I need to know the behavior of the reciprocal function: f(x)=x^(-1). As far as behavior, our teacher taught us increasing, decreasing, constant, and "strickly" definitions for each. However, since the reciprocal function breaks at one point, not sure how its behavior would be described. Help please?

Question

I need to know the behavior of the reciprocal function:  f(x)=x^(-1).  As far as behavior, our teacher taught us increasing, decreasing, constant, and "strickly" definitions for each.  However, since the reciprocal function breaks at one point, not sure how its behavior would be described.  Help please?

helder_edwin · Answer

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=graph+y%3D1%2Fx

ascendant · Answer

Thanks, but I know what it looks like.  What my question was is what type of behavior does it have?  For example, the linear function f(x)=x is considered to have a "strictly increasing" behavior.  I am not sure how to describe the reciprocal function because of the break, so that is all I need to know about it.