Finding the fuction of rational equations

  • Thread starter skg94
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In summary, to find the equation of the two graphs, use the following steps:1. Begin with the simplest rational function, y=1/x.2. Shift the vertical asymptote by changing the denominator, y=1/(x-a).3. Shift the horizontal asymptote by adding a constant, y=c+1/(x-a).4. Change the shape of the function by multiplying by a constant, y=kc+1/(x-a).5. If there are any holes in the graph, add them in by multiplying by (x-d)/(x-d).6. Create a common denominator to convert the function into the general rational form y=f(x)/g(x).
  • #1
skg94
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Homework Statement



http://tinypic.com/r/14uet5i/6

just in case it didnt work

http://tinypic.com/r/14uet5i/6

how do i find the equation of those two graphs? Also


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



1. asym is at -2 so bottom must have (x+2) what's the equation if vertical discontinuity at (0,3) just x? so bottom would be (x^2+2x) ?


2. asy at 1 so (x-1) and discontinuity at -3 so, bottom is (x-1)(x+3) = idk/x^2+2x-3
 
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  • #2
using the dotted axes the lines look like mirror images right?

again using the dotted axes what would the equation be?

then just translate the dotted equation to the lined axes.
 
  • #3
skg94 said:

Homework Statement



http://tinypic.com/r/14uet5i/6

just in case it didnt work

http://tinypic.com/r/14uet5i/6

how do i find the equation of those two graphs? Also

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution



1. asym is at -2 so bottom must have (x+2) what's the equation if vertical discontinuity at (0,3) just x? so bottom would be (x^2+2x) ? 2. asy at 1 so (x-1) and discontinuity at -3 so, bottom is (x-1)(x+3) = idk/x^2+2x-3

Begin with the simplest rational function: y = 1/x.
You already know that we can shift the vertical asymptote of x=0 by changing the denominator into y = 1/(x-a) for an x-asymptote of x=a.

But what if we want a different horizontal asymptote? Well, what if we shift everything up by 1 by adding 1 to the function? So we have y= 1 + 1/x. This gives us a horizontal asymptote at y=1. So essentially, if we want a horizontal asymptote at y=c, then we make our rational function y= c + 1/x.

But what if want the shape of the function to be a little different? For example, the graph y=1/x has the point (1,1) but what if want the asymptotes to stay the same but instead we want it to have the point (1,2)? Well, we just multiply the function by 2 to get y=2/x because at x=1 we now get y=2 instead of y=1. So in general, if you want y=1/x to have the point (1,k) instead of (1,1) then we multiply by k to get y= k/x.
If our asymptotes change however, then you need to take that into account too. The point (1,k) is 1 unit in the x direction to the right of the vertical asymptote and the point k is k units in the y direction above the horizontal asymptote.

Finally, tying everything together -
If we want the rational function that has a vertical asymptote at x=a, a horizontal asymptote at y=c and the point 1 unit to the right of the vertical asymptote with a value of k units above the horizontal asymptote, then our function will be

[tex]y=c+\frac{k}{x-a}[/tex]

And converting this into the general rational function form [itex]y=f(x)/g(x)[/itex] is easily done by creating a common denominator.

p.s. I just noticed that your functions have holes in them. This is easily added to your function by noticing that if you have a function y=f(x), then the function
[tex]y=f(x)\cdot\frac{x-d}{x-d}[/tex]
is the line y=f(x) with a hole at x=d.
 

FAQ: Finding the fuction of rational equations

What is a rational equation?

A rational equation is an equation that contains at least one fraction with a variable in the denominator. It can be written in the form of p(x)/q(x), where p(x) and q(x) are polynomial functions.

How do you find the function of a rational equation?

To find the function of a rational equation, you must first simplify the equation by eliminating any common factors and then solve for the variable in the numerator. This will give you the function in terms of the variable in the numerator.

What are the steps to solve a rational equation?

The steps to solve a rational equation are:

  1. Factor both the numerator and denominator
  2. Eliminate any common factors
  3. Set the numerators equal to each other
  4. Solve for the variable in the numerator
  5. Check for extraneous solutions

Can a rational equation have more than one solution?

Yes, a rational equation can have more than one solution. This is because rational equations can have multiple values for the variable that make the equation true. It is important to check for extraneous solutions to make sure you have found all valid solutions.

How can rational equations be used in real life?

Rational equations can be used in various real life situations such as calculating the speed of a moving object, determining the concentration of a solution, or finding the optimal price for a product. They are also commonly used in economics, physics, and chemistry to model real world scenarios.

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