Question #ff602

1 Answer
Nov 29, 2017

Range in interval notation is: (-oo, 0] uu (1, oo)(,0](1,)
or you can say: y <=0 " or " y > 1y0 or y>1

Explanation:

Given: y = f(x) = (x+3)/(4-sqrt(x^2-9))y=f(x)=x+34x29

The range is the valid values of yy, which depend on the values of xx (the domain).

To find the domain, you must take into consideration both the. square root (values must be >= 00) and the fact that the denominator must not be = 0=0.

Square root:
Difference of squares: x^2-9 >=0x290

x^2 - 3^2 >=0x2320

When (x-3)(x+3) =0, x = +-3(x3)(x+3)=0,x=±3

When x<= -3 " and " x>= 3x3 and x3 then x^2-9 >=0x290

Denominator:
4-sqrt(x^2-9) != 04x290

4 != sqrt(x^2-9)4x29

Square both sides of the equation:
16 != x^2-916x29

16 + 9 != x^216+9x2

25 != x^225x2

x != -5 " and " x!= 5x5 and x5
This means there are vertical asymptotes at these values.

Domain in interval notation is
(-oo, -5) uu (-5, -3] uu [3, 5) uu (5, oo)(,5)(5,3][3,5)(5,)

To find the range, you need to find out if there are any horizontal asymptotes. The simplest way is to input several large negative numbers and several large positive numbers into the function to see if the value of yy converges:

Let x = -50, y = 1.024x=50,y=1.024
Let x = -100, y = 1.01x=100,y=1.01
Let x = 50, y = -1.15x=50,y=1.15
Let x = 100, y = -1.07x=100,y=1.07
Let x = 1000, y = -1.007x=1000,y=1.007

We have a horizontal asymptote at y = 1 " and " y = -1y=1 and y=1

If we just look at this information, the Range is (-oo, -1)uu(1, oo)(,1)(1,)

But we must be careful, because the horizontal asymptotes aren't required to exist along the whole function, only on the far left and far right. This means we must also check the values at each of the domains limiting values:

Let x = -5, y = "undefined"x=5,y=undefined
Let x = -3, y = 0x=3,y=0
Let x = 3, y = 1.5x=3,y=1.5
Let x = 5, y "undefined"x=5,yundefined

From this information we see that when x = -3, y = 0x=3,y=0.

This means the range is actually: (-oo, 0] uu (1, oo)(,0](1,)

or you can say the range is y <=0 " or " y > 1y0 or y>1