rational function

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. a function that can be written as the quotient of two polynomials with integral coefficients.

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Etymology

Origin of rational function

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

The domain of a rational function is all real numbers except for those values that would cause division by zero.

From Textbooks • May 6, 2020

In this next example, we see how to use partial fractions to integrate a rational function of this type.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

As we shall see, this form is both predictable and highly dependent on the factorization of the denominator of the rational function.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

Figure 4.53 The graph of this rational function approaches a horizontal asymptote as x → ±∞.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

There is no material the universe offers for man's life but Spinoza seeks to understand and explain its rational function and utility.

From The Philosophy of Spinoza by Ratner, Joseph