Infinite Limits and Asymptotes
Read this section to learn how to use and apply infinite limits to asymptotes. Work through practice problems 1-8.
Practice Answers
Practice 1: As becomes arbitrarily large, the values of approach and the values of approach .
Practice 3: The completed table is shown in Fig. 12.
Fig. 12
Practice 4: If , then .
If , then .
If , then .
Practice 5 :
(a) .
As the values , and so takes small negative values.
Then the values of are large negative values so we represent the limit as " ".
(b) .
As the values of , and so takes small positive values. As the values of .
Then the values of are large positive values so we represent the limit as " ".
(c) .
As , the values of and so we need to do more work. The numerator can be factored and then the rational function can be reduced (since we know ):
Practice 6 :
(a) .
has vertical asymptotes at and .
(b) .
The value is not in the domain of . If , then has a "hole" when and no vertical asymptotes.
Practice 7: .
has a vertical asymptote at .
has no horizontal asymptotes.
so has the linear asymptote .
Practice 8 :
.
is not defined at , so has a vertical asymptote or a "hole" when .
so has a "hole" when .
so has the nonlinear asymptote .