SECTION 44 Indeterminate Forms and (Hospitals Rule 309 @ Indeterminate Differences TE limy a f(a) = % and lim, oo g(2) = % then the Limit Jim (F0) ~ 960] is called an indeterminate form of type % ~ , Again there is a contest between f and 4g. Will the answer be % (f wins) or will i be —© (g wins) or will they compromise on a finite number? To find out, we try to convert the difference into a quotient (for instance, by using a common denominator, or rationalization, or factoring out a common Lactor) so that we have an indeterminate form of type § or 29/0 EXAMPLE7 Compute lim, (4- 1 ) Ving x SOLUTION First notice that 1/(In 2) ~> 0 and 1/(x — 1) —> 92 as x—> 1, so the limit is indeterminate of type «® — 2. Here we can start with a common denominator: =1-my 1 xlsx x xo ARG pine w=) sla Fins Again we have an indeterminate limit of type, so we apply Hospital's Rule a second time: EXAMPLE 8 Calculate lim (e" ~ 2) SOLUTION This is an indeterminate difference because both e* and x approach infinity. ‘We would expect the limit to be infinity because e*—> eo much faster than x. But we can verily this hy factoring out x ‘The term e*/x > co as x —> & by I'Hospital’s Rule and so we now have a product ia ‘which both factors geow large: sae oma (2) .310 CHAPTER4 Applications of ferentiation Altaough forms of the type 0° =, land I are indeterminate, the form 0" isnot indeterminate (See Exercise $6) “The graph ofthe function y= x, x > 0, is shown in Figure 6, Notice ‘that although 0 isnot defined, the values ofthe function approach I as x=» 0", This confirms the result of Example 10. FIGURES @ Indeterminate Powers Several indeterminate forms arise from the limit Fe lim A. lim f(:)=0 and im glx) =0 ype 0? 2. lim f(x) = and lim g(x) =0 type” 3. lim f(a) <1 and tim g(x) = = type 1” Each of these three cases can be treated either by aking the natural logarithm Tet y =[fG]}**, then In y = g(x) Inf(x) ‘or by writing the Function as an exponential: Lal (Recall that both of these methods were used in differentiating such functions.) In either ‘method we are led to the indeterminate product g(x) In f(x), which is of type 0 + «. esis EXAMPLES Calculate lim, (I + sin 4s)° SOLUTION First notice that as x —> 0°, we have 1 + sin 4x —> 1 and cot x —> %, so the siven limit is indeterminate (type 1”). Let ya (+ singe Then Iny = Inf(l + sins") = cot rtn(h + sin dy) = BU S849 was 0 P Hospital's Rule gives costs (+ sin ren lig = jig BO SE yy Tae So far we have computed the limit of la y, but what we wants the limit of y. To find this we use the fact that y =e” Jim, (1+ sind)" = Lim y = im, EXAMPLE 10 Find Jim,» SOLUTION Notice that this limit is indeterminate since 0° = 0 for any x > 0 but x' = 1 for any x # 0, (Recall that 0° is undefined.) We could proceed as in Example 9 ‘or by writing the function as an exponential we(emyeem In Example 6 we used I'Hospital’s Rule to show that lim, xina 0‘Therefore 4.4 EXERCISES 1-4 Given that fa) =o Jim g(x) = 0 lim hla) = 1 Jim p< fim gla) ‘which of the following Himits are indeterminate forms? For ‘those that are not an indeterminate form, evaluate the limit ‘here possible fa) © tin 2 1. @) im He) pa) HG) os (©) tim 2 2. (a) lim [f(a)p(0)] © (6) im Gala)p(0)] tim [r(adat 3. (@) lim L400) ~ pC] (©) li Lets) — a0] © lim [p(2) + 4G] 4 (a) im [faye tim L/P? ©) sim CHC) (him [po (©) lim [ao © lim YO) 5-6 Use the graphs of fand g and their tangent lines at (2.0) to SECTION 44 Indeterminate Formsand HospitatsRule 311 lim x" = lim, e*** 1. The pap non fant ingen ie t a sh, Waste valve in L2» 8-68 ind the limit. Use Hospital's Rule where appropriate I there isa more elementary method, consider using it IF ’Hospita’s Rule doesn't apply, explain why. 1 ig, SE hs er 9 san de 4 fe inde t= sino 7 AD. TF cos 0 ny tim 2 a 23. 25. 