LIMIT OF A FUNCTION

A. DEFINITION

Archimedes’ technique, which was mentioned in the introduction, is an example of a process

that is commonly known now as limiting process. So, we say that the area of the circle is the limit of the
area of the inscribed polygon with n sides as n increases without bound. This basic idea somewhat
revolutionized the study of functions and started a branch of mathematics that we simply know today as
calculus.

The concept of limit allows us to study continuous change. This is basically the idea of calculus,
which is commonly described as the study of such change. Just like asking what will happen to the area
of the inscribed polygon with n sides as n increases without bound, the basic question in the study of
limits is this: what happens to the values of the function f as x takes the values close to a specific value
a? The question is equivalent to asking the following: "what is the limit of f(x) as x approaches a?"

Limits are all about approaching. Sometimes you can’t work something out directly, but you can
see what it should be as you get closer and closer.

B. FORMULAS

- Let f be a function defined on some open interval containing the number a except possibly a
itself. Then the limit of f as x approaches a is L, which written as

lim f ( x )=L
x→ a

If the values of f gets closer and closer to one and only one number L as x takes values that are closer
and closer to a .

One-sided limit One-sided limit

Two-sided limit
(right-hand limit) (left-hand limit)

lim f ( x )=L lim ¿ lim ¿

+¿ −¿
x→ a x→ a f ( x ) =L¿ x→ a f ( x ) = L¿

Infinite Limits

Increasing without bound Decreasing without bound

lim f ( x )=+∞ lim f ( x )=−∞

x→ a x→ a

Limits at Infinity

X increases without bound X decreases without bound

 lim f ( x )=L lim f ( x ) =L
x→+∞ x→−∞

LIMIT OF A FUNCTION

A. FINDING LIMITS BY FACTORING

x−5
1. lim
x →5 x 2−25
x−5 5−5 5−5 0 x−5 x−5 1 1 1
lim = 2 = = lim f ( x )= 2 = = = = ∨0.1
x −25 5 −25 25−25 0 x →5 x −25 (x+ 5)( x−5) x+ 5 5+5 10
2
x →5

x 2−4 x
2. lim
x→ 4 x 2+ 3 x −28

x 2−4 x 4 2−4 ( 4 ) 16−16 0

lim 2 = 2 = =
x→ 4 x + 3 x −28 4 +3 ( 4 )−28 16+ 12−28 0
2
x −4 x x(x −4) x 4 4
lim 2 = = = =
x→ 4 x + 3 x −28 ( x−4)( x+ 7) x +7 4 +7 11
B. FINDING LIMITS BY CONJUGATE

3−√ x 2 +9
1. lim
x →0 x2

3−√ x 2 +9 0
lim =
x →0 x2 0
3−√ x 2 +9 3+ √ x 2 +9 9−( x 2+ 9 ) −x 2
lim
x →0 x 2
∙
( 2
3+ √ x +9
=
) = =
−1
x ( 3+ √ x + 9 ) x ( 3+ √ x +9 ) 3+ √ 9
2 2 2 2
=
−1 −1
3+3
=
6

2. lim
√ 4 + x−√ 4
x →0 x
4+ x− √ 4 0
lim f ( x )=¿ √ = ¿
x →0 x 0
4+ x− √ 4 √ 4+ x + √ 4 = 4+ x + √ 4 √ 4 + x−√ 4 √ 4+ x−4 = x 1 1
lim f ( x )=¿ √
x →0 x
⋅ ( )
√ 4+ x + √ 4 x ( √ 4+ x+ √ 4 )
= = ¿
x ( √ 4+ x + √ 4 ) √ 4+ √ 4 4
C. TRIGOMOMETRIC LIMITS

3 sin 2 x lim 2(3sin 2 x) lim sin 2 x

1. lim 3 sin 2 x x→ 0
x lim = =6 ∙ x → 0
x →0
x →0 x 2x 2x
Let y= 2x. Then y→ 0 if and only if x→0.

lim sin y
3 sin 2 x
lim =6 ∙ x → 0 =6 ∙ 1=6
x →0 x y
 lim cosx −1
2. x→0
2 sinx
lim 1−cosx
1−cosx
lim cosx −1 lim −(1−cosx) −lim − x →0
x→0 x x 0 0
= x →0 = x→0 = = = =0
2 sinx 2 sinx 2 sinx lim 2 sinx lim sinx 2 ∙ 1
x →0
x 2 x→ 0
x x

CONTINUITY

A. CONTINUITY AT A POINT

In this section, we will study the notion of continuity. This concept is so essential to calculus that
without it, the whole subject would not have been developed as we know it today. It is arguably one of
the most important concepts not only in this discipline, but in other branches of mathematics as well.
Loosely speaking, we say that a function is continuous at a point if we can trace the graph of the
function and pass through the point without lifting our pen.

B. CONTINUITY AT AN INTERVAL

Defining continuity on a closed interval [a, b], on the other hand, poses a little challenge. For
instance, consider the function defined by f(x)= V1-x?. Note that f is not continuous at -1 and 1; so we
cannot say that f is continuous on (-1, 1] at the moment. However, if we look at the graph of f in figure
1.7.1, anyone can be easily convinced that we can trace the graph of f from-1 to 1 without lifting our
pen; so f must also be continuous on [-1, 1] To resolve such dilemma, we introduce the concept of
continuity of a function from the right and from the left at a number.
 CONTINUITY

A. CONTINUOUS FUNCTION

f ( x )=2 x 2+ x−1; a=1( i ) f ( 1 )=2 (1 ) + ( 1 )−1=2( ii ) lim

2 2 x 2+ x −1=2 ( 1 )2+ ( 1 ) −1=2
x→ 1

( iii ) lim 2 x 2 + x−1=f ( x )=2 x 2 + x−1=2we conclude that f is continouos at 1

x →1

B. DISCONTINUOUS FUNCTIONS

{√ x+ 2 x <2

{
f ( x )= x 2−2 2≤ x< 3 ; a=3 f ( 3 )=2 (3 )+ 5=11
2 x +5 x >3
we conclude that f is discontinouos at 3
lim ¿
−¿ 2
lim
+¿
¿ lim
+¿
¿ lim
+¿
x→ 3 3 −2=7 ¿ x→ 3 2 ( 3) +5=11 ¿ x→ 3 f ( x ) = DNE¿ x→ 3 f ( x ) ≠ f ( x ) ¿
¿

C. CONTINUITY AT AN INTERVAL

√ x−1 , x >1
f ( x )=
{ 3 , x=1 ( 1,4 ) x >1 , f ( x ) =√ x−1f ( 1 ) =√1−1=0 f ( 4 ) =√ 4−1= √ 3
2
4−x , x <1
lim √ 1−1=0 lim √ 4−1=√ 3lim √ x−1=f ( 1 ) lim √ x−1=f ( 4 ) f is continuous on (1,4)
x →1 x→ 4 x →1 x →4