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  1. Home
  2. 12th grade
  3. Precalculus
  4. Exercise : Determine the domain of a rational function

Determine the domain of a rational function Precalculus

Determine the domain of the functions given by the following expressions.

f\left(x\right)=\dfrac{2x^2+3x}{3x^2-2}

The domain of this equation is the set of all real numbers except those which make the denominator zero.

We have:

3x^2 - 2 = 0 \leftrightarrow x^2= \dfrac{2}{3} \leftrightarrow x =\pm\sqrt{\dfrac{2}{3}}

Therefore the domain is:

\mathbb{R}- \left\{ \sqrt{\dfrac{2}{3}},-\sqrt{\dfrac{2}{3}} \right\}

f\left(x\right)=\dfrac{4x+1}{x^2+2}

The domain of this equation is the set of all real numbers except those which make the denominator zero. Observe that for every real number x we have:

x^2+2 \gt 0

Therefore, the denominator is always non-zero and the domain of f equals:

\mathbb{R}

f\left(x\right)=\dfrac{2-x^2}{4x+x^3}

The domain of this equation is the set of all real numbers except those which make the denominator zero.

We have:

4x+x^3 = 0

x\left(4+x^2\right)=0

\begin{cases}x=0 \cr \cr or \cr \cr 4+x^2=0 \end{cases}

The second equation has no real solution. Therefore, x=0 is the only root of the denominator.

The domain is:

\mathbb{R} -\{0\}

f\left(x\right)=\dfrac{x^3-7x^2+1}{4x^2-25}

The domain of this equation is the set of all real numbers except those which make the denominator zero.

We have:

4x^2 - 25 = 0

\Leftrightarrow x^2= \dfrac{25}{4}

\Leftrightarrow x =\pm {\dfrac{5}{2}}

The domain is:

\mathbb{R}- \left\{ {-\dfrac{5}{2}},{\dfrac{5}{2}} \right\}

f\left(x\right)=\dfrac{x^2-1}{x^2-5x+6}

The domain of this equation is the set of all real numbers except those which make the denominator zero.

We have:

x^2 - 5x + 6 = 0

We can factor this equation as follows:

x^2 - 5x + 6 = \left(x-3\right)\left(x-2\right) = 0

The equation contains two roots, namely 2 and 3.

Therefore, the domain is:

\mathbb{R} - \{ 2{,}3}\

f\left(x\right)=\dfrac{x}{x^2-2x+1}

The domain of this equation is the set of all real numbers except those which make the denominator zero.

We have:

x^2 - 2x+1 = 0

We can factor it as follows:

x^2-2x+1=\left(x-1\right)^2

We can write:

\left(x-1\right)^2=0

\Leftrightarrow x=1

Therefore, the domain is:

\mathbb{R}- \{1\}

f\left(x\right)=\dfrac{2x-1}{x^2+x^3}

The domain of this equation is the set of all real numbers except those which make the denominator zero.

We have:

x^2+x^3=0

x^2\left(1+x\right) = 0

\begin{cases}x^2=0 \cr \cr or \cr \cr x+1=0 \end{cases}

From the first equation we have x=0, and from the second we have x=-1.

Therefore, the domain is:

\mathbb{R}- \{-1{,}0\}

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See also
  • Course : Rational functions
  • Exercise : Simplify rational functions
  • Exercise : Solve a rational equation
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