# How to Tell your Asymptote from a Hole in the Graph.

The fifth in the Graphing Calculator / Technology series

(The MPAC discussion will continue next week)

Seeing discontinuities on a graphing calculator is possible; but you need to know how a calculator graphs to do it. Here’s the story:

The number you choose for XMIN becomes the x-coordinate of the (center of) the pixels in the left most column of pixels. The number you choose for XMAX is the x-coordinate of the right most column of pixels. The distance between XMIN and XMAX is divided evenly between the remaining pixels so that all the pixels are evenly spaced across the screen (the same distance apart). The rows of pixels are done the same way evenly spacing them between YMIN and YMAX.

This spacing is usually not at “nice” values as can be seen by just moving the cursor across the screen and noticing the x-values or y-values at the bottom of the screen.

The cursor is located one pixel to the right of the y-axis and one pixel above the x-axis in the “standard” window of a TI-8x. Note the coordinates of that pixel at the bottom of the screen. These are the distances between the pixels.

To draw a graph, the calculator takes the x-coordinate of each pixel, calculates the corresponding y-value and turns on the pixel in that column with closest y-pixel-coordinate. If set in a connect mode, the calculator turns on several pixels in adjacent columns so that the y-values seem to connect; this is why the graph often looks jagged in steep sections of the graph. If you are in DOT mode, this does not happen and only one pixel in each column is on.

If you move the cursor over one of the points on a graph, you will see the pixel coordinates, NOT the actual y-coordinates. Use TRACE to see the actual y-coordinate. This is why when finding intersections, you should not just move the cursor over the point, but rather use “intersect” to see the actual y-value of the function.

If the function is undefined for some x-pixel value, then no pixel will turn on in that column. If the function is undefined for some value between the pixel values, then nothing happens because the calculator has not evaluated the function there, so the graph seems to be continuous.

Vertical “asymptotes” are the result of the calculator not evaluating the function at the undefined value; rather it connects the value on one side of the asymptote off the bottom of the screen with the next value on the other side of the asymptote off the top of the screen. If the asymptote appears exactly at a pixel value, then no “asymptote” will appear and that column of pixels will have no pixel turned on. (Some newer calculators and newer operating systems on older calculators have made adjustments so that the “asymptotes” do not show up. In some systems this feature can be turned on or off.)

The function $\displaystyle y=\frac{3\left( x-2 \right)}{\left( x-2 \right)\left( x+2 \right)}$ in the standard window. The vertical line is not really the asymptote and the “hole” at (2, 0.75) is not seen.

A removable discontinuity, a hole in the graph (really a skipped pixel), can be seen, if it occurs at a pixel value. Since in most examples the hole is at an integer or other “nice” number, you will not see them in the “standard” window. Use a “decimal” window, which has been chosen in advance so the x-values of the pixels are integers and nice decimals. (To see this, in a decimal window move the cursor around and notice the pixel coordinates).

The other thing you can do is adjust the XMIN and XMAX values so that the distance between them will land on integer values. (Nice project for your class – the number of pixels can be found in the guidebook, or you can count them. In the old days, before decimal windows, this was necessary – it was called finding a “friendly window.”)

The function $\displaystyle y=\frac{3\left( x-2 \right)}{\left( x-2 \right)\left( x+2 \right)}$ in the “decimal” window. The “asymptote” has disappeared and the “hole” at (2, 0.75) is now visible.

Zooming in or out may change these values so the hole or asymptote disappears.

For a related idea see the post My Favorite Function

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# Asymptotes

Horizontal asymptotes are the graphical manifestation of limits as x approaches infinity. Vertical asymptotes are the graphical manifestation of limits equal to infinity (at a finite x-value).

Thus, since $\displaystyle \underset{x\to \infty }{\mathop{\lim }}\,\left( 1-{{2}^{-x}} \right)=1$. The graph will show a horizontal asymptote at y = 1.

Since the graph of $\displaystyle y={{2}^{-x}}\sin \left( x \right)$ approaches the x-axis as an asymptote, it follows that $\underset{x\to \infty }{\mathop{\lim }}\,\left( {{2}^{-x}}\sin \left( x \right) \right)=0$. (The fact that this graph crosses the x-axis many times on its trip to infinity is not a concern; the axis is still an asymptote.)

Since $\underset{x\to 0}{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{1}{{{x}^{2}}}=\infty ,\underset{x\to {{0}^{-}}}{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{1}{x}=-\infty ,\text{ and }\underset{x\to {{0}^{+}}}{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{1}{x}=\infty$, the functions all have a vertical asymptote of x = 0.

# Why Limits?

There are four important things before calculus and in beginning calculus for which we need the concept of limit.

1. The first is continuity. Most of the time in pre-calculus mathematics and in the calculus we deal with nice continuous functions or functions that are not continuous at just a few points. Limits give us the vocabulary and the mathematics necessary to describe and deal with discontinuities of functions. Historically, the modern (delta-epsilon) definition of limit comes out of Weierstrass’ definition of continuity.
2. Asymptotes: A vertical asymptote is the graphical feature of function at a point where its limit equals positive or negative infinity. A horizontal asymptote is the (finite) limit of a function as x approaches positive or negative infinity.

Ideally, one would hope that students have seen these phenomena and have used the terms limit and continuity informally before they study calculus. This is where the study of calculus starts. The next two items are studied in calculus and are based heavily on limit.

3. The tangent line problem. The definition of the derivative as the limit of the slope of a secant line to a graph is the first of the two basic ideas of the calculus. This single idea is the basis for all the concepts and applications of differential calculus.

4. The area problem. Using limits it is possible to find the area of a region with a curved side, even if the curve is not something simple like a semi-circle. The definite integral is defined as the limit of a Riemann sum and gives the area regions with a curved side. This then can be extended to huge number of very practical applications many having nothing to do with area.

So these are the main ways that limits are used in beginning calculus. Students need a good visual  understanding, what the graph looks like,  of the first two situations listed above and how limits describe and define them. This is also necessary later when third and fourth come up.