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Applied Mathematics · Ch 8 — Calculus

Rational Function

8.5(b)

Rational Function

A rational function is simply a ratio of two polynomials, like x2+1x−2\frac{x^2 + 1}{x - 2}. The key idea is that its behaviour changes dramatically near the points where the denominator becomes zero — the function "blows up" there, shooting off to infinity. Understanding this helps us see why such functions are so useful for modelling real-world …