CHAPTER 10 Limit Formulas

10.1 Denition of Limit

LIMIT OF A FUNCTION (INFORMAL DEFINITION)

The notation
x!c

lim f x D L

is read the limit of f(x) as x approaches c is L and means that the functional values f(x) can be made arbitrarily close to L by choosing x sufciently close to c.

LIMIT OF A FUNCTION (FORMAL DEFINITION)

The limit statement

x!c

lim f x D L

means that for each > 0, there corresponds a number > 0 with the property that jf x Lj < whenever 0 < jx cj <

A FUNCTION DIVERGES TO INFINITY (INFORMAL DEFINITION)

A function f that increases or decreases without bound as x approaches c is said to diverge to innity 1 at c. We indicate this behavior by writing (continued)

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185

x!c

lim f x D C1

if x increases without bound and by

x!c

lim f x D

if x decreases without bound.

INFINITE LIMIT (FORMAL DEFINITION)

We write limx!c f x D C1 if, for any number N > 0 (no matter how large), it is possible to nd a number > 0 such that f x > N whenever 0 < jx cj < .

LIMITS INVOLVING INFINITY

The limit statement limx!C1 f x D L means that for any number > 0, there exists a number N1 such that jf x Lj < whenever x > N1

for x in the domain of f. Similarly limx! 1 f x D M means that for any > 0, there exists a number N2 such that jf x Mj < whenever x < N2

LIMIT OF A FUNCTION OF TWO VARIABLES (INFORMAL DEFINITION)

The notation
x,y ! x0 ,y0

lim

f x, y D L continued

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means that the functional values f(x, y) can be made arbitrarily close to L by choosing the point (x, y) close to the point x0 , y0 . LIMIT OF A FUNCTION OF TWO VARIABLES (FORMAL DEFINITION)

Suppose the point P0 x0 , y0 has the property that every disk centered at P0 contains at least one point in the domain of f other than P0 itself. Then the number L is the limit of f at P if, for every > 0, there exists a > 0 such that jf x, y Lj < whenever 0 < x x0
2

C y

y0

<

In this case, we write

x,y ! x0 ,y0

lim

f x, y D L

10.2 Rules of Limits

BASIC RULES For any real numbers a and c, suppose the functions f and g both have limits at x D c. Suppose also that both limx!C1 f x and limx! 1 f x exist. Limit of a constant Limit of x Scalar rule Sum rule Difference rule Linearity rule
x!c

lim k D k for any constant k

x!c x!c

lim x D c
x!c

lim [af x ] D a lim f x

lim [f x C g x ] D x!c lim f x C lim g x

x!c x!c

lim [f x g x ]D x!c lim g x lim f x

x!c x!c

limx!C1 [af x C bg x ] D a limx!C1 f x C b limx!C1 g x

Chapter 10 Product rules

x!c

187

lim [f x g x ] D [lim f x ][lim g x ]

x!c x!c

Quotient rules

Power rules

limx!C1 [f x g x ] D [limx!C1 f x ] [limx!C1 g x ] lim f x fx D x!c if lim g x 6D 0 lim x!c g x x!c lim g x x!c fx limx!C1 D gx limx!C1 f x if limx!C1 g x 6D 0 limx!C1 g x n lim [f x ]n D lim f x n is a x!c x!c rational number limx!C1 [f x ]n D [limx!C1 f x ]n Suppose lim f x exists and f x 0 x!c throughout an open interval containing the number c, except possibly at c itself. Then lim f x 0.
x!c

Limit limitation theorem

The squeeze rule

If g x f x h x for all x in an open interval containing c (except possibly at c itself) and if

x!c

lim g x D lim h x D L
x!c

Limits to innity Innite-limit theorem

then lim f x D L. x!c A A limx!C1 n D 0 and limx! 1 n D 0 x x If lim f x D C1 and lim g x D x!c x!c A, then fx D lim [f x g x ] D C1 and lim x!c x!c g x C1 if A > 0 fx D lim [f x g x ] D 1 and lim x!c x!c g x 1 if A < 0 Let f and g be differentiable functions on an open interval containing c (except possibly at c itself). fx If lim produces an indeterminate x!c g x 1 0 form or , then 0 1

lHO pitals rule o

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Chapter 10 fx f0 x D lim 0 x!c g x x!c g x provided that the limit on the right side exists. lim

TRIGONOMETRIC LIMITS
x!c

lim cos x D cos c

x!c x!c

x!c x!c

lim sec x D sec c lim csc x D csc c lim cot x D cot c

lim sin x D sin c

lim tan x D tan c

x!c

sin x sin ax tan x 1 D 1 lim D a lim D 1 lim x!0 x x!0 x!0 x x!0 x lim MISCELLANEOUS LIMITS 1 n De n!C1 n k n D ek lim 1 C n!C1 n lim n1/n D 1 lim 1C
n!C1 n!0

cos x D0 x

lim 1 C n

1/n

De
nt

n!C1

lim p 1 C

1 n

D pet

10.3 Limits of a Function of Two Variables

BASIC FORMULAS AND RULES FOR LIMITS OF A FUNCTION OF TWO VARIABLES Suppose
x,y ! x0 ,y0 x,y ! x0 ,y0

lim

f x, y and

x,y ! x0 ,y0

lim

g x, y both exist, with

lim

f x, y D L and

x,y ! x0 ,y0

lim

g x, y D M.

Then the following rules obtain: Scalar rule

x,y ! x0 ,y0

lim

[af x, y ] f x, y D aL

Da Sum rule

x,y ! x0 ,y0

lim

x,y ! x0 ,y0

lim

[f C g] x, y f x, y C lim g x, y

x,y ! x0 ,y0

lim

x,y ! x0 ,y0

DLCM

Chapter 10 Product rule

x,y ! x0 ,y0

189

lim

[fg] x, y f x, y lim g x, y

x,y ! x0 ,y0

lim

x,y ! x0 ,y0

D LM Quotient rule lim f g x, y D

x,y ! x0 ,y0 x,y ! x0 ,y0

lim

f x, y g x, y D

x,y ! x0 ,y0

lim

L M

if M 6D 0 Substitution rule If f(x, y) is a polynomial or a rational function, limits may be found by substituting for x and y (excluding values that cause division by zero).