Rational Equations

and Inequalities

R. B. Ponsones
• Recall: A rational expression is an algebraic expression that
is of the form
𝒑(𝒙)
•
𝒒(𝒙)
• where 𝒑(𝒙) and 𝒒(𝒙) are polynomials and 𝒒(𝒙) ≠ 𝟎.
• Examples of rational expressions:
𝒙+𝟐 𝟏𝟎 𝟑𝒙𝟒 −𝒙+𝟏
• a. b. 𝟐 c.
𝟐𝒙−𝟏 𝒙 +𝟑 𝒙+𝟏

R. B. Ponsones
 Rational Equations Leading
to Quadratic Equations
• Ex. Solve each equation.
𝒙−𝟏 𝟑𝒙+𝟓 𝒙+𝟑
➢ 1. − =
𝒙𝟐 −𝟗 𝒙+𝟑 𝒙−𝟑

R. B. Ponsones
 𝒙+𝟒 𝟓𝒙−𝟒
➢ 2. =
𝒙−𝟐 𝟑𝒙−𝟖

R. B. Ponsones
 It’s Your Turn!
• Solve each equation.
𝒙+𝟏 𝒙−𝟐
• 1. 𝟑− =
𝒙−𝟏 𝒙+𝟐
𝟐𝒙−𝟑 𝒙−𝟏
• 2. =
𝟑𝒙−𝟐 𝟐𝒙

R. B. Ponsones
 Rational Inequalities
• Ex. Solve each inequality.
𝒙−𝟏
• 1. <𝟎
𝒙+𝟐 • −2 1
• Sol. • Test:
• Boundary points: 𝟏, −𝟐 • 𝒙 < −𝟐: False
• −𝟐 < 𝒙 < 𝟏: True
• 𝒙 > 𝟏: False
• Ans. (−𝟐, 𝟏)
R. B. Ponsones
 𝟐𝒙+𝟏
2. ≥𝟑
𝒙−𝟑

Sol. Rewrite the inequality so

that 0 alone is on one side.
𝟐𝒙+𝟏
− 𝟑≥𝟎 • 3 10
𝒙−𝟑
Combine: • Test:
𝟐𝒙+𝟏−𝟑(𝒙−𝟑) • 𝒙 < 𝟑: False
≥𝟎
𝒙−𝟑 • 𝟑 < 𝒙 < 𝟏𝟎: True
−𝒙+𝟏𝟎
≥𝟎 • 𝒙 > 𝟏𝟎: False
𝒙−𝟑
Boundary points: 𝟑, 𝟏𝟎 • Ans. (𝟑, 𝟏𝟎]
R. B. Ponsones
 It’s Your Turn!
• Solve each inequality.
𝒙−𝟐
• 1. <𝟎
𝒙−𝟓
𝟒 𝟑
• 2. ≤
𝒎−𝟐 𝒎−𝟏

R. B. Ponsones
Rational Functions

R. B. Ponsones
• A rational function is defined by an equation of the form
𝒚 = 𝒇(𝒙)
where 𝒇(𝒙) is a rational expression.
• The domain of a rational function is the set of all real
numbers except those that make the denominator zero.

R. B. Ponsones
• Ex. Find the domain of each • Ans.
rational function. • 1. set of all real numbers
𝟏 • 2. set of all real numbers except
• 1. 𝒈 𝒙 =
𝒙𝟐 +𝟗 𝟐 and 𝟑
𝒙𝟐 −𝒙
• 2. 𝒉 𝒙 =
𝒙𝟐 −𝟓𝒙+𝟔

R. B. Ponsones
Graphs of Rational Functions

R. B. Ponsones
 𝒙+𝟐
Ex. Consider the function 𝒇 𝒙 = .
𝒙−𝟑
➢Note that 𝒇 𝟑 is undefined; but we can consider how 𝒇(𝒙)
behaves as 𝒙 approaches 𝟑 from the right side and from the
left side of 𝟑.

R. B. Ponsones
 𝒙+𝟐
𝒇 𝒙 = .
𝒙−𝟑
➢As 𝒙 approaches 𝟑 from the right:
𝒙 𝒙−𝟑 𝒙+𝟐
𝒇 𝒙 =
𝒙−𝟑
𝟑. 𝟎𝟎𝟏 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟏 𝟓, 𝟎𝟎𝟏
𝟑. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟏 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟏 𝟓𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟏
𝟑. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟏 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟏 𝟓, 𝟎𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟏

We have: As 𝒙 approaches 𝟑 from the right, 𝒇 𝒙 increases

without bound.

