Evaluating Limits

Limit Theorems

Examples.

Limit Theorems
If
Then,

and

Examples.

lim 3 x 1

x 2

lim 2 x

x1

3x 2
lim
x2/3 x 1

1
lim
x 0 x

Limit Theorems
If
Then

and n is a positive integer

Note: If n is even, L should be positive.

Examples.

x1

lim x 2 x x 4 e
3

lim 1 x
3

x9

lim

lim

x0

4 x
x2

x 4

x4

More Examples

x 9
lim
x3 x 3
2

Limit Evaluation

x2 7 2 x
lim

2
x 5
x1

lim

x0

1
lim
x 0 x

DEFINITION . INDERTERMINATE FORM 0/0

If f and g are two functions such that
lim f x 0 and lim g x 0, then the
x a

x a

function f / g has the indeterminate form

0/0 at a.

Technique: Simplify either by

rationalizing or factoring

Limit Evaluation

lim

h 1

h3 2
h 1

Limit Evaluation

h3 2
h3 2

h 1
h3 2

lim

h1

lim

h 1

h 1

lim

h 1

h 1
h3 2

1
h3 2

1
1

1 3 2
4

Quiz.

5x 1 2
2
1. lim 1

x
4
x 2

7
e
4
2

x 1
2. lim
x1 x 1 4 x 3
3

Time to Think
Does the following limit exists?

lim

x 4

x4

lim

x 4

x4

3.2 One-sided Limit

Consider the function defined by

The domain of f is
There is no open interval containing 0 where
f is defined.
Hence,
does not exist.

One-sided Limits
However, if we consider only values greater
than 0, we may evaluate

We call this the right-hand limit.

Definition
Let f be a function defined at every number
in some open interval (a,c).
The limit of f as x approaches a from the
right is L, written as
if for every
there exists
If

, no matter how small,

, such that
then

Definition
Let f be a function defined at every number
in some open interval (d,a).
The limit of f as x approaches a from the
left is L, written as
if for every
there exists
If

, no matter how small,

, such that
then

Remarks
1. If lim f x L lim f x
x a

x a

then lim f x L .
x a

2. If

lim f x lim f x

xa

x a

then lim f x does not exist.

x a

Note
The theorems used in evaluating limits also
apply for one-sided limits.

Example

0
does not exist
does not exist

Example

does not exist

does not exist

Example

since

Example

since

Example

does not exist

since

Time to think
x 2, x 3
Given f x
5a x, x 3
find the value of a such that lim f x exists.
x 3

Time to think
2 x 2 1, x 1

Given g x ax b, 1 x 1
3
x 1
x ,
find the values of a and b such that
lim g x and lim g x bothexist.

x 1

x 1

Exercise.

Find the indicated limit or state

that it does not exist.
1 1 4 x

x3 8
f x
x2
x2 1

lim f x

x2

, x 2
, 2 x 1
, x 1

lim f x

x1

INFINITE Limits

Consider the function defined by

As x approaches 0 from the right, the

function increases without bound.
As x approaches 0 from the left, the function
decreases without bound.

In both cases, the limit of the function does

not exist.

Definition
Let f be a function defined at every number
in some open interval containing a, except
possibly at a.
As x approaches a, f increases without
bound, written as

if for any
such that if

, there exists a
then

Definition
Let f be a function defined at every number
in some open interval containing a, except
possibly at a.
As x approaches a, f decreases without
bound, written as

if for any
such that if

, there exists a
then

Theorem
If r is a positive integer, then

Theorems
If

and

Then

if

and
values, then

through positive

Theorems
If

and

Then

if

and
values, then

through negative

Theorems
If

and

Then

if

and
values, then

through negative

Theorems
If

and

Then

if

and
values, then

through positive

Examples

Theorem
If

and
Then

,
;

If
if

Remark: if c=0, indeterminate form.

Theorem
If

and
Then

,
;

If
if

Remark: if c=0, indeterminate form.

Examples

Examples

Examples
Remember that this is an indeterminate form.

EXAMPLE

EXAMPLE
3

0
x 3
2

lim
x0

x 1

3

0

Vertical Asymptote
The line
is a vertical asymptote of the
graph of f is one of the following is true.

Indeterminate Forms:

0
0

Technique:

Simplify either by
rationalizing or factoring

Simplify by
performing the operation

Exercise.

Find the indicated limit or state

that it does not exist.
lim

y 9

y 2 81
9 y

1
2
lim
2

4 x
x 4
x 4
1
3 x

lim 2
2
x 1 2x x 1

x1

Exercise.

Find the indicated limit or state

that it does not exist.
f x 5x x 2

1
g x
x 2

lim f x g x

x 2

lim f x g

x 2

Exercise.

Find the indicated limit or state

that it does not exist.
x 4
2

lim

x0

3x 2 x

lim

lim
x

1
2

1 4x

10 x 2

9x 2

x 2

4 x2

x 2 2 x 5
2

Quiz.

Evaluate.

lim

x1

5 x

9 4 x x 1
2

6

0

g x 3 2 x 3 2 x x 1

5
5
g 3 5 3 5 1 LHL
2
2

g 0 9
RHL

Limits at infinity

1
Consider the function defined by f x
x

Definition
Let f be a function defined at every number
in some interval
The limit of f, as x increases without bound,
is L written as
if for any
that
If

, there exists an
then

such

Definition
Let f be a function defined at every number
in some interval
The limit of f, as x increases without bound,
is L written as
if for any
such that

If

, there exists an

then

Theorem
If r is a positive integer, then

EXAMPLES

EXAMPLES

EXAMPLES
since

Exercise.

Find the indicated limit or state

that it does not exist.
lim

4 x 2 3x 5
8 x3 2 x 9

lim

9 x2
9 x

lim

9 x2
9 x

5x 7
4

lim

lim

5 x3 x 4
8 x

x 4x 7
2

lim

x5 2 x3 8 x 1
x 1
2

Horizontal Asymptote
The line y a is a horizontal asymptote of
the graph of f is one of the following is true.
lim f x a

lim f x a

2x 1
lim
x x 3

2x 5
lim
x x 2

1 3x
lim
x x 1