TUTORIAL # 1 - LIMITS AND CONTINUITY

Recall:
If  f ( x ) is algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, sine or cosine function, then lim f ( x)  f (a)
xa

1. Evaluate the limit of the following functions:

2
lim
x 7   lim  4  5 x  2 x 2  lim  1  6 x2 
(a)  3  (b) x  3
(c) x 2

lim10e2 x
x0
lim ln ( 2 x−1 ) 
lim 3 x4
x  43 6 x1

(d) (e) x →1 (f)
 sin   x  
 6 

lim  2 x 
 
lim cos  2 
3  lim  1x  
 x  1  5e 
 
1 2 x 1 
 

 4  
(g) 2 (h) 2 (i)  

Recall:
If the limits,  lim f ( x) and lim g ( x), both exist, then :
xa xa
(i ) lim kf ( x)  k lim f ( x)  ii  lim  f ( x )  g ( x )  lim f ( x )  lim g ( x )
xa xa xa xa xa

 f ( x)  xlim f ( x)
(iii) lim  f ( x) g ( x)   lim f ( x)  lim g ( x)
a
(iv) lim  
x  a g ( x) 
xa xa xa
  xlim
a
g ( x)

2. Evaluate the following limits, if they exist:

(a) x  2 3 
lim 4 x  9
x
2
7  (b)
lim  2 sin 2 

4 (c)
lim
 x4
x  4 
 e x 
 t 2  25   9 x  2  t 2  t  20 
lim  lim  2 lim  2
t  5 t  5  x 3 x  3 x  t  5 2t  9t  5 
(d)   (e)   (f)  
 7   9x2  2x   2 x 4  3 x  11 
lim  2  lim  2
x   5 x  9 x  7 
lim 
x   x  15  x   2 x  3 x  87
   
(g) (h) (i)
 y  2 y 1 
2
 10 x 2  7 x3  x   3x 1
lim
y   8  5 y  2 y 3 
lim
x   8 x3  5 x  2 x 2 
lim   x22  6  e x 
    x   8  2 x e 
(j) (k) (l)

1  x 2 , x  2
f  x  
3. A piece-wise function is defined by: 5  4 x, x  2 , evaluate :
 6 f  2   4 f  3   f  5  lim f  x  lim f  x 
(a) (b) x 0 (c) x  

lim f  x  lim f  x  lim f  x 

(d) x  2 (e) x  2 (f) x 2

f  x
(g) Is continuous at the point x  2 ? Justify your answer.

y  f  x .
4. Figure 1 shows the piece-wise graph of By looking at the graph, determine
the following where possible:

lim f  x  lim f  x  lim f  x 

(a) x 2 (b) x   (c) x 1

lim f  x  lim f  x  lim f  x 

(d) x 1 (e) x1 (f) x  4

lim f  x  lim f  x 
(g) x  4 (h) x 4

f  x
(i) Discuss with justification, whether is continuous at the points (i) x  1 and
(ii) x  4 .

Figure 1

y  g  x
5. Is the function continuous at x  5? Justify your answer :
 8, x  5
g  x  
2 x  2, x  5 .

6. Is the following function continuous at x  1? Justify your answer:

 3  x  2 x 2 , x  1


h  x   1 , x  1
2x

 34 x , x  1

7. Find the real value(s) of x for which the following functions are discontinuous, where
applicable:

g  x  12
f  x   2x  5 y  x 5 x 2 x3 x7 


(a) 3x 1 (b) 4 (c)

  

y  2 x 8 f  x   x 2  81 f  x  7
2

(d) x  7 x 12 (e) x 1 (f) x2  2 x  24

4−x 2 if x ≤−3
8. The function f is defined by f ( x )= {
2 x+ c if x >−3
. }
Determine:
f ( - 3) lim  f  x  lim  f  x 
(a) (b) x 3 (c) x 3 , in terms of the constant c

(d) the value of c such that f is continuous at x = - 3.

Revised by J. DeLisser - (August 2014)