Exercise Sheet 2

October 8, 2019

Definition of limits
Exercise 1 Prove that lim (9 − x) = 5.
x→4 
x2 , x 6= 1,
Exercise 2 Prove that lim f (x) = 1 if f (x) =
x→1 2, x=1
x2 − 9
Exercise 3 Prove that lim = −6.
x→−3 x + 3
Exercise 4 Prove that
1
lim x2 sin = 0.
x→0 x

Exercise 5 Let 
x, x < 1,
f (x) =
x + 1, x > 1
Prove that lim f (x) does not exist.
x→1

1
 Infinite limits
x2 1
 
Exercise 1 Find lim − as
2 x
(a) x → 0+

(b) x → 0−
√
(c) x → 3 2

(d) x → −1.
   
3 3
Exercise 2 Find lim+ 2 − 1/3 and lim− 2 − 1/3 .
t→0 t t→0 t
−1
Exercise 3 Use formal definitions to prove that lim 2 = −∞.
x→0 x
1
Exercise 4 Use formal definitions to prove that lim = +∞.
x→−5 (x + 5)2
1
Exercise 4 Use formal definitions to prove that lim− = −∞.
x→2 x − 2

Continuity
cos x
Exercise 1 At what points are the function y = continuous?
x
Exercise 2 At what points are the function y = (2x − 1)1/3 continuous?
Exercise 3 For what value of a is

2
  2
x − 1, x < 3
f (x) =
2ax, x≥3
continuous at every x?
Exercise 4 Removable discontinuity Give an example of a function f (x) that is continuous
for all values of x except x = 2, where it has a removable discontinuity. Explain how you
know that f is discontinuous at x = 2, and how you know the discontinuity is removable.
Excercise 5 If the product function h(x) = f (x) · g(x) is continuous at x = 0 must f (x)
and g(x) be continuous at x = 0? Give reasons for your answer.

Additional Exercises

Exercise 1 Thermal expansion in precise equipment As you may know, most metals expand
when heated and contract when cooled. The dimensions of a piece of laboratory equipment
are sometimes so critical that the shop where the equipment is made must be held at the
same temperature as the laboratory where the equipment is to be used. A typical aluminum
bar that is 10 cm wide at 70◦ F will be

y = 10 + (t − 70) × 10−4

centimeters wide at a nearby temperature t. Suppose that you are using a bar like this in a
gravity wave detector, where its width must stay within 0.0005 cm of the ideal 10 cm. How
close to t0 = 70◦ F must you maintain the temperature to ensure that this tolerance is not
exceeded? √
Exercise 2 Use the formal definition of limit to prove that the function h(x) = 2x − 3 is
continuous at x0 = 2.
Exercise 3 Bounded functions A real-valued function f is bounded from above on a set
D if there exists a number N such that f (x) ≤ N for all x in D. We call N , when it exists,
an upper bound for f on D and say that f is bounded from above by N . In a similar
manner, we say that f is bounded from below on D if there exists a number M such that
f (x) ≥ M for all x in D. We call M , when it exists, a lower bound for f on D and say
that f is bounded from below by M. We say that f is bounded on D if it is bounded from
both above and below.

(a) Show that f is bounded on D if and only if there exists a number B such that |f (x)| ≤ B
for all x in D.

(b) Suppose that f is bounded from above by N . Show that if lim f (x) = L, then L ≤ N .
x→x0

(c) Suppose that f is bounded from below by M . Show that if lim f (x) = L, then L ≥ M .
x→x0