1. Horizontal Vertical Slant and Holes Dr.Osama A Rashwan
ASYMPTOTES
Horizontal
Vertical
Slant
and Holes
Dr.Osama A Rashwan

2. Definition of an asymptoteتعريف الخطوط التقاربية
An asymptote is a straight line which acts as a boundary for the graph of a function.
الخط الذي يمثل حدا للمنحنى الممثل للدالة يسمى بالخط التفاربي له
When a function has an asymptote (and not all functions have them) the function gets closer and closer to the asymptote as the input value to the function approaches either a specific value a or positive or negative infinity.
ليس كل الدوال لها خطوط تقاربية والدالة التي لها خطوط تقاربية تقترب منها عند قيم معينه أو عند موجب أو سالب مالانهاية
The functions most likely to have asymptotes are rational functions
الدوال التي لها خطوط تقاربية غالبا ما تكون دوال كسرية

3. Vertical Asymptotes الخطوط التقاربية الرأسية
Vertical asymptotes occur when the
following condition is met:
The denominator of the simplified
rational function is equal to 0.
Remember, the simplified rational
function has cancelled any factors
common to both the numerator and
denominator.
تحدد الخطوط التقاربية الرأسية للدالة الكسرية نحذف العوامل المشتركة بين يسطها ومقامها أولا ثم بمساواة المقام بالصفر نحصل على معادلات الخطوط التقاربية الرأسية بوضع كل عامل من عوامل المقام يساوي صفر

4. Finding Vertical Asymptotes Example 1 مثال 1
Given the function
The first step is to cancel any factors common to both numerator and denominator. In this case there are none.
The second step is to see where the denominator of the simplified function equals 0.

5. Finding Vertical Asymptotes Example 1 Con’t. تابع مثال1
The vertical line x = -1 is the only vertical asymptote for the function. As the input value x to this function gets closer and closer to -1 the function itself looks and acts more and more like the vertical line
x = -1.

6. Graph of Example 1
The vertical dotted line at x = –1 is the vertical asymptote.

7. Finding Vertical Asymptotes Example 2 مثال2If
First simplify the
function. Factor
both numerator
and denominator
and cancel any
common factors.

8. Finding Vertical Asymptotes Example 2 Con’t. تابع مثال2
The asymptote(s) occur where the simplified denominator equals 0.
The vertical line x=3 is the only vertical asymptote for this function.
As the input value x to this function gets closer and closer to 3 the function itself looks more and more like the vertical line x=3.

9. Graph of Example 2 The vertical dotted line at
x = 3 is the vertical asymptote

10. Finding Vertical Asymptotes Example 3 مثال3If
Factor both the
numerator and
denominator and cancel
any common factors.
In this case there are no
common factors to
cancel.

11. Finding Vertical Asymptotes Example 3 Con’t. تابع مثال3
The denominator equals zero whenever either or
This function has two vertical asymptotes, one at x = -2 and the other at x = 3

12. Graph of Example 3 The two vertical dotted lines at
x = -2 and x = 3 are the vertical asymptotes

13. Horizontal Asymptotes
Horizontal asymptotes occur when either one of the following conditions is met (you should notice that both conditions cannot be true for the same function).
The degree of the numerator is less than the degree of the denominator. In this case the asymptote is the horizontal line y = 0.
The degree of the numerator is equal to the degree of the denominator. In this case the asymptote is the horizontal line y = a/b where a is the leading coefficient in the numerator and b is the leading coefficient in the denominator.
When the degree of the numerator is greater than the degree of the denominator there is no horizontal asymptote
تحدد الخطوط التقاربية الأفقية من قيمة نهاية الدالة عند اللانهاية وتكون معادلة الخط التقاربي الأفقي هي
Y= قيمة نهاية الدالة عند اللانهاية
وعليه y=0 هي معادلة الخط التقاربي الأفقي عندما تكون درجة البسط أقل من درجة المقام
ولا يوجد خط تقاربي أفقي عندما تكون درجة المقام أقل من درجة البسط

14. Finding Horizontal Asymptotes Example 4 مثال4If
then there is a horizontal asymptote at the line y=0 because the degree of the numerator (2) is less than the degree of the denominator (3). This means that as x gets larger and larger in both the positive and negative directions (x → ∞ and x → -∞)
the function itself looks more and more like the horizontal line y = 0

15. Graph of Example 4
The horizontal line y = 0 is the horizontal asymptote.

16. Finding Horizontal Asymptotes Example 5If
then because the degree of the numerator (2) is equal to the degree of the denominator (2) there is a horizontal asymptote at the line y=6/5. Note, 6 is the leading coefficient of the numerator and 5 is the leading coefficient of the denominator. As x→∞ and as x→-∞ g(x) looks more and more like the line y=6/5

17. Graph of Example 5
The horizontal dotted line at y = 6/5 is the horizontal asymptote.

18. Finding Horizontal Asymptotes Example 6If
There are no horizontal asymptotes because the degree of the numerator is greater than the degree of the denominator.

19. Graph of Example 6

20. Slant Asymptotes
Slant asymptotes occur when the degree of the numerator is exactly one bigger than the degree of the denominator. In this case a slanted line (not horizontal and not vertical) is the function’s asymptote.
To find the equation of the asymptote we need to use long division – dividing the numerator by the denominator.

21. Finding a Slant Asymptote Example 7If
There will be a slant asymptote because the degree of the numerator (3) is one bigger than the degree of the denominator (2).
Using long division, divide the numerator by the denominator.

22. Finding a Slant Asymptote Example 7 Con’t.

23. Finding a Slant Asymptote Example 7 Con’t.
We can ignore the remainder
The answer we are looking for is the quotient
and the equation of the slant asymptote is

24. Graph of Example 7
The slanted line
y = x + 3 is the slant asymptote

26. Holes
Holes occur in the graph of a rational function whenever the numerator and denominator have common factors. The holes occur at the x value(s) that make the common factors equal to 0.
The hole is known as a removable singularity or a removable discontinuity.
When you graph the function on your calculator you won’t be able to see the hole but the function is still discontinuous (has a break or jump).

27. Finding a Hole Example 8 Remember the function
We were able to cancel the (x + 3) in the numerator and denominator before finding the vertical asymptote.
Because (x + 3) is a common factor there will be a hole at the point where

28. Graph of Example 8
Notice there is a hole in the graph at the point where x = -3. You would not be able to see this hole if you graphed the curve on your calculator (but it’s there just the same.)

29. Finding a Hole Example 9 If
Factor both numerator and denominator to see if there are any common factors.
Because there is a common factor of x - 2 there will be a hole at x = 2. This means the function is undefined at x = 2. For every other x value the function looks like

30. Graph of Example 9
There is a hole in the curve at the point where x = 2. This curve also has a vertical asymptote at
x = -2 and a slant asymptote y = x.

31. Problems
Find the vertical asymptotes, horizontal asymptotes, slant asymptotes and holes for each of the following functions. (Click mouse to see answers.)
Vertical: x = -2
Horizontal : y = 1
Slant: none
Hole: at x = - 5
Vertical: x = 3
Horizontal : none
Slant: y = 2x +11
Hole: none

33. Just to refresh your memory, consider the following limits.
Good job if you saw this as “limit does not exist” indicating a vertical asymptote at x = -2.
This limit is indeterminate. With some algebraic manipulation, the zero factors could cancel and reveal a real number as a limit. In this case, factoring leads to……
The limit exists as x approaches 2 even though the function does not exist. In the first case, zero in the denominator led to a vertical asymptote; in the second case the zeros cancelled out and the limit reveals a hole in the graph at (2, ¼).