In Try This 1 you began to explore a simple rational function. A rational function f(x) is a function that can be written as , where g(x) and h(x) are polynomial functions and h(x) ≠ 0.
The rational function from Try This 1 can be written as and has the same typical shape as a function of the form . This function has a vertical asymptote at x = 0 and a horizontal asymptote at y = 0. This is because, if you rewrite the function as x × y = a, you realize that neither x nor y can equal zero if a is a non-zero number. Watch Rational Function Asymptotes to explore the asymptotes.
It is possible to transform rational functions just like other functions? Try This 2 explores this idea.
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