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    16 views13 pages

    2 5LimitDefinition

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    limit definition

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    2.5. Definition of Limit Contemporary Caleulus 1 25 DEFINITION OF LIMIT may seem strange that we have been using and calculating the Values of limits for awhile without having a precise definition of limit, ut the history of mathematics shows that many concepts, including limit, were successfully used before they were precisely defined or even fully understood. We have chosen to follow the historical sequence in this chapter and to emphasize the intuitive and graphical meaning of limit because most students find these ideas and calculations easier than the definition. Also, this intuitive and ‘graphical understanding of limit was suficiont for the first hundred years ofthe development of calculus {from Newton and Leibniz inthe late 1600's to Cauchy in the early 1800's), and itis sufficient for using and understanding the results in beginning calculus. Mathematics, however is more than a collection of useful tools, and part ofits power and beauty comes fom the fact that in mathemati terms are precisely defined and results ar rigorously proved. Mathematical tastes (what is mathematically beautiful, interesting, useful) change overtime, but because of these careful definitions and proofs, the results remain rue, everywhere and forever. Textbooks seldom sive all of the definitions and proofs, but itis important to mathematis that such definitions and proof’ exist ‘The goal of this section is to provide a precise definition of the limit ofa function, The definition will not help you calculate the values of limits, but it provides a precise statement of what a limit is. The definition ‘of limit is then used to verify the limits of some functions, and some general results are proved. ‘The Intuitive Approach ‘The precise ("formal") definition of limit carefully defines the ideas that we have already been using ‘graphically and intuitively. ‘The following side-by-side columns show some of the phrases we have been using to deseribe limits, and those phrases, particularly the last ones, provide the basis to building the definition of limit, WSBCTC 4 2.5. Definition of Limit A Particular Limit lim 2x xs "as the values of x approach 3, the values ‘of 2x-1 approach (are arbitrarily close to) 5" "when x is close to 3 (but not equal to 3), the value of 2x-1 is close to 5" "we can guarantee that the values of f(x) = 24-1 are as close to Sas we want by starting with values of x sufficiently close to 3 (but not equal to 3)" Contemporary Caleulus 2 General Limit fim t)=L “as the values of x approach a, the values of f(x) approach (are arbitrarily close to) L" “when x is close to a (but not equal to a), the value of f(x) is close to L" we can guarantee that the values of f(x) are as close to L. as we want by starting with values of x sufficiently close to & (ut not equal to a)" Let's examine what the last phrase ("We can .) means for the Particular Limit Example 1: Weknow lim 2x the values of £(3) with values of x sufficiently close to 3. (@) What values of x guarantee that f(x) =2x-1 is within 1 unit of 5? (Fig. 1a) ‘Show that we can guarantee that ia 2x—1 are as close to 5 as we want by starting ye iin NS Solution: "within 1 unit of 5" means between S-1=4 and S+1=6,s0 the guestion can be rephrased as "for what values of x is y=2x-1 between 4 and 6: 4<2x—1<6?" We want to know which values of x put the values of x1 into the shaded band in Fig. 1a, The algebraic process is straightforward: solve 4.<2x—1 <6 for x to get $<2x<7 and Fi win Tks? 25 is within 0.2 units of 4, then 38.< x7 <4.2 Fig. 5 FR _* ree se lhl 6 De es ' Fig. Se: step v ‘ D2 Db Practice: InFig.9, lim f(x) = 1.8. What values fof x guarantee that y = f(x) is within E units of 1.8? © @ WSBCTC 5 25. Definition af Limit Contemporary Caleulus 6 ‘The Formal Definition of Limit ‘The ideas ofthe previous examples and practice problems can be stated for general functions and limits, ‘and they provide the basis for the definition of limit which is given inthe box. The use of the lower case Greek leters (epsilon) and 8 (delta) inthe definition i standard ad this definition is sometimes called the "epsilon-delta” definition of limit. "yis within © of L? In this definition, ¢ represents the given distance on either side of the limiting value y =L,and 8 is the distance on each side ofthe point x =a on the x-axis that we have been finding in the previous examples. This definition has the form of aa "challenge and reponse:" for any positive challenge € (make (©) within © of L), there is @ positive response 3 (start with x within 8 of aand xa). “xis within 6 of a Fig. 10 Example 4: tn Fig. 11a, lim f(s)=L, anda value for © is a= 8) sven graphically as « length, Find ‘length for 8 that satisfies the definition of limit (60 if x iswithin of (and x4), then f(x) Lp--4-s, y= fis 1 is within € of L"). bes Bay bee | Solution: Follow the steps outlined in Example 