GENERAL

MATHEMATICS
Rational Functions
LESSON 1
Rational Function
 After going through this module, you
are expected to:
+Define a rational function;
+Identify situations that model rational function;
+ Write an equation representing situations that model rational
function ;
+Distinguish rational function, rational equation and rational inequality;
+ Solve rational equations and inequalities;
+ Represent rational functions through table of values, graph and
equation; and
+Find the domain and range of rational function
DEFINITION

A rational function is a function of

the form
,
where and are polynomial function
and is not the zero function (i.e. ). The
domain of is the set of all values of x
where
DEFINITION

A rational function is a function of the

form
,
where and are polynomial
function and is not the zero
function (i.e. ). The domain of is the set
of all values of x where
 POLYNOMIAL FUNCTIONS

A polynomial of degree is a function of the

form

where the are real numbers (sometimes

called the coefficients of the polynomial)
 POLYNOMIAL FUNCTIONS

1.) No imaginary coefficient on any term

2.) No negative exponent on terms with x on
the numerator
3.) No terms with x on the denominator
4.) No fractional exponent or no x variable
inside the radical sign
RATIONAL FUNCTIONS
A rational function is a function of the form
,
where and are polynomial function and is not the zero function
(i.e. ). The domain of is the set of all values of x where

2
𝑥 4
𝑦 =𝑥 − 𝑥 + 1
2
𝑦=
3 𝑥 +1
2
𝑥 − 4 𝑥+ 4 1
𝑦= 𝑦= 2
5 𝑥 +1 𝑥
LESSON 2
Functions, Equations and
Inequality
RATIONAL FUNCTION, RATIONAL EQUATION
AND RATIONAL INEQUALITY

RATIONAL RATIONAL RATIONAL

EQUATION INEQUALITY FUNCTION
LESSON 3
Solving Rational Equation
and Rational Inequality
Solving Rational Equation
and Rational Inequality

To solve an equation or inequality in

one variable as x means to find all
values of x for which the equation or
inequality is TRUE.
Procedure for Solving
Rational Equations:

(a)Eliminate denominators by multiplying each

term of the equation by the least common
denominator.

(b) Note that eliminating denominators may

introduce extraneous solutions. Check the solutions
of the transformed equations with the original
equation.
 LCD =20
1st step: Eliminate denominators by multiplying each term of the equation by the least
common denominator

20
𝑥
5
+(1
4
= 20
𝑥
2 ) ( )
20 𝑥 20 20 𝑥
+ =
5 4 2
4 𝑥 +5 =10 𝑥
5 =10 𝑥 − 4 𝑥
5 =6 𝑥
5
= 𝑥
6
 x=
𝑥 1 𝑥
+ =
5 4 2
12(1
6
+ )
1
4
=12 ( )
5
12
( 5
6 )+ 1
=
( 5
6 )
5 4 2 12 12 12 (5 )
+ =
6 4 12

( )( )
5
6
1
5
1
+ =
4
5
6( )( ) 1
2 2 + 3 =5
5 =5
1 1 5
+ =
6 4 12
CHECKING
Procedure for Solving Rational Inequalities:

(a)Rewrite the inequality as a single rational expression

on one side of the inequality symbol and 0 on the
other side.
Procedure for Solving Rational Inequalities:

(b) Determine over what intervals the rational expression takes on positive
and negative values.

i. Locate the x values for which the rational expression is zero or

undefined (factoring the numerator and denominator is a useful strategy).

ii. Mark the numbers found in (i) on a number line. Use a shaded
circle to indicate that the value is included in the solution set, and a hollow
circle to indicate that the value is excluded. These numbers partition the
number line into intervals.

iii. Select a test point within the interior of each interval in (ii). The
sign of the rational expression at this point is also the sign of the rational
expression at each interior point in the aforementioned interval.

iv. Summarize the intervals containing the solutions.

INTERVAL SET GRAPH
NOTATION

(-2, 4) { 𝑥| − 2< 𝑥 <4 }

-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4

(0, 4] { 𝑥| 0< 𝑥 ≤ 4 }
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4

[1, ∞) { 𝑥| 1 ≤ 𝑥 } -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
1st step: Rewrite the inequality as a single rational expression on one side of the
inequality symbol and 0 on the other side.

2 𝑥
− 1≥ 0
𝑥 +1

2𝑥
𝑥 +1
−1
𝑥 +1
𝑥 +1
≥0( ) 2 𝑥 − 𝑥 −1
𝑥+ 1
≥0

2 𝑥 − 1 ( 𝑥 +1 ) 𝑥 −1
≥0 ≥ 0
𝑥+ 1 𝑥+ 1
 𝑥 −1
≥0
𝑥+ 1
2nd step: Locate the x values for which the rational expression is zero or undefined
(factoring the numerator and denominator is a useful strategy).
Values of “x” that will Values of “x” that will
make the expression 0, make the equation
𝑥 −1 𝒙 +𝟏 ≠ 𝟎
undefined,
=0
𝑥+ 1 𝒙 ≠ −𝟏
𝑥 − 1=0
𝑥 =1
3rd step: Mark the numbers found in (step 2) on a number line. Use a shaded circle to indicate that
the value is included in the solution set, and a hollow circle to indicate that the value is excluded.
These numbers partition the number line into intervals.

-1 0 1
𝑥 −1
≥0
𝑥+ 1 -1 0 1

4th step: Select a test point within the interior of each interval in (step 3). The sign of the
rational expression at this point is also the sign of the rational expression at each interior point
in the interval.

INTERVAL
TEST POINT

+¿ − +¿
5th step: Summarize the intervals containing the solutions.

{ 𝑥 ϵ 𝑅∨𝒙 <−𝟏 𝑜𝑟 𝒙 ≥ 𝟏 }
-1 0 1
LESSON 4
Domain and Range of
Rational Function
DOMAIN
The domain of a rational function is all values of x that
will not make the 𝑄(𝑥) equal to zero. To find the domain of
the Rational Function, set the denominator equal to zero
and solve for x.

RANGE
The range of a rational function are all the possible
resulting values of the dependent variables after we have
substituted the domain. To find the Range of the Rational
Function:
(a) Find the Inverse of the Function
(b) Find the Domain of the Inverse Function
Find the domain and range of
To find the DOMAIN, denominator cannot be equal to ZERO

𝑥≠0
𝐷 ( 𝑓 ) :{𝑥 𝜖 𝑅∨𝑥 ≠ 0 } The Domain of function is x is an element of all
real number such that x is not equal to zero.
To find the RANGE, the 1st step is to find the inverse of the rational function
1
𝑓 ( 𝑥 ) =
𝑋
Change f(x) to y
1
𝑦 =
𝑋
Interchange x and y
1
𝑥 =
𝑦
Solve for y in terms of x

1 1
( 𝑦 ) 𝑥= ( 𝑦) 𝑦=
𝑦 𝑥
𝑥𝑦 =1
𝑥𝑦 1
=
𝑥 𝑥
 1
𝑦=
𝑥
The inverse function is,

−1 1
𝑓 =
𝑥
The 2nd step in solving for the range is FINDING THE DOMAIN OF THE INVERSE
To find the DOMAIN of the inverse, denominator cannot be ZERO
𝑥≠0
𝐷( 𝑓 ) : {𝑥 𝜖 𝑅∨ 𝑥 ≠ 0 }
−1

NOTE: The Domain of the Inverse Function is the Range of the Original Function.

𝑅 ( 𝑓 ) : { 𝑦 𝜖 𝑅∨𝑦 ≠The
0 }
Range of function is y is an element of all real
number such that y is not equal to zero.
end