GENERAL MATHEMATICS

Asymptotes of
Rational
Functions
 DEFINITION OF ASYMPTOTE

An asymptote is a straight line which acts as a

boundary for the graph of a function.

NOTE:
 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.
 The functions most likely to have asymptotes are
rational functions
 VERTICAL ASYMPTOTE

Given the rational function 𝒇 = , if p(x) and q(x)

have no common factors, then f(x) has vertical
asymptote(s) when q(x) = 0. Thus the graph has vertical
asymptotes at the zeros of the denominator.
Vertical Asymptotes occur when the following condition
is met:
 The denominator of the simplified rational function is
equal to 0.
Note: the simplified rational function has cancelled
any factors common to both the numerator
and denominator.
 VERTICAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
− 𝑥
1. Find the vertical asymptote of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥+
A. The first step is to cancel any factors common to both
numerator and denominator. In this case there are none.
B. Identify where the denominator of the simplified
function equals 0.

+ 𝑥=
𝑥=−
This is the equation of
the vertical asymptote
𝑥=−
 VERTICAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
− 𝑥
Graph of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥+

The vertical dotted

line at x = –1 is the
vertical asymptote.
 VERTICAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
𝑥 + 𝑥+
2. Find the vertical asymptote of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 −
A. Cancel any factors common to both numerator and
denominator.

𝑥 + 𝑥+ 𝑥+ 𝑥+
=
𝑥 −9 𝑥− 𝑥+
𝑥+
=
𝑥−
B. Set the denominator to 0.
𝑥− =
This is the equation of
𝑥=
the vertical asymptote
 VERTICAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
𝑥 + 𝑥+
Graph of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 −

The vertical dotted

line at x = 3 is the
vertical asymptote.
 VERTICAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
𝑥−
3. Find the vertical asymptote of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 −𝑥−
A. Cancel any factors common to both numerator and
denominator. In this case there are none.
𝑥− 𝑥−
=
𝑥 −𝑥− 𝑥− 𝑥+
B. Set the denominator to 0.
𝑥− 𝑥+ =
𝑥 − = 𝑜𝑟 𝑥 + =
These are the equations 𝑥= 𝑜𝑟
of the vertical asymptotes 𝑥=−
 VERTICAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
𝑥−
Graph of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 −𝑥−

The two vertical dotted

lines at x = -2 and x = 3
are the vertical
asymptotes
 HORIZONTAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
Given the rational function 𝒇 = , the horizontal
asymptote is determined by looking at the degrees of p(x)
and q(x).
NOTE:
 If the degree of p(x) is less than the degree of q(x), then the
horizontal asymptote is y = 0.
 If the degree of p(x) is equal to the degree of q(x), then the
horizontal asymptote is
leading coefficient of p( x)
y .
leading coefficient of q( x)
 If the degree of p(x) is greater than the degree of q(x),
then there is no horizontal asymptote.
 HORIZONTAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
𝑥 + 𝑥−
1. Find the horizontal asymptote of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 −

Degree of numerator = 2
Degree of denominator = 3

Since the degree of the numerator is less that the degree of

the denominator, the horizontal asymptote of f(x) is y=0.

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
 HORIZONTAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
𝑥 + 𝑥−
Graph of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 −

The horizontal line y = 0

is the horizontal
asymptote.
 HORIZONTAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
𝑥 − 𝑥+
2. Find the horizontal asymptote of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 + 𝑥−
Degree of numerator = 2
Degree of denominator = 2
Since the degree of the numerator equal to the degree of the
denominator, the horizontal asymptote of f(x) is = .

Note, 6 is the leading coefficient of the numerator and 5 is

the leading coefficient of the denominator. As x → ∞ and as
x → -∞ , f(x) looks more and more like the line y=6/5
 HORIZONTAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
𝑥 − 𝑥+
2. Graph of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 + 𝑥−

The horizontal dotted

line at y = 6/5 is the
horizontal asymptote.
 HORIZONTAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
− 𝑥 + 𝑥−
3. Find the horizontal asymptote of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 +
Degree of numerator = 3
Degree of denominator = 2

There is no horizontal asymptote because the degree of the

numerator is greater than the degree of the denominator.
 HORIZONTAL ASYMPTOTE OF A
RATIONAL FUNCTION
− 𝑥 + 𝑥−
Graph of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 +

There is no horizontal
asymptote
 SLANT ASYMPTOTES

Slant asymptotes occur when the degree of the numerator

is exactly one higher than the degree of the denominator.
In this case a slanted line (not horizontal and not vertical)
is the function’s asymptote.

NOTE:
To find the equation of the asymptote we need to use long
division – dividing the numerator by the denominator.
 SLANT ASYMPTOTES

𝑥 + 𝑥 + 𝑥−
1. Find the slant asymptote of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 −𝑥+
Degree of numerator = 3
Degree of denominator = 2

There will be a slant asymptote because the degree of the

numerator is one higher than the degree of the denominator.

To find the slant asymptote of f(x), divide the numerator by

the denominator.
 SLANT ASYMPTOTES
x3
x 2  x  1 x3  2 x 2  5x  9

 x3  x 2  x 
3x 2  4 x  9

 3x 2  3x  3 
7 x  12
We can ignore the remainder 𝑥 −
The answer we are looking for is the quotient 𝑥 +
Thus, the equation of the slant asymptote is = + 𝟑
 SLANT ASYMPTOTE

𝑥 + 𝑥 + 𝑥−
Graph of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 −𝑥+

The slanted line

y = x + 3 is the slant
asymptote
 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.

NOTE:
The hole is known as a removable singularity or a
removable discontinuity.
 HOLES

𝑥 + 𝑥+
Remember the function 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 −
𝑥 + 𝑥+ 𝑥+ 𝑥+
=
𝑥 −9 𝑥− 𝑥+

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 x + 3 = 0. Thus, there is a hole in the graph
at x = -3
 HOLES

𝑥 + 𝑥+
Graph of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 −

Notice there is a hole in

the graph at the point
where x = -3.
 HOLES

𝑥 −
1. Find the hole in the graph of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 −
Factor the numerator and the denominator to see if there
are any common factors.

x 3  8 x  2x 2  2 x  4
f x   2 
x 4 x  2x  2
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.
 HOLES

𝑥 −
Graph of 𝑓 𝑥 = .
𝑥 −

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.
 ASYMPTOTES AND HOLES OF
RATIONAL FUNCTIONS
Exercises
Find the vertical asymptotes, horizontal asymptotes,
slant asymptotes and holes for each of the following
functions.

x 2  2 x  15
1. f  x   2
x  7 x  10
2 x2  5x  7
2. g  x  
x 3