Mathematics For Pharmacy Students (UMTH01P01)

Lecture Nr 2 (Limit of a function)

BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

10/3/2013

Limit of a function

BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

10/3/2013

Limit of a function

BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

10/3/2013

Limit of a function

BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

10/3/2013

Limit of a function
The meaning of
lim
x c

f (x) N

for all values of x approximately equal to c (but not equal c), the corresponding value of f(x) is approximately equal N
In other words: As x gets closer to c, but remains unequal to c, the corresponding value of f(x) gets closer to N.

BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

10/3/2013

Example
We have a function f(x) = x2 x + 2,
We need to investigate the behavior of this function for

values of x near 2.
The following table gives the values of f(x) for values of x

close to 2. BUT NOT EQUAL TO 2

BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

10/3/2013

BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

10/3/2013

We Note that
When x is close to 2 (on either side of 2), f(x) is close to 4.
We express this by saying that the limit of the function f(x)

= x2 x + 2

as x approaches 2 is equal to 4.

BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

10/3/2013

Notation of Limit
The notation of this is

lim x
x 2

x 2 4

10/3/2013

BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

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BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

10/3/2013

Example

f (x)

x 1

Let us study the limit of f as x approaches 1. It is clear that f(x) is undefined at x = 1.

But the limit depends only on values of f(x) near 1, not at 1.

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BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

10/3/2013

 Now let then for x

x 1,then,

f (x)

( x 1 )( x 1 ) x 1

f (x) x 1

1, the function behaves as the linear function

f(x) = x + 1

represented graphically by the line y = x + 1

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BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

10/3/2013

It is clear that as x approaches 1, the value of f(x) approaches 2.

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BUE, Fall 2012 ,Dr Tarek Emam

10/3/2013