27 ley312 CHAPTER4 Applications of ferentiation oposite ug (222) 3 69-70 Use a graph to estimate the value ofthe limit, Then use Hospital's Rule to find the exact value a scene ~ corns 23, tim 234, jn SOME CoE . a a ar +2) im 2 im (162 7. tin 3 35. Jig 36, him SRD are * (2 71-72 Liustrate I’ Hospital's Rule by graphing both f(x}/g(x) — . tnd /'(V@1a) near = Oto seetha tose tos have te Same 37, ig, 38. tig SS fmt a = 0 Alo calculate be exact vale of thei Nf) == 1, gla) =2 = 4 40. ig 7. fx) =2esinx, glx) = see x= 1 42, lim S084 lale a) 73. Prove that Be) tim a. 45. 47 49. 55, sr. 59. 65. sing xsi /) 44, im sm onsvee sa(-2) Jim ve 48, fim 2 sin) ig tnx tanes/2} 50, lim cosxsee Sx 52. lim (ese x = etx) {or any positive integer n This shows that the exponential function approaches infinity faster than aay power of x 7A, Prove that ine {or any number p > 0. This shows thatthe logarithmic {unetion approaches infinity more slowly than any power of 175-76 What happens if you try to use I Hospital's Rule to find the limit? Evaluate the Kimit using another method. 75. tim —— 6. = aaa site tan ain. (4 s+ ) 54, ay (4- lim (« — Inx) lim, fin? = 2) = Ine = 0) dig? tip, (tan 23)! bm (1-29! ©. 1m (+2) sigs Jig (x + De 77, Investigate the family of curves f(x) = e* — cx. In pare ticula, Hind the liits 38 x —> 2 and determine the values of¢ for which f has an absolute minimum, What ‘happens to the minimum points a ¢ increases? 7B. If an object with mass m is dropped from rest, one mde! {or its speed w after ¢ seconds, taking ai existance into account, is vane tn) ‘where gis the acceleration due to gravity and cis aposi- tive constant, (in Chapter 9 we will be able to deduce this. ‘equation from the assumption tha the ar resistance is ‘proportional to the speed ofthe object isthe proportion- ality constant) {@) Calculate lim, .. , What isthe meaning ofthis limit? (©) For fixed fuse F Hospitals Rule to calculate Jim... », What ean you conclude about the velocity ‘of a falling abject in a vacuun79. Ian initial amount Ay of money is invested aan interest rate r compounded times a year, the value ofthe invest merc wy If we let >, we refer to the continuous compounding ‘of interest, Use I Hospital's Rule to show that interest is compounded continuously then the amount aller years is A A= Ac" 0, Light enters the eye through the pupil and srkes the retina, ‘where photoreceptor cells sense light and color. W. Stanley Siles and B. H. Crawford studied the phenomenon in whieh ‘measured brightness decreases a light enters frthe from the center of the pupil (See the figure.) ‘A light beam A that enters through the center ofthe pupil ‘measures brighter than a beam B entering near the edge ofthe pups ‘They detailed their findings af tis phenomenon, known 3s the Stiles-Crawford efect ofthe frst kind, in an important paper published in 1933. In paticulay, they observed that ‘he amount of luminance sensed was not propertional to ‘he area ofthe pupil as they expected, The percentage P of ‘he total aminance entering a pupil of rads y ma that i sensed atthe retina can be deseribed by where p isan expesimentally determined constant, iypically shout 0.05, {@) What is he percentage of luminance sensed by a pupil cf radius 3mm? Use p ~ 005 (©) Compute the percentage af laminance sensed by’ ppl of radius 2 mm. Does i make sense tha is lzger a the answer Yo part)? {© Compute lim, P. I the result what you would expect? Is this result physically possible? oy Sco London, See B: Bolg Sens 12 (199) 42450. SECTION 44 Indeterminate Forms and HospitasRule 313 £1. Some populations inially grow exponentially but eventually level off Equations of the form Pa M Trae where M, A, and k are positive constants are called logistic ‘equations and aze often used to model such populations. (We will investigate these in detail in Chapter 9.) Here Mis called she carrying capacity and represents he maximum poolaton size that can be eupported, and A here Pe is the inal population. Pe {@) Compute lim,..- P(). Explain why your answers to be expected (©) Compute lim y-.» P(). (Not that Ais defined in terms fof M) What kind of function i your result? 