Complete the following steps for the given functions.
a. Find the slant asymptote of .
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1
Perform polynomial long division of the numerator by the denominator .
Divide the leading term of the numerator by the leading term of the denominator to get the first term of the quotient, .
Multiply the entire divisor by and subtract the result from the original numerator .
Repeat the process with the new polynomial obtained after subtraction to find the next term of the quotient.
The slant asymptote is the linear part of the quotient obtained from the division, which is .
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Slant Asymptote
A slant (or oblique) asymptote occurs when the degree of the numerator of a rational function is exactly one higher than the degree of the denominator. To find it, you perform polynomial long division on the function. The quotient (ignoring the remainder) gives the equation of the slant asymptote, which describes the behavior of the function as x approaches infinity or negative infinity.
Polynomial long division is a method used to divide a polynomial by another polynomial of lower degree. It involves dividing the leading term of the numerator by the leading term of the denominator, multiplying the entire denominator by this result, and subtracting it from the numerator. This process is repeated until the degree of the remainder is less than that of the denominator, allowing us to find the slant asymptote.
Rational functions are expressions formed by the ratio of two polynomials. They can exhibit various behaviors, including vertical and horizontal asymptotes, depending on the degrees of the numerator and denominator. Understanding the properties of rational functions is crucial for analyzing their graphs and determining their asymptotic behavior, including the identification of slant asymptotes.