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X Approaches A Real Number Or: SFM 1002 Mathematics II Chapter 1 Limits
X Approaches A Real Number Or: SFM 1002 Mathematics II Chapter 1 Limits
Chapter 1 Limits
CHAPTER 1
LIMITS
________________________________________________________________________
At the end of chapter, the students are able to
find the limit of function f (x) , whether x approaches a real number or (C1)
trace the limit properties to solve the limit problems (P3, C3)
use the concept of limit to determine continuity of the function (C3)
________________________________________________________________________
1.1
Introduction to Limits
Definition 1.1: Let x be any real number variable, and let c be a fixed real number. To say that x
approaches c means that x can take on any value which is arbitrarily close to c.
Notation: x approaches c is written as x c . If x c , then the distance between x and c
differs by arbitrarily small amount which can be denoted by a positive number such that
xc < .
y
+
Figure 1 : Distance x from c
Example 1.1: If = 2 and = 0.01, then 1.99 < < 2.01 approaches 2.
Definition 1.2 (Limit of a function): If a function () approaches some real number L when x
approaches c, then we call L as limit of when x approaches c.
2 9
3
or
() 5
()
4
7
5.5
3.5
6.5
5.9
5.99
3.1
6.1
5.999
3.01
6.01
3.001
6.001
3.0001
6.0001
x 3 125
and 5. Find the limit of f (x) when approaches 5.
x 5
Definition 1.3: The limit of () when approaches from right side can be written as
lim+ ().
Definition 1.4: The limit of () when approaches from left side can be written as
lim ().
x c
x c
Solution:
Step 1:
Step 2:
lim 2 x + 1 = 7 ;
x 3 +
lim 2 x + 1 = 7 .
x 3
x 3
x 3
x c
xc
Method:
To find the limit of the function f (x) , we need to the follow:
Step 1:
Find the value of lim+ f ( x)
x c
Step 2:
Step 3:
Make a conclusion
If lim+ f ( x) = lim f ( x) , thus lim f ( x) = lim+ f ( x) = lim f ( x)
x c
x c
x c
x c
x c
x c
x c
x c
x 2, for x 2
Example 1.4(a): Find lim f ( x) , where f ( x) =
.
x 2
x 1, for x < 2
Solution:
Step 1:
lim+ f ( x) = lim+ x 2 = 0 ;
x2
Step 2:
x2
lim f ( x) = lim x 1 = 1 .
x2
x2
x2
x 2
x 2, for x 5
.
Example 1.4(b): Find lim f ( x) , where f ( x) =
x5
x
x
2
,
for
<
5
2. lim kf ( x) = k lim f ( x) ;
x c
x c
x c
x c
x c
x c
6. lim
x c
x c
x c
f ( x)
f ( x) lim
, if lim g ( x) 0 ;
= x c
x c
g ( x) lim g ( x)
x c
x c
x c
x c
x c
x2 9
, and g ( x) = 2 x + 1 . Verify the limit
x3
x 3
x2 9
= 6 and lim g ( x) = lim 2 x + 1 = 7 ;
x 3
x 3
x 3
Step 2:
1. lim k = lim 5 = 5 ;
x c
x 3
x c
x 3
x c
x c
x 3
x 3
x c
x c
x 3
x 3
6. lim
x c
x c
x c
x 3
x 3
f ( x) lim f ( x) 6
f ( x) lim
= x c
= x 3
= ;
g ( x) lim g ( x) lim g ( x) 7
x c
x 3
] [
x c
x c
x 3
x c
x 3
x 3 125
, and g ( x) = x 2 + 1 . Verify the limit
x 5
properties.
1.2
Definition 1.5: If the function f (x) increases without limit when x approaches c , then we
write lim f ( x) = + .
x c
f (x)
x
c
Figure 3: Limit f (x) approach +
Definition 1.6: If the function f (x) decreases without limit when x approaches c , then we
write lim f ( x) = .
x c
f (x)
c
x
x c
1
.
x 3
6
Solution:
Step 1:
Step 2:
lim
1
= + ;
x 3
lim
1
= + .
x 3
x 3 +
x 3
1
1
1
, thus lim
= + .
