Indeterminate Forms and L’Hopital’s

Rule

Math 27
Analytic Geometry and Calculus II

Kimberly Hazel B. Camino, MSc

Department of Mathematics, Physics,
and Computer Science

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Outline

1 Indeterminate Forms

2 L’Hopital’s Rule

3 Improper Integrals

4 Improper Integrals with Infinite Limits of Integration

Forms of Limits

f (x)
lim
x→a g(x)

lim f (x)g(x)
x→a

lim (f (x) − g(x))

x→a

lim f (x)g(x)
x→a

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Forms of Limits

Examples
x2 − 9
1 lim
x→3 x − 3

 
1 1
2 lim −
x→0 sin x x

3 lim x ln x
x→0+

1
4 lim (1 + 3 tan x) x
x→0

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Indeterminate Forms

0
Indeterminate Form
0
If f and g are two functions such that

lim f (x) = 0 and lim g(x) = 0,

x→a x→a

f (x) 0
then has the indeterminate form at a.
g(x) 0

Math 27
Outline

1 Indeterminate Forms

2 L’Hopital’s Rule

3 Improper Integrals

4 Improper Integrals with Infinite Limits of Integration

L’Hopital’s Rule

Let f and g be functions differentiable on an interval I, except

possibly at the number a ∈ I. Suppose that ∀x ∈ I, x 6= a,
g 0 (x) = 0. If

lim f (x) = 0;
x→a
lim g(x) = 0; and
x→a
f 0 (x)
lim =L
x→a g 0 (x)

then
f (x)
lim = L.
x→a g(x)

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L’Hopital’s Rule

Let f and g be functions differentiable on an interval I, except

possibly at the number a ∈ I. Suppose that ∀x ∈ I, x 6= a,
g 0 (x) = 0. If

lim f (x) = ∞ or − ∞;
x→a
lim g(x) = ∞ or − ∞; and
x→a
f 0 (x)
lim =L
x→a g 0 (x)

then
f (x)
lim = L.
x→a g(x)

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L’Hopital’s Rule

Remark
L’Hopital’s Rule applies to any of the following indeterminate
forms:
0 ∞
0 −∞
∞ −∞
∞ ∞
−∞
−∞

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L’Hopital’s Rule

Other Indeterminate Forms

0·∞ (−∞)0
∞−∞
1∞
00
∞0 1−∞

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L’Hopital’s Rule

Examples
x − sin x
1) lim
x→0 x3
3z 2 + 7z
2) lim
z→∞ 2z 2 − 5
 
1 1
3) lim −
x→0 sin x x
√ √ 
4) lim x + ln x − x
x→∞
5) lim v ln v
v→0+
 π
6) lim x − tan x
x→π/2 2
7) lim xsin x
x→0+

Math 27
Outline

1 Indeterminate Forms

2 L’Hopital’s Rule

3 Improper Integrals

4 Improper Integrals with Infinite Limits of Integration

Definite Integrals

Up to now, definite integrals have been required to have two

properties:
The domain of integration [a, b] has finite bounds.
The integral is defined on [a, b].

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Math 27
Improper Integrals

If f (x) is continuous on (a, b] and is discontinuous at a, then

Z b Z b
f (x) dx = lim f (x) dx
a t→a+ t

If f (x) is continuous on [a, b) and is discontinuous at b, then

Z b Z t
f (x) dx = lim f (x) dx
a t→b− a

If f (x) is discontinuous at c, where a < c < b, and is continuous

on [a, c) ∪ (c, b], then
Z b Z t Z b
f (x) dx = lim f (x) dx + lim f (x) dx
a t→c− a s→c+ s

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Improper Integrals

Convergent Improper Integrals

If the limit exists, the improper integral is said to be convergent.
If the limit does not exist, the improper integral is divergent.

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Improper Integrals

Examples
Determine whether the improper integral is convergent or
divergent.
Z 1
dx
1 √
0 x
Z −3
y dy
2 p
−5 y2 − 9
Z 3
dz
3
0 1−z

Math 27
Outline

1 Indeterminate Forms

2 L’Hopital’s Rule

3 Improper Integrals

4 Improper Integrals with Infinite Limits of Integration

Improper Integrals

Improper Integral with Infinite Upper Limit

If f is continuous for all x ≥ a, then
Z ∞ Z b
f (x) dx = lim f (x) dx
a b→∞ a

if this limit exists.

Improper Integral with Infinite Lower Limit

If f is continuous for all x ≤ b, then
Z b Z b
f (x) dx = lim f (x) dx
−∞ a→−∞ a

if this limit exists.

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Improper Integrals

Limits of integration are both infinite

If f is continuous for all values of x, and c ∈ R, then
Z ∞ Z c Z d
f (x) dx = lim f (x) dx + lim f (x) dx
−∞ a→−∞ a d→∞ c

if both these limits exist.

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Improper Integrals

Examples
Determine whether the improper integral is convergent or
divergent.
Z ∞
ln x
1 dx
1 x2
Z ∞
3
2 u2 e−u du
−∞
Word Problem: The cross-sections of the solid horn in the
figure below perpendicular to the x-axis are circular disks with
diameters reaching from the x-axis to the curve y = ex ,
−∞ < x ≤ ln 2. Find the volume of the horn.

Math 27
Improper Integrals

Math 27