R. B. Ponsones
 𝒙+𝟐
𝒇 𝒙 = .
𝒙−𝟑
➢As 𝒙 approaches 𝟑 from the left:
𝒙 𝒙−𝟑 𝒙+𝟐
𝒇 𝒙 =
𝒙−𝟑
𝟐. 𝟗𝟗𝟗 −𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟏 −𝟓, 𝟎𝟎𝟏
𝟐. 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗 −𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟏 −𝟓𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟏
𝟐. 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗 −𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟏 −𝟓, 𝟎𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟏

We have: As 𝒙 approaches 𝟑 from the left, 𝒇 𝒙 decreases

without bound.

R. B. Ponsones
 𝒙+𝟐
Graph of 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝒙−𝟑
• As 𝒙 approaches 𝟑 from the right,
𝒇 𝒙 increases without bound.
• As 𝒙 approaches 𝟑 from the left,
𝒇 𝒙 decreases without bound.
• We call the vertical line
• 𝒙 = 𝟑 a vertical asymptote of the
graph of 𝒇.

R. B. Ponsones
 Vertical Asymptotes
• Def. The line 𝒙 = 𝒂 is a vertical asymptote of the function 𝒚 =
𝒇(𝒙) if as 𝒙 approaches 𝒂 from the right or from the left, 𝒇(𝒙)
increases or decreases without bound.
• In symbols:
• We write “ 𝒙 → 𝒂+ ” to denote “𝒙 approaches 𝒂 from the right”
and “𝒙 → 𝒂− ” to denote “𝒙 approaches 𝒂 from the left”.
• “𝒇(𝒙) increases without bound” is denoted by "𝒇(𝒙) → ∞“
• “𝒇(𝒙) decreases without bound” is denoted by "𝒇(𝒙) → −∞"

R. B. Ponsones
 𝒙+𝟐
Ex. Graph of 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝟏−𝒙
• As 𝒙 → 𝟏+ ,
• 𝒇 𝒙 → −∞.
• As 𝒙 → 𝟏− ,
• 𝒇 𝒙 → +∞.
• Hence, the line 𝒙 = 𝟏 is a
vertical asymptote.

R. B. Ponsones
 Finding Vertical Asymptotes
𝒑(𝒙)
• If 𝒇 𝒙 = is a rational function in which 𝒑(𝒙) and 𝒒(𝒙)
𝒒(𝒙)
have no common factors and 𝒂 is a number for which
𝒒 𝒙 = 𝟎, then the line 𝒙 = 𝒂 is a vertical asymptote of the
graph of the function.
• A rational function can have no vertical asymptote or one
or more vertical asymptotes.

R. B. Ponsones
• Ex. Find the vertical • Ans.
asymptotes, if any. • 1. none
𝒙+𝟑
• 1. 𝒚 = • 2. 𝒙 = 𝟑
𝒙𝟐 +𝟏
𝒙+𝟑
• 2. 𝒚 =
𝒙𝟐 −𝟗

R. B. Ponsones
Ex. Consider the graph of a function 𝒇 as follows.

• We see that as 𝒙 → +∞ (increases

without bound),
𝒚→𝟐
(graph approaches the
horizontal line 𝒚 = 𝟐)
• Also, as 𝒙 → −∞ (decreases
without bound),
• 𝒚 → 𝟐.
• We call the line 𝒚 = 𝟐 a horizontal
asymptote of the graph.
• R. B. Ponsones
 Horizontal Asymptotes
• Def. The line 𝒚 = 𝒃 is a horizontal asymptote of the graph
of 𝒚 = 𝒇(𝒙) if the graph approaches the line 𝒚 = 𝒃 as
𝒙 → ∞ or 𝒙 → −∞.
• The graph of a function can have at most one horizontal
asymptote.

R. B. Ponsones
 Finding Horizontal Asymptotes
𝒑(𝒙)
• Let 𝒇 𝒙 = be a rational function where 𝒑(𝒙) is of degree 𝒏
𝒒(𝒙)
and 𝒒(𝒙) is of degree 𝒎.
• 1. If 𝒏 < 𝒎, the line 𝒚 = 𝟎 (𝒙 −axis) is the horizontal
asymptote.
• 2. If 𝒏 > 𝒎, the graph has no horizontal asymptote.
𝒄
• 3. If 𝒏 = 𝒎, the line 𝒚 = is a horizontal asymptote where 𝒄 is
𝒅
the coefficient of the highest power in 𝒑(𝒙) and 𝒅 is the
coefficient of the highest power in 𝒒(𝒙).