482. A metal cable has rads rand is covered by insulation so that the distance from the center of the cable to the exterior of the ingulation is R. The velocity # of an electrical impulse in the cable is ‘where ¢ is positive constant Find the following limits and interpret your answers. dim, 6) ime £83, The est appearance in print of! Hospital's Rule was in the book Analyse des Infniment Petits published by the Marquis de Hospital in 1695, This was the first calculus textbook ‘ver published end the example thatthe Marquis used in that book to illustrate his rule was to find the limi ofthe function Se as x approaches a, where a > 0. (AC thal time it was common te write a instead of a) Solve this problem. 14. The figure shows a secor of a circle with central angle 8. Let -A(@) be the area ofthe segment between the chord PR and the are PR. Let B(0) be the area ofthe wiangle POR. Find Tim .91 A(@YBO) Ae) 85. Evaluate sel]a4 CHAPTER4 Applications of ferentiation 86, Suppose fis postive funtion Elim, .4f(a) = O and 90. 1 is continuous, show tat Jim nag(d) = show tha et hy — ls) fle EN = 2009 4/81 yyy sim [soar = 0 Let . eM teeo safe nee (@) Use the definition of derivative to compute (0). tim [2238 +f +50) () Show that f has derivatives ofall orders that are defined “This shows that 0” isnot an indeterminate form, 87. If f" is continvous, f(2) ~ 0, and f"2) ~ 7, evaluate fon. (Min: First show by induction that there is a polynomial p(x) and a nonnegative integer ky such that LN) = pals flayfa™ far x # 0 88, For what values ofa and b is the following equation rue? we (BE rer b)-o 89. If fis continvous, use ! Hospital's Rule to show that 92. Let ya fish tee fon fh (@) Show that f is continuous a 0. () Investigate graphically whether f is differentiable a 0 +h) —sle- by zooming in several times toward the point (0,1) oa tin Lt fle =H) 9 Zooming t point (0,1) A tbe graph off. (©) Show that fis not differentiable at 0. How can you Explain the meaning ofthis equation withthe aid of reconcile thie fact with the appearance ofthe graphs in diagram part (6)? WRITING PROJECT THE ORIGINS OF L'HOSPITAL'S RULE {Hospital's Rule was fitt published in 1696 in the Marquis de ! Hospital's calculus textbook Analyse des Infiniment Peis, but the rule was discovered in 1694 by the Swiss mathematician John Johann) Beroulli. Tae explanation is that these two mathematicians had entered into 8 ‘curious business arangement whereby the Marquis de I'Hospital bought the rights to Ber- ‘nouli's mathematical discoveries. The details including a translation ofl Hospital’ eter to ‘Bemouli proposing the arrangement, canbe found inthe book by Eves [1]. ‘Write a report on the historical and mathematical arigins of ! Hospital's Rule, Star by peo- viding brief biographical dtals of both men (the dictionary edited by Gillispie [2] is a good source) and ouline the business deal between them. Then give Hospital's statement of his ‘ul, which is found in Struik’s sourcebook [4] and more briefly in the book of Katz [3]. Notice that "Hospital and Remouli formulated the rule geometrically and gave the answer in terms of differentials. Compare their statement with the version of T Hospitals Rule given in Section 4.4 and show thatthe two statements are essentially the same, 1. Howard Eves, In Mathematical Circles (Volume 2: Quadrant I and IV) (Boston: Prine, ‘Weber and Schmidt, 1968), pp. 20-22 2. C.C Gillispie, ed, Dictionary of Scientific Biography (New York: Secibner’s, 1974). See the article on Johann Bemoull by B.A. Fellmann and J. O. Fleckenstein in Volume I and the article on the Marquie de l'Hospital by Abraham Robinson in Volume VII bebaieesabeh send 3. Victor Katz, A History of Mathematics: An Introduction (New York: HarperCollins, 1993), information for this project. Clickon “84 History of Mathematics for alist of 4, D. J. Stik, ed, Sourcebook in Mathematics, 1200-1600 (Princeton, NI: Princeton reliable websites, University ress, 1969), pp. 315-16. www stewartealculus.com