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jmc

algebra intermediate

Problem

The graph of has vertical asymptotes at and . Find .
Solution
The vertical asymptotes will occur when the denominator of a simplified rational expression is equal to zero. We factor the denominator to obtain . Hence, there are vertical asymptotes when , and the sum of these values of is

(We can also use Vieta's formulas, which states that the sum of the roots of is .)
Final answer
-\frac{5}{3}.