, 000) ≈ c(−1, 000) ≈

a(+ + +) = a(+ + +) = a(+ + +) =

a ( − − −) = a ( − − −) = a ( − − −) =

**** a(+++) means “a at a super big positive number”

Now let’s look at very slight changes to these functions.

x+3 2x −1 x5 + 4
d ( x) = 2 e( x ) = f ( x) =
x +2 x+3 x−2
I claim the end behavior will not really change if the functions were changed slightly. Explain.

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Ponder this… We’re dealing with large positive and large negative numbers. Look at the numerator and denominator
separately… figure out which term in the numerator is the most important, when evaluated at large positive and large
negative numbers? Similarly for the denominator… Circle that term!

x +1 2x +1 x5 + 1
a ( x) = b( x ) = c( x) =
x2 + 1 x+5 x +1

x+3 2x −1 x5 + 4
d ( x) = e( x ) = f ( x) =
x2 + 2 x+3 x−2

Can you explain why a ( x ) and d ( x) both have an output close to 0 for large x-values?

Can you explain why b( x) and e( x) both have an output close to 2 for large x-values?

Can you explain why c( x) and f ( x) both have a huuuuuuge ouput for large x-values?

What might you expect the outputs be for the following rational functions, for large positive x-values? Large negative?
Answer either with a number, or with a +∞ , or with a −∞ .

x6 − 2 5x6 − 2 5x6 − 2
p ( x) = a ( x) = c( x) =
x6 x6 + 1 x8 + 1
pos: neg: pos: neg: pos: neg:
6 6
5x − 2 −2 x − 2 −5 x6 − 2
k ( x) = 2 e( x) = r ( x) =
5x + 1 5 x3 + 1 2 x6 + 1
pos: neg: pos: neg: pos: neg:

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Section 2: End Behavior

We’ve built up rational functions. We’ve seen what strange things happen. We have vertical asymptotes and holes.

There are just two more things that you need to investigate before we put everything together in one big giant ball of
connected understanding: horizontal asymptotes and oblique asymptotes.

On Desmos, graph the following functions. Make sure you see what’s happening for large positive and negative x-values.
If there is a horizontal asymptote, list it. If not, write “none.”

2x x2 −1 x5 + 4 x 2 − 5
f ( x) = 2
HA: g ( x) = HA: h( x ) = HA:
x +1 −2 x 4 + 10 x7 + 7

3x 2 − 1 x2 −1 −4 x 2 − 1
f ( x) = HA: g ( x) = HA: h( x ) = HA:
x2 + 1 −2 x 2 + 10 2 x2 + 7

3x3 − 1 x2 + 2 x −1 x4 + 2 x −1
f ( x) = HA: g ( x) = HA: h( x ) = HA:
5x2 + 1 5x − 1 2 x2 + x + 7

Section 3: Oblique Asymptotes

Above are two graphs. The left graph has one vertical asymptote, but also something called an oblique (or slant)
asymptote. The right one has two vertical asymptotes, but it too has an oblique asymptote. Draw a dashed line on each
illustrating the oblique asymptote.

5x2 − 2 x + 1 25
Challenge: We can rewrite f ( x) = as f ( x) = 5 x − 12 +
x+2 x+2
(a) Graph f ( x) on Desmos. The oblique asymptote is y = 5 x − 12 . Graph that on the same Desmos page.
(b) What happens to f ( x) for large x-values? (Hint: Look at the second representation of f ( x) .)