Finding Vertical and Horizontal Asymptotes
At about the 286 second mark, he says "x minus 3" when he should be saying "x minus 2".
In this lesson, we learn how to find the vertical and horizontal asymptotes of a function. To find the vertical asymptote, we set the function equal to zero and solve for x, which gives us the line that the function approaches but never touches. The domain of the function excludes this line. To find the horizontal asymptote, we look at the degrees of the polynomials and apply a test which tells us whether the asymptote is at zero, a constant, or infinity. These lines act as barriers that the function cannot cross or touch.
Finding the vertical and horizontal asymptote of a function
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- What is a vertical asymptote?
- How can I find the domain of a rational function?
- How can I find the horizontal asymptote of a rational function?
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Staff Review
The instructor demonstrates how to find the domain and vertical asymptote for a rational function by setting the denominator equal to zero. He also shows how to find the horizontal asymptote by using the degree of both the numberator and denominator.
