UNIVERSIDAD DE MONTERREY

VICERRECTORIA DE EDUCACIÓN MEDIA SUPERIOR

ACADEMIA DE MATEMÁTICAS
PROGRAMA MULTICULTURAL
CÁLCULO I
Guide 14 – Rational Function
Rational Function

A rational function is a function of the form:

P ( x)
r ( x) 
Q( x)

Where P and Q are polynomials.

Rational Functions and Asymptotes

The domain of a rational function consists of all the real numbers 𝑥 except those for which
the denominator is zero.

For example, if we sketch the graph of the function:

1
f ( x) 
x

First, note that the function is not defined at the value of 𝑥 where the denominator is zero,
which means that the function is not defined at 𝒙 = 𝟎.

The tables below show the behavior of f near zero.

This means that if we are getting closer to 𝑥 = 0 from the left side of the graph, the value
of y will be approaching to the −∞. But, if we get closer to 𝑥 = 0 from the right side of the
graph, then the value of y will be approaching to the + ∞.
So, the graph is as follows:

1
The line 𝑥 = 0 is called a vertical asymptote of the graph of f ( x)  , and the line 𝑦 = 0 is
x
a horizontal asymptote.

We can say that an asymptote is a line that the graph of the function gets closer to as it
travels along that line.

Definition of vertical and horizontal asymptotes

 The line x = a is a vertical asymptote of the function y = f(x) if approaches +∞ as x

approaches a from the left or right.

 The line 𝑦 = 𝑏 is a horizontal asymptote of the function 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) if 𝑦 approaches 𝑏 as

x approaches ±∞.

Transformations of a rational function

A rational function of the form:

𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏
𝑟(𝑥) =
𝑐𝑥 + 𝑑
 1
The function can be graphed by shifting, stretching and/or reflecting the graph of f ( x) 
x
using the different transformations seen before.

2
For example, the graph of f ( x)  can be
x3

1
obtained from the graph of f ( x)  by shifting 3 units to
x
the right and stretching vertically by a factor or 2. This means
that the vertical asymptote, instead of being at x = 0, will be
at x = 3. Since there is no movement horizontally, the
asymptote stays at y =0.

Graphing a Rational Function

There are other options to sketch the graph of a rational function. One method is like in the
section above; another is with a tabulator of values by giving value to x to obtain the value
of y. A third method can be to obtain the main elements of the functions such as the
asymptotes and axis interception points.

Step 1: Find the vertical and horizontal asymptotes.

Vertical asymptote: It occurs when the denominator is zero, that is when 𝑄(𝑥) = 0.

Horizontal asymptote: A rational function may have several vertical asymptotes,

but it can have at most one horizontal asymptote. It is an “invisible” horizontal line
that the graph of the function is always approaching but never touching at extreme
ends, and it is found following a simple theorem.

To summarize, the asymptotes are found by:

a) if 𝑛 < 𝑚, then the horizontal asymptote is zero, 𝑦 = 0.
𝑎
b) if 𝑛 = 𝑚, then the horizontal asymptote is 𝑦 = 𝑏𝑛
𝑛
c) if 𝑛 > 𝑚, then the horizontal asymptote does not exist.

𝑛, 𝑚, 𝑎, and 𝑏 are found in the polynomial function as seen in the following:

𝑎𝑛 𝑥 𝑛 + 𝑎𝑛−1 𝑥 𝑛−1 + ∙ ∙ ∙ + 𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑎0
𝑟(𝑥 ) =
𝑏𝑚 𝑥 𝑚 + 𝑏𝑚−1 𝑥 𝑚−1 + ∙ ∙ ∙ + 𝑏1 𝑥 + 𝑏0

Step 2: Find the x-intercept. This means to find the zeros of the function by equating the
function f(x) to zero and solving for the variable x.
Step 3: Find the y-intercept. This means to find at which value of 𝑦 the function passes
through the axis. This is done by evaluating the function, f(x) at 𝑥 = 0.

Step 4: Find additinal points to plot using values to the left and right of the vertical asymptote
to ensure a more accurate graph.

Step 5: Graph the information provided in the previous steps.

Example 1
3x  1
Graph the next function f ( x) 
2x  4

Step 1:

Vertical asymptote: we find it by equating the denominator to zero and solving for 𝑥.

2x  4  0
2 x  4
x4 2
x  2

We can conclude that the vertical asymptote is a line of the equation: 𝑥 = −2. Which means
that the Domain of the function includes all the real numbers except 𝑥 = −2.

Horizontal asymptote:

Look at the degree of the polynomials in both the denominator and the numerator (the
degree is the highest exponent on the independent variable).

