asymptote
(noun)
A line which a curved function or shape approaches but never touches.
(noun)
A straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely as it goes to infinity.
(noun)
A line that a curve approaches arbitrarily closely, as it extends toward infinity.
Examples of asymptote in the following topics:
-
Asymptotes
- A rational function can have at most one horizontal or oblique asymptote, and many possible vertical asymptotes; these can be calculated.
- An asymptote that is neither horizontal or vertical is an oblique (or slant) asymptote.
- A rational function has at most one horizontal or oblique asymptote, and possibly many vertical asymptotes.
- If $n>m$, then there is no horizontal asymptote (However, if $n = m+1$, then there exists a slant asymptote).
- Hence, horizontal asymptote is given by:
-
Standard Equations of Hyperbolas
- At large distances from the center, the hyperbola approaches two lines, its asymptotes, which intersect at the hyperbola's center.
- A hyperbola approaches its asymptotes arbitrarily closely as the distance from its center increases, but it never intersects them.
- Consistent with the symmetry of the hyperbola, if the transverse axis is aligned with the x-axis, the slopes of the asymptotes are equal in magnitude but opposite in sign, ±b⁄a, where b=a×tan(θ) and where θ is the angle between the transverse axis and either asymptote.
- The distance b (not shown in below) is the length of the perpendicular segment from either vertex to the asymptotes.
- If b = a, the angle 2θ between the asymptotes equals 90° and the hyperbola is said to be rectangular or equilateral.
-
Parts of a Hyperbola
- The asymptotes of the hyperbola are straight lines that are the diagonals of this rectangle.
- Then draw in the asymptotes as extended lines that are also the diagonals of the rectangle.
- Finally, draw the curve of the hyperbola by following the asymptote inwards, curving in to touch the vertex on the rectangle, and then following the other asymptote out.
- The asymptotes of a rectangular hyperbola are the $x$- and $y$-axes.
-
Polynomial and Rational Functions as Models
- They can take on only a limited number of shapes and are particularly ill-suited to modeling asymptotes.
- For lots of datasets, their are no asymptotes and data is more or less bounded.
- To deal with the asymptotic problems of polynomials, we also use rational functions:
- Rational functions are a little more complex in form than polynomial functions, but they have an advantage in that they can take on a much greater range of shapes and can effectively model asymptotes.
- However, rational functions sometimes include undesirable asymptotes that can disrupt an otherwise smooth trend line.
-
Limited Growth
- Graphically, the logistic function resembles an exponential function followed by a logarithmic function that approaches a horizontal asymptote.
- This horizontal asymptote represents the carrying capacity.
- That is, $y=c$ is a horizontal asymptote of the graph.
- Additionally, $y=o$ is also a horizontal asymptote.
- Logistic functions have an "s" shape, where the function starts from a certain point, increases, and then approaches an upper asymptote.
-
Basics of Graphing Exponential Functions
- That is, the curve approaches zero as $x$ approaches negative infinity making the $x$-axis is a horizontal asymptote of the function.
- That is, the curve approaches zero as $x$ approaches negative infinity making the $x$-axis a horizontal asymptote of the function.
- The function $y=b^x$ has the $x$-axis as a horizontal asymptote because the curve will always approach the $x$-axis as $x$ approaches either positive or negative infinity, but will never cross the axis as it will never be equal to zero.
- The $x$-axis is a horizontal asymptote of the function.
-
Graphs of Logarithmic Functions
- The $y$-axis is a vertical asymptote of the graph.
- This means that the $y$-axis is a vertical asymptote of the function.
- However, the logarithmic function has a vertical asymptote descending towards $-\infty$ as $x$ approaches $0$, whereas the square root reaches a minimum $y$-value of $0$.
- The graph of the square root function resembles the graph of the logarithmic function, but does not have a vertical asymptote.
-
Tangent as a Function
- At these values, the graph of the tangent has vertical asymptotes.
- The tangent function has vertical asymptotes at $\displaystyle{x = \frac{\pi}{2}}$ and $\displaystyle{x = -\frac{\pi}{2}}$.
-
Types of Conic Sections
- Asymptote lines—these are two linear graphs that the curve of the hyperbola approaches, but never touches
- The other degenerate case for a hyperbola is to become its two straight-line asymptotes.
-
Graphs of Exponential Functions, Base e
- The graph always lies above the $x$-axis, but gets arbitrarily close to it for negative $x$; thus, the $x$-axis is a horizontal asymptote.