How do you find vertical, horizontal and oblique asymptotes for (x^3 + 1) / (x^2 - 2x + 2)?

1 Answer
May 28, 2017

The oblique asymptote is y=x+2
There is no vertical asymptote
No horizontal asymptote

Explanation:

Let f(x)=(x^3+1)/(x^2-2x+2)

The degree of the numerator is greater than the degree of the denominator, so there is an oblique asymptote.

Let's perform a long division

color(white)(aaaa)x^2-2x+2color(white)(aa)|x^3+0x^2+0x+1color(white)(aaaa)|x+2

color(white)(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)x^3-2x^2+2x

color(white)(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)0+2x^2-2x+1

color(white)(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)2x^2+4x+4

color(white)(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)0+2x-3

Therefore,

f(x)=x+2+(2x-3)/(x^2-2x+2)

lim_(x->-oo)f(x)-(x+2)=lim_(x->-oo)(2x-3)/(x^2-2x+2)=lim_(x->-oo)(2x)/x^2=O^-

lim_(x->+oo)f(x)-(x+2)=lim_(x->+oo)(2x-3)/(x^2-2x+2)=lim_(x->+oo)(2x)/x^2=O^+

The oblique asymptote is y=x+2

The denominator is

x^2-2x+2=(x-1)^2+1

AA x in RR, (x-1)^2+1>0

There is no vertical asymptote
graph{(y-(x^3-1)/(x^2-2x+2))(y-x-2)=0 [-10.97, 11.53, -2.97, 8.28]}