[MAA 2.

7] ASYMPTOTES
SOLUTIONS
Compiled by: Christos Nikolaidis

O. Practice questions

1.
Function Vertical asymptote Horizontal
2x  7 asymptote
f ( x)  x5 y2
x5
x7
f ( x)  x3 y1
2x  3 2 2
 4x  1
f ( x)  x 3 y  2
2x  6
2
f ( x)  x5 y0
x 5
2
f ( x)  1 x5 y 1
x5
2
f ( x)  1 x5 y  1
x5
2x  7
f ( x)  1 x5 y 3
x 5
 4x  1
f ( x)  3 x 3 y 1
2x  6
5 x
f ( x)  x  5 y  1
5 x
3 x  134
f ( x)  x  5 / 2 y  3/ 2
2x  5

2. (a) H.A.: y  3 , V.A.: x  2

(b) x-intercept: x  2 , y-intercept: y  3
(c)

(d) x  2 , y  3
3x  6
(e)  1  3 x  6  x  2  x  4 so (4,1)
x2

1
3. (a) H.A.: y  0 , V.A.: x  2
(b) there is no x-intercept, y-intercept: y   3
2
(d) x2 , y0

4. (a) a  3 , b  6 , c  2
1
(b) f ( 4)  1 , f (1)  4 .
(c) 2 x 4

5. (a)
y  f ( x)  2 y3 y  f ( x  2) y 1
y  f ( x)  2 y  1 y  f ( x  2) y 1
y  2 f ( x) y2 y  f (2 x) y 1
y  f (x ) / 2 y  1/ 2 y  f (x / 2) y 1
y   f (x ) y  1 y  f ( x ) y 1
(b)
y  f ( x)  2 x2 y  f ( x  2) x0
y  f ( x)  2 x2 y  f ( x  2) x4
y  2 f ( x) x2 y  f (2 x) x 1
y  f (x ) / 2 x2 y  f (x / 2) x4
y   f (x ) x2 y  f ( x ) x  2

5 4( x  3) 5 4 x  17
6. (a) f ( x)  4    
x3 x3 x3 x3

x  10 x  3  7 7
(b) g ( x)    1
x3 x3 x3

2 x  10 2( x  3)  4 4
(c) h( x)    2
x3 x3 x3

(d)
f g h
Vertical asymptote x  3 x  3 x  3
Horizontal asymptote y4 y 1 y2

7. (a) H.A.: y  3 , V.A.: x  2

1 4 4 4
(b) → → → 3
x x x2 x2
Vertical stretch with s.f. 4
Horizontal translation 2 units to the right
Vertical translation 3 units up

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8. (a) H.A.: y  3 , V.A.: x  2

3 x  1 3( x  2)  7 7
(b) h( x)    3
x2 x2 x2
1 7 7 7
→ → → 3
x x x2 x2
Vertical stretch with s.f. 7
Horizontal translation 2 units to the right
Vertical translation 3 units up
9. (a) y 3

(b) x  2, x  5

(c)

(1) lim f ( x )  1 (4) lim f ( x )  1

x  x 

(2) lim f ( x )   (5) lim f ( x )  

x 2 x 2

(3) lim f ( x )   (6) lim f ( x )  

x 5 x 5
(d) (i) (1) and (4) (ii) (2) and (5) for x  2 and (3) and (6) for x  5

A. Past paper questions (SHORT)

10. (a) x2 , y3

(b) H.A.: y  3 , V.A.: x  2
(c) x-intercept (–1/6, 0) , y-intercept (0, –1/4)

11. (a) x2 , y0

(b) H.A.: y  0 , V.A.: x  2
(c) there is no x-intercept, y-intercept (0, –3/2)

12. (a)
y

B(5, 4)

B’(3, 1)

A(–5, –4)

A’(–7, –7)
(b) (i) Asymptote: y = 0, (ii) Asymptote: y = –3, (iii) Asymptote: y = –3

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13. (a)
y
6

5 2
4

2 3
1
A (–1, 1)
1

–5 –4 –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 4 5 x

–1

–2
Notes: left and right end points in circles 1,3, max in circle 2
(b) y = 1 (must be an equation)
(c) (0, 3)
(d) (i) Asymptote: y = -1, (ii) Asymptote: y = –2

14. (a) (i) p=2

q
(ii) 10 = (or equivalent), so q = 10
3–2
(b) Reflection, in x-axis

15. (a)

5
(b) (i) y = 3, x = (must be equations)
2
14  7  14  
(ii) x=  or 2.33 , also accept  , 0  
6 3  6 
14   14  
(iii) y=  y  2.8  accept  0 ,  or 0 , 2.8
6   5 

16. (i) p = 2
(ii) q = 1

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17. (a)
y
6

x
–3 –2 –1 1 2 3

Note: the y-intercept at 1.

(b) x = 3, x = –3
(c) y1

B. Exam style questions (LONG)

1
2
2x  1 7 2x  1 x
18. (a) (i) f (x) = =2+ or f (x) = = 
x3 x 3 x3 3
1
x
Therefore as x   f (x)  2 y = 2 is an asymptote
2x  1
OR lim = 2  y = 2 is an asymptote
x  x  3
(ii) Asymptote at x = 3
(iii) P(3, 2)
1  1  1  1
(b) f (x) = 0  x = –   , 0  x = 0  f (x) = –  0,  
2 2  3  3

(c)
y

3 x

5
 y5
19. (a) solve for x in terms of y: x 
3
1 x5
f ( x) 
3
1
(b) (g ◦ f) (x) = (3x  5) + 2 = 3x  3
x3 12
(c)  3x  3 x  3  9 x  9 so x 
3 8
3x  5
(d) (i) h( x ) 
x2

y=3

x=2

(ii) (Vertical asymptote) x = 2, (Horizontal asymptote) y = 3

3x  5 2y  5
(e) (i)  y  3 x  5  yx  2 y  x( y  3)  2 y  5  x 
x2 y 3
2x  5
h 1 ( x ) 
x3
(ii) (Vertical asymptote) x = 3, (Horizontal asymptote) y = 2

20. (a) x1 = –0.790 and x1 = 1.79

(b) (i) x ≠ –0.790 x ≠1.79 (ii) yℝ
(c) (i) a = –0.790 (ii) b = 1.79
(d) When x is large,
the value of g (x) becomes much larger than the value of 2x3.
2 x3
As a consequence, the value of approaches 0.
g ( x)
Thus f (x) approaches 1.
(e) (i) At A, x = –1 (ii) At B, x = 1