Chapter 8

Acting Rationally with Functions

In This Chapter

arrow Showing domain and range with asymptotes of rational functions

arrow Checking out removable discontinuities

arrow Going to the limit with limits

arrow Graphing rational functions

A rational number is a number that has a fractional basis — you can write it as a fraction with an integer in both the numerator and the denominator (except that the denominator can’t be 0). When the denominator of a rational number is a 1, then the number is an integer, too. For example, 9781118867037-eq08001.eps, 9781118867037-eq08002.eps, or 9781118867037-eq08003.eps are rational numbers. The 10 divided by 2 is equal to the integer 5, and the negative 6 divided by 1 is an integer. All integers are rational numbers, but not all rational numbers are integers.

You can construct a rational function by putting a polynomial in both the numerator ...

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