3. ‘- | ‘The length for 8 is shown in Fig. 11b, tt fei * and any shorter length for & also ee] satisfies the definition. Aa Fig. 11b "xis win 9 of G) WSBCTC ox 6 25 Definition of Limit Contemporary Caleulus 7 Practice 4: In Fig. 12, lim f{x)=L, anda value for ¢ is given sraphically as a length. Find a length for 8 that L satisfies the definition of limit ExampleS: Provethat lim 4x—5=7. Solution: We need to show that for every given €>0 there is a 8>0 so that Fig, 12 tf x is within 8 units of 3 (and x #3) then 4x—$ is within € units of 7. Actually there are two things we need todo. First, we need to find a value for 8 (typically depending on 2), and, second, we need to show that our & really docs satisty the “if then" part of the definition. ji, Finding & is similar t part (¢) in Example | and Practice 1: assume 4x~5 is within © units of 7 and solve for x. If 7-e<4x-S 0 satisfies the definition, Given any value of €>0,let = 1 (any positive value for 8 works), If x is —b =0 0, there is a 8>0 which satisfies the definition cae 2: m0, Then {0)=mx-+b. Forany «> 0,put 8 [5] >0. IF x iewitin 3= 5 of a then an TR 0, there is 80" that satisties the rest of the definition is satistied, i oa Fig 13 It'there is even a single value of & for which there is no, then the function does not satisfy the difinition, and we say that the limit "does not exist: Buample6: Lets) = {4 LST asisshown in Fig. 14 {Use the definition o prove that Him f(a) does not exis Solution: One common proof technique in mathematis is ealled "proof by contradiction," and that is the method we use here, Using that method in this Fig. 14 case, (i) we assume that the limit does exist and equals some number L, (i) we show that this assumption leads to a contradiction, and (ii) we conclude that the assumption must have been false. Therefore, we conclude that the limit does not exist. © Assume thatthe mit exists: fim £(X)=1. for some value for L, Let €=4 . (The definition says “for every €* so we can pick this value, Why we chose this value for ¢ shows up later in the proof.) ‘Then, since we are assuming that the limit exists there is a 5>0 so thatif x is within § of 1 then (3) is within © of L. (i) Let x, be between 1 and 148. Thea x1>1 s0 fix 4. Also, x) is within 8 of 1 so f(x)= 1 4 is within 3 of L, and L is between 3.5 and 45: 35 1 WSBCTC 8 2.5 Definition of Limit Contemporary Caleulus 9 Practice 6: Use the definition to prove that Jim + does notexst (Fig. 15) 1 xu x wet Proofs of Two Limit Theorems ‘The theorems and their proofs ure included here so you can see how such proofs proceed — you have already used these theorems to evaluate limits of functions... There are rigorous proofs of all ofthe other limit properties, Fig. 15 ‘but they are somewhat more complicated than the proofs given here. kL ‘Theorem: If lim f(x)=L, then lim keto Proof; Case k=0: The Theorem is true but not very interesting: lim O-(x) = lim 0= 0+, Casek #0: Since lim f(x) =L, then, by the definition, for every e>0 there is a 8>0 so that Iig)=Llce whenever Ix=al-e8Forany €20,e know ff > and pik vale of 8 thatsatisies 1NQ)=L1-< ff whenever xa <8. When Inca les Cais within 8 of a then e—Lie C1) iewinin oF LY 50 Ikbli(x)-L1< & (multiplying cach side by [kl >0) and Ikft) - kL 1< € (k+f(x) is within ¢ of k-L). ‘Theorem: If fim f(x) =L and lim g(x) =M, then fim f(x) + g(a) =L-+M. Proof: Assume that lim fix) =L and lim g(x) =M. Then, given any €>0,we know e/2>0 and that there are deltas for f and g ,8; and dy ,s0 that es if Ix—al0 for which there is no 5 that satisfies the definition.) 4 feet witty {4 BEEZ assshowo inte. 20 Show lim f(x) does not exist i xb WsBCTC 11 2.5 Definition of Limit Contemporary Caleulus 2 20, f(3) =INT(R) as is shown in Fig. 21. y-nTe Show lim, (x) does not exist. ay x ifxe2 21 fe) = {Gx RS2 «Show im, f(x) docs not exist 22. 4 ts use how Lim f(x) d f= 1g2 iran» Show lim, 09 docs nt exist, 23, Prove: If fim (0) =L and fim g(x) =M, then im fx) — g(x) = Section 2.5 PRACTICE Answers e ba € Practice1: (a) 31. <4x-S<341 so 7<4x<9 and 1750,take = eS Ix is within 8=e/5 of 4, then AaeS 0,there isa 8>0 (namely 8 15)" so thatthe rest of the definition is satistied, Practice 6: ‘This is a much more sophisticated (harder) problem. Using "proof by contradiction’ as outlined in the solution to Example 6. (© Assume thatthe imitexists: Lim, + for some value for L. Let (The definition says or every € so we can pick this value. For this limit, the definition fails for every > 0.) Then, since ‘we are assuming thatthe limit exists, there is a 8 >0 so that if x is within 3 of then 1 fo) =< is within ofL. 1 i) (See Fig. 24) Let x1 be between 0 and 0.48 and also require that x) <3 . Then 1 1 O2- Since x, is within dof 0, £x,)>2 is within e= 1 of L, so L is greater than 2- e= 1: 1-7. Then 0>x,> so f(g) =5y <-2. Since xp is within 8 of 0, f(y) <—2 is within % 1 of L,so L is less than -2+ e =. Al>L, (Gil) ‘The two inequalities in bold print provide the contradiction we were hoping to find, There is no value L that satisfies BOTH 1

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