= lim
x 3 x 3
x 3 x 3 x 3
1
.
x 1
Definition 1.7: If the limit of the function f (x) as x approaches a very large value, like +
and then we write lim f ( x) and lim f ( x) .
x +
1
= 0 for any number of n .
x + x n
Method:
To find the limit of the function f (x) as x approaches + or , we need to
the follow:
p( x)
Step 1:
Suppose that f ( x) =
, then determine the highest order of
q( x)
x for functions p (x) and q (x) , let say is n ;
Step 2:
Step 3:
4x + 3
x + 2 x + 5
lim 4 +
x +
x
=
5
lim 2 +
x +
x
4+
(divide by x)
1
lim 4 + 3 lim
x + x
(Theorem 1.1 (2) & (3))
=
1
lim 2 + 5 lim
x +
x + x
4 + 3.0 4
=
= =2
2 + 5.0 2
2x 2 x + 5
Example 1.7(b): Find lim
x
4x3 1
x +
x +
3x + 4
2x 2 5
1.3
Continuity
Definition 1.8: A function f (x) is said to be continuous at x = c if f (x) satisfy the following
three conditions.
(a) f (c) is defined (exist);
(b) exist lim f ( x) , that mean lim+ f ( x) = lim f ( x) ;
x c
xc
x c
Method:
To determine the function f (x) is continuous at x = c , we need to the follow:
Step 1:
Find f (c) , the value of f (c) must be a real number;
Step 2:
Find the values of lim+ f ( x) and lim f ( x) , if they are equal, then
x c
x c
exist lim f ( x) ;
xc
Step 3:
4x2 + 3
is continuous at x = 2 .
2x +1
Solution:
Step 1:
Step 2:
4(2) 2 + 3 19
=
2(2) + 1
5
Thus, f (c) is defined.
f ( 2) =
lim+ f ( x) = lim+
x c
x2
4 x 2 + 3 19
=
2x +1
5
4 x 2 + 3 19
=
x c
x2
2x +1
5
Thus, exist lim f ( x) , because lim+ f ( x) = lim f ( x)
lim f ( x) = lim
xc
Step 3:
x c
x c
lim f ( x) = f (2)
x2
x 2 + 3x + 1
is continuous at x = 3 .
x3
Exercise 1:
1.
a) lim(2 x 5 9 x 3 + 3 x 2 11)
b) lim
c) lim 3 x 2 3 x 2
d) lim ( x 2 + 3 x 7)
x2
x 2
x 2
x4
e) lim
x4
f) lim
x2
g) lim(t 5t + 4)
3
x 0
z + z 3
z +1
2
i) lim
x 1
x 2
x2 + x 6
x2
h) lim( x + 5)(2 x 7)
x 3
x 2 + 3 x 10
x 3 3 x 2 + 5 x 7
j) lim
x 3 6 x 2 + 11x 6
x 1 x 3 + 4 x 2 19 x + 14
l) lim
m) lim
x2 + x 2
x 1
x2 1
n) lim
u 2 ux + 2u 2 x
o) lim
u 2
u2 u 6
x 2 + ux x u
p) lim
x 1 x 2 + 2 x 3
k) lim
q) lim
2 x 2 6 x + 4 2
x2 2
x 2 + 7 x + 10
x 2
x+2
x 2 14 x 51
x 3 x 2 4 x 21
( w + 2 )( w 2 w 6 )
w2
w2 + 4w + 4
r) lim
10
2.
x2
x 5 x 3
d) lim
t2
t 7 t 2
f) lim
t
t t 5
h) lim
c) lim
e) lim
g) lim
3.
x2
x ( x 5 )( 3 x )
x
x x 5
a) lim
x2
x x 2 8 x + 15
x3
x 2 x 3 100 x 2
5
5 5 4
a) f ( x) = x 2 + x + 1 at x = 3
b) f ( x) =
x3 2x + 2
c) f ( x) =
at x = 1
x 1
x3 + 2 x + 2
d) f ( x) =
at x = 1
x +1
x 2 16
at x = 4
e) f ( x) =
x4
x 2 3x 4
f) f ( x) =
at x = 4
x +1
x + 2, for x 0
g) f ( x) =
at x = 0
for x = 0
0,
x 2 4, for x 2
i) f ( x) =
at x = 2
x + 2, for x < 2
11