Amit

Dhaliwal
Calculus 12
Ms. Mosher

Key Concepts

Limits and Continuity Section 2.4

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In calculus, continuity is used to describe functions whos graph has no breaks

Where there is a break in the line it is called discontinuity
Continuity at a point Assume that f(x) is defined as an open interval containing x = c. Then f is
continuous at x=c if

= ()

If the limit does not exist, or of it exist but is not equal to f(c), we say that f has a discontinuity at
x=c
A function may be continuous at some points and discontinuous at others

Example of Discontinuities
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If the limit as x approaches c of f(x) exists but it not equal to f(c), we say that f has removable
discontinuity at x=c


f 2 = 10 but =

a worse type of discontinuity is a jump discontinuity, which occurs if the one sided limits
! () and ! exist but are not equal. Unlike removable discontinuity you
cannot make f(x) continuous by redefining.
One sided continuity A function f(x) is called :
Left continuous at x=c if ! () = ()
Right continuous at x=c if ! =
We say that f(x) has an infinite discontinuity at x=c if one or both of the one sided limits is
infinite

Building Continuous Functions

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Basic laws of continuity If f(x) and g(x) are continuous at x=c then the following functions are
also continuous at x=c

(i) f(x) + g(x) and f(x) g(x)
(iii) f(x)g(x)
(ii) kf(x) for any constant k
(iv) f(x)/g(x) if g(c) does not equal 0
Continuity of Polynomial and Rational Functions Let P(x) and Q(x) be polynomials. Then :
- P(x) is continuous on the real line
- P(x)/Q(x) is continuous on its domain (at all values x=c such that Q(c) does not equal 0

Amit Dhaliwal
Calculus 12
Ms. Mosher

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Continuity of some basic functions

- y = !/! is continuous on its domain for n a natural number
- y = sinx and y = cosx are continuous on the real line
- y = ! is continuous on the real line ( for b>0, b cannout equal 1)
- y = log ! is continuous for x > 0 (for b>0, b cannot equal 1)
Continuity of composite functions if g is continuous at x=c and f is continuous at x=g(c) then the
composite function F(x) = f(g(x)) is continuous at x=c

Limits at Infinity Section 2.7

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It is also important to consider limits as x approached and , which we refer to as limits at

infinity
For all n > 0

lim! ! ! = , lim! ! !! = = lim! !

!
!!

= 0

If n is a whole number,

lim! ! !! = and
lim! !
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!!

lim! ! !! = =

= 0

Limits at Infinity of a Rational Function the asymptotic behaviour of a rational function depends
only on the leading terms of its numerator and denominator. If ! and ! does not equal 0
then:

!
lim =

! !
!