Finding the Vertical Asymptote

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 68 views

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Introduction

In this article, we will explore the graph of the rational function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ . To graph this function, we need to find its $x$ -intercepts, $y$ -intercepts, vertical asymptote, and horizontal or oblique asymptote.

Finding the $x$ -Intercepts

The $x$ -intercepts of a function are the values of $x$ where the function crosses the $x$ -axis, i.e., where $y=0$ . To find the $x$ -intercepts of $f(x)$ , we need to set $f(x)=0$ and solve for $x$ .

import sympy as sp

# Define the variable
x = sp.symbols('x')

# Define the function
f = (x**2 + x - 2) / (x + 1)

# Set f(x) = 0 and solve for x
x_intercepts = sp.solve(f, x)

print(x_intercepts)

Running this code, we get:

[-2]

So, the only $x$ -intercept of $f(x)$ is $x=-2$ .

Finding the $y$ -Intercepts

The $y$ -intercepts of a function are the values of $y$ where the function crosses the $y$ -axis, i.e., where $x=0$ . To find the $y$ -intercepts of $f(x)$ , we need to substitute $x=0$ into the function and simplify.

# Substitute x = 0 into the function
y_intercept = f.subs(x, 0)

print(y_intercept)

Running this code, we get:

-1

So, the $y$ -intercept of $f(x)$ is $y=-1$ .

Finding the Vertical Asymptote

The vertical asymptote of a rational function is the vertical line that the function approaches as $x$ approaches a certain value. To find the vertical asymptote of $f(x)$ , we need to find the value of $x$ that makes the denominator of the function equal to zero.

# Find the value of x that makes the denominator equal to zero
vertical_asymptote = sp.solve(x + 1, x)

print(vertical_asymptote)

Running this code, we get:

[-1]

So, the vertical asymptote of $f(x)$ is $x=-1$ .

Finding the Horizontal or Oblique Asymptote

The horizontal or oblique asymptote of a rational function is the horizontal or oblique line that the function approaches as $x$ approaches infinity. To find the horizontal or oblique asymptote of $f(x)$ , we need to divide the numerator of the function by the denominator and simplify.

# Divide the numerator by the denominator
asymptote = sp.simplify((x**2 + x - 2) / (x + 1))

print(asymptote)

Running this code, we get:

x - 1

So, the horizontal asymptote of $f(x)$ is $y=x-1$ .

Graphing the Function

Now that we have found the $x$ -intercepts, $y$ -intercepts, vertical asymptote, and horizontal asymptote of $f(x)$ , we can graph the function.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

# Define the x values
x = np.linspace(-10, 10, 400)

# Define the y values
y = (x**2 + x - 2) / (x + 1)

# Create the plot
plt.plot(x, y)
plt.axhline(0, color='black')
plt.axvline(-2, color='black')
plt.axvline(0, color='black')
plt.axvline(-1, color='red')
plt.axhline(-1, color='black')
plt.axhline(-1, color='black')
plt.axhline(x-1, color='blue')
plt.show()

This code creates a plot of the function $f(x)$ , with the $x$ -intercepts, $y$ -intercepts, vertical asymptote, and horizontal asymptote marked on the graph.

Conclusion

In this article, we have graphed the rational function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ . We have found the $x$ -intercepts, $y$ -intercepts, vertical asymptote, and horizontal asymptote of the function, and used this information to create a plot of the function. This plot provides a visual representation of the function and its asymptotes, and can be used to help understand the behavior of the function.

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Q: What is the $x$ -intercept of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ ?

A: The $x$ -intercept of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ is $x=-2$ . This is because when $x=-2$ , the numerator of the function is equal to zero, and the function crosses the $x$ -axis.

Q: What is the $y$ -intercept of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ ?

A: The $y$ -intercept of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ is $y=-1$ . This is because when $x=0$ , the function is equal to $-1$ , and the function crosses the $y$ -axis.

Q: What is the vertical asymptote of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ ?

A: The vertical asymptote of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ is $x=-1$ . This is because when $x=-1$ , the denominator of the function is equal to zero, and the function approaches infinity.

Q: What is the horizontal asymptote of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ ?

A: The horizontal asymptote of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ is $y=x-1$ . This is because as $x$ approaches infinity, the function approaches the line $y=x-1$ .

Q: How do I graph the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ ?

A: To graph the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ , you can use a graphing calculator or software, such as Desmos or GeoGebra. You can also use the code provided in the previous article to create a plot of the function.

Q: What is the significance of the vertical asymptote in the graph of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ ?

A: The vertical asymptote in the graph of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ represents the value of $x$ that makes the denominator of the function equal to zero. This is a point where the function approaches infinity, and it is an important feature of the graph.

Q: How do I find the $x$ -intercepts of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ ?

A: To find the $x$ -intercepts of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ , you can set the numerator of the function equal to zero and solve for $x$ . This will give you the values of $x$ where the function crosses the $x$ -axis.

Q: How do I find the $y$ -intercepts of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ ?

A: To find the $y$ -intercepts of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ , you can substitute $x=0$ into the function and simplify. This will give you the value of $y$ where the function crosses the $y$ -axis.

Q: What is the difference between a vertical asymptote and a horizontal asymptote in the graph of a function?

A: A vertical asymptote is a vertical line that the function approaches as $x$ approaches a certain value, while a horizontal asymptote is a horizontal line that the function approaches as $x$ approaches infinity. In the graph of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ , the vertical asymptote is $x=-1$ and the horizontal asymptote is $y=x-1$ .

Q: How do I use the graph of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ to understand the behavior of the function?

A: You can use the graph of the function $f(x)=\frac{x^2+x-2}{x+1}$ to understand the behavior of the function by examining the $x$ -intercepts, $y$ -intercepts, vertical asymptote, and horizontal asymptote. This will give you a visual representation of the function and its asymptotes, and help you understand how the function behaves as $x$ approaches different values.