There are three possibilities:

a. If the numerator has a lower degree than the denominator, then the horizontal
asymptote is the line y =0, which is the x-axis.
b. If the numerator and denominator have the same degree, then the horizontal
a
asymptote is the line y  where a is the leading coefficient in the numerator and
b
b is the leading coefficient in the denominator.
c. If the degree of the numerator is higher than the degree of the denominator, then
the graph of the function has no horizontal asymptote.

In this case, the degree of the numerator and of the denominator is 1. Since it is the same,
then the horizontal asymptote will be:
𝑎
𝑦=
𝑏
3
𝑦=
2
Step 2: to find the x-intercept we equate y to zero and then solve for x:
3x  1
f ( x) 
2x  4
3x  1
0
2x  4
3x  1  0(2 x  4)
3x  1  0
3x  1
1
x
3
𝟏
For the function f(x) we have found that the intercept on the x-axis is located on (− , 𝟎).
𝟑

Step 3: the y-intercept is found by evaluating f(0).

3x  1
f ( x) 
2x  4
3(0)  1
f (0) 
2(0)  4
1
f (0) 
4
𝟏
In this case, the intercept on the y-axis is at (𝟎, ).
𝟒

Step 4: We already found the equation for both horizontal and vertical asymptotes and the
x and y intercepts, but to have a more accurate graph we are going to find points on the
graph that are greater than and smaller than the vertical asymptote:
x -5 -4 -3 -1 1 2
3x  1
f ( x)  f(x) 7/3 11/4 4 -1 2/3 7/8
2x  4
Values of x smaller than the Values of x greater than the
vertical asymptote ( x = -2) vertical asymptote ( x = -2)

Step 5: We can plot all the information found above:

Example 2
1
Graph the next function f ( x)  3
x2

Step 1:

Vertical asymptote: we find it by equating the denominator to zero and solving for 𝑥.

x20
x  2

We can conclude that the vertical asymptote is a line of the equation: 𝑥 = −2. Which means
that the Domain of the function includes all the real numbers except 𝑥 = −2.

Horizontal asymptote:

If the second term were not included in the function, the horizontal asymptote would be y=0
since the numerator of the fraction has a lower degree than the denominator. But in this
case there is a -3 to consider. This means that the horizontal asymptote has been shifted
down 3.

The horizontal asymptote will be:

𝑦 =0−3
𝑦 = −3

Step 2: to find the x-intercept we equate y to zero and then solve for x:

1
f ( x)  3
x2
1
3 0
x2
1
3
x2
1  3( x  2)
1  3x  6
 3x  5
5
x
3
𝟓
For the function f(x) we have found that the intercept on the x-axis is located on (− 𝟑 , 𝟎).

Step 3: the y-intercept is found by evaluating f(0).

 1
f ( x)  3
x2
1
f (0)  3
02
1
f (0)   3
2
1 6
f (0)  
2 2
5
f (0)  
2
𝟓
In this case, the intercept on the y-axis is at (𝟎, − ).
𝟐

Step 4: We already found the equation for both horizontal and vertical asymptotes and the
x and y intercepts, but to have a more accurate graph we are going to find points that are
greater than and smaller than the vertical asymptote:
1
f ( x)  3 x -5 -4 -3 -1 1 2
x2 f(x) -10/3 -7/2 -4 -2 -8/3 -11/4

Values of x smaller than the Values of x greater than the

vertical asymptote ( x = -2) vertical asymptote ( x = -2)

Step 5: We can plot all the information found above:

Vertical
asymptote x=-2

(-1,-2)

(1,-8/3) (2,-11/4)

(-4,-7/2) Horizontal asymptote y=-3

(-5,-10/3) (-3,-4)
 UNIVERSIDAD DE MONTERREY
VICERRECTORIA DE EDUCACIÓN MEDIA SUPERIOR
ACADEMIA DE MATEMÁTICAS
PROGRAMA MULTICULTURAL
CÁLCULO I
Lab 14 – RATIONAL FUNCTION
Name: ___________________________________ ID: ___________
I. Instructions. Determine the domain and range of the following functions:

25
1. f ( x) 
x 1

x
2. f ( x) 
2x  7

II. Instructions. For each one of the following functions:

a. Find the equation for the vertical asymptote.

b. Find the equation for the horizontal asymptote.
c. Find the zero(s) of the function (x-intercept).
d. Find the y-intercept.
e. Graph with precision the function.
f. Write down the domain and range of the function.

3x  7
1. f ( x) 
x4
 4
2. f ( x)  1
x2

2x  1
3. y 
x3
 5
4. y 1
x

7
5. f ( x) 
2x  8
 2
6. f ( x)  4 
x5

1
7. f ( x) 
x
 2
8. f ( x) 
x 1

2x  6
9. f ( x) 
x 1
 x
10. f ( x) 
2x  7

Honor Pledge:_____________________________________________________
Signature: ______________