Rational Zeros Portfolio Assignment

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Math Honors 2 Portfolio Assignment

Rational Zeros

Type I - Mathematical Investigation

Nicole K. Calo

Math Honors 2

Block D

Ms. Kopp

12/ 16/ 2008

INTRODUCTION

This portfolio will be dealing briefly with the topic of rational zeros.

In mathematics, a rational number is a number which can be expressed as a ratio of two integers. Non-integer rational numbers (commonly called fractions) are usually written as the basic fraction , where b = 0.i

The zero of a polynomial is an input value (usually an x-value) that returns a value of zero for the whole polynomial when you plug it into the polynomial. When a zero is a real (that is, not complex) number, it is also an x-intercept of the graph of the polynomial function.ii

Hence, a rational zero is a rational number that makes the entire polynomial equal to zero when it is substituted into the polynomial. Graphically, it is the x-value of the intersection point of the function f (x) and the line y = 0.

OUTLINE

In Part 1 of the portfolio, we will be graphing closely related function to