How do you find the asymptotes for y= (3(x+5))/((x+1)(x+2))?

1 Answer
Feb 2, 2016

Horizontal asymptotes: x=-1 color(white)("XX")andcolor(white)("XX")x=-2
Vertical asymptote: y=0

Explanation:

The denominator of (3(x+5))/((x+1)(x+2)) will become 0 if x=-1 or x=-2
This results in horizontal asymptotes at these locations (provided the numerator does not also go to 0, which it doesn't in this case).

Since the degree of the denominator is greater than the degree of the numerator, as xrarroo, yrarr0,
providing the vertical asymptote y=0.
This could be made explicitly clear as
color(white)("XXX")y=(3(x+5))/((x+1)(x+2))

color(white)("XXX")=(3x+15)/(x^2+3x+2)

color(white)("XXX")=(3+15/x)/(x+3+2/x)

As xrarroo 15/xrarr0 and 2/xrarr0

leaving lim_(xrarroo) 3/(x+3) with the constant numerator and the constant added in the denominator becoming less significant as xrarroo
So lim_(xrarroo) 3/(x+3) rarr lim_(xrarroo)1/x rarr 0