# Math Help - Are asymptotes effected by vertical/horizontal expansion or compression??

1. ## Are asymptotes effected by vertical/horizontal expansion or compression??

as the question says, are the graphs effected.... the basic equation is $\frac{1}{x}$ so if it'z like $5 (\frac {1} {3(x)})$ will the resulting graph be different than $\frac{1}{x}$

2. ## not affected

The asymotopes wnt be affected, in that example by compression and expansion as the asymotopes lie on the x and y axis, the general steepness of the graph will increase tho.

3. Originally Posted by chris_uk
The asymotopes wnt be affected, in that example by compression and expansion as the asymotopes lie on the x and y axis, the general steepness of the graph will increase tho.
will it stay the same if i add horizontal and vertical shifts 2 it..

4. If you added a shift to it the expansion or compression would affect the asymotopes just as it would any other point
e.g.
if you had y=1/x +2 where the asymotopes are at y=2 and x=0

a vertical expansion of scale factor 2... y=2(1/x +2) can be written as y=2/x +4. Where the asymotopes are y=4 and x=0
note: y=1/x +1 is not equal to y=1/(x+1) it wasn't very clear wen i wrote it.

5. Originally Posted by ruscutie100
will it stay the same if i add horizontal and vertical shifts 2 it..
If you have $f(x) = \frac{1}{x}$, the vertical and horizontal asymptotes are obviously not changed by a dilation from either axis.

But consider $g(x) = \frac{1}{x - 1} + 2$, say. This can be got by applying appropriate translations to f(x). g(x) has a vertical asymptote x = 1 and a horizontal asymptote y = 2. (So applying translations to $f(x) = \frac{1}{x}$ will change its asymptotes, if that's what you were asking).

But if you want to know whether dilations will have an affect on asymptotes after translations have been added to $f(x) = \frac{1}{x}$, then consider:

Dilation by factor a from horizontal axis: $g(x) \rightarrow a g(x)$. Clearly $g(x) \rightarrow h(x) = a g(x) = a \left( \frac{1}{x - 1} + 2 \right) = \frac{a}{x - 1} + 2a$.

h(x) still has a vertical asymptote x = 1 but the horizontal asymptote is y = 2a.

Dilation by factor 1/a from vertical axis: $g(x) \rightarrow g(ax)$. Clearly $g(x) \rightarrow k(x) = g(ax) = \frac{1}{ax - 1} + 2$.

k(x) now has a vertical asymptote x = 1/a and the horizontal asymptote is still y = 2.