R. B. Ponsones
• Ex. Find the horizontal • Ans.
asymptote, if any. 𝟑
𝟑𝒙−𝟏
• 1. 𝒚 =
𝟐
• 1. 𝒚 =
𝟐𝒙+𝟓 • 2. 𝒚 = 𝟎
𝒙𝟐 +𝟑
• 2. 𝒚 = • 3. none
𝒙𝟓 +𝒙−𝟏𝟎
𝒙𝟑 −𝟐𝒙−𝟏𝟏
• 3. 𝒚 =
𝒙𝟐 −𝒙+𝟒

R. B. Ponsones
• Ex. Find the domain, the • 𝒙-intercept:
𝟏
𝟐
intercepts, and the vertical
and horizontal asymptotes • (when 𝒚 = 𝟎, 𝒙 =?)
𝟏
of the function • 𝒚-intercept:
𝟒
𝟐𝒙−𝟏
• 𝒚= • (when 𝒙 = 𝟎, 𝒚 =?)
𝒙−𝟒
• Ans. • Vertical asymptote: 𝒙 = 𝟒
• Domain: set of all real • Horizontal asymptote: 𝒚 = 𝟐
numbers except 4
R. B. Ponsones
 It’s Your Turn!
• Ex. Find the domain, intercepts, and the vertical and
horizontal asymptotes of each function.
𝒙+𝟏
➢ 1. 𝒇 𝒙 = 𝟐
𝒙 −𝟏
𝟐𝒙−𝟏 𝟐
➢ 2. 𝒚 =
𝟒−𝟑𝒙𝟐

R. B. Ponsones
 Graphing a Rational Function
• Steps in Graphing a Rational Function
• 1. Find any vertical asymptote by equating the denominator to
zero and solving.
• 2. Determine any horizontal asymptote.
• 3. Find any intercepts.
• 4. Plot a few selected points: at least one point in each
region determined by the vertical asymptote(s).
• 5. Trace the points to complete the sketch.

R. B. Ponsones
 𝟐𝒙
Ex. Sketch the graph of 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝒙−𝟏

• Sol.
• Domain: set of all real numbers except 1
• 𝒙-intercept: 𝟎; 𝒚-intercept: 0
• Vertical asymptote: 𝒙 = 𝟏
• Horizontal asymptote: 𝒚 = 𝟐

R. B. Ponsones
 𝟐𝒙
𝒇 𝒙 =
𝒙−𝟏
• Table of Values:
𝒙 𝒇(𝒙)
5 2.5
3 2
2 4
-3 1.5
-2 1.3
-1 1
0 0

R. B. Ponsones
 𝟐𝒙
Graph of 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝒙−𝟏

𝟐𝒙
• Graph of 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝒙−𝟏

R. B. Ponsones
 It’s Your Turn
• Sketch the graph of each function.
𝒙−𝟏
• 1. 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝒙−𝟐
𝟏
• 2. 𝒚 =
𝒙𝟐 −𝟏

R. B. Ponsones
• References:
1. Blitzer, R., (2004). Algebra and Trigonometry (2nd Edition). Pearson Education (Asia) PTE Ltd.
2. Ellis R. and Gulick, D., Calculus with Analytic Geometry, 6th edition,
• Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1986.
3. Fuller, G. and Tarwater, D., Analytic Geometry, 7th edition,
• Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1992.
4. Leithold, L., The Calculus with Analytic Geometry, 6th edition,
• Harper and Row Publishers, N.Y., 1990.
• 5. Peterson, Thurman S., Calculus with Analytic Geometry, Harper & Row, Publishers,
• Incorporated, 1964.
• 6. Rees, P., Sparks, F. and Sparks Rees, C., (2003). College Algebra (10th Edition), McGraw-Hill
• Publishing Company.
R. B. Ponsones
• 7. Salas, S., Hille, E., and Etgen, G., Calculus – One and Several Variables, John Wiley & Sons,
• Inc., 2007.
• 8. Sobel, M. and Lerner, N., (1979). Algebra and Trigonometry - a Pre-Calculus Approach (2nd Edition),
• Prentice-Hall, Inc.
9. Stewart, J., Redlin, L. and Watson, S., (2007). Algebra and Trigonometry, (2nd Edition).
Brooks/Cole (Thomson Learning)
10. Paul’s Online Math Notes: http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/
11. Spector, L., The Math Page: http://www.themathpage.com/

R. B. Ponsones