MATH1031 Mathematics for Life Sciences

Term 3, 2021

Limits and Continuity

Dr. Joshua Capel

Red Centre Room 5107

Based on the slides provided by Dr. Chi Mak

School of Mathematics and Statistics

University of New South Wales
j.capel@unsw.edu.au

Joshua Capel (UNSW) MATH1031 1 / 30

Limits and Continuity

This lecture we will be looking at some properties of functions: limits and

continuity.

What is a limit?
How do you work out the limit of a function?
One-sided limits
Continuity

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 2 / 30

Limits of Functions at a Point

Sometimes a function can be well defined near a point, but fails to be

defined right at that point. The concept of a limit at a point can give us a
feeling for the behaviour of the function near the point.
Example.
x 2 − 25
Consider the following table of values for f (x) = near x = 5:
x −5
x 4.9 4.99 5 5.01 5.1
y 9.9 9.99 10.01 10.1

It is clear that the function is trying to get to 10 at x = 5 even though it is

undefined there.

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Limits of Functions at a Point

We write
x 2 − 25
lim = = 10
x→5 x −5
x 2 − 25
and say “the limit as x approaches 5 of is 10”.
x −5
We need, however, to work out some ways to evaluate these limits without
having to resort to calculating point values!

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 4 / 30

Limits of Functions at a Point
0
The problem in evaluating the function is that it looks like at x = 5.
0
This is known as the indeterminate form.

In this case, the strategy is to try and factor the function and remove the
problem.
x 2 − 25
Example. Find lim
x→5 x − 5

Solution.
x 2 − 25 (x − 5)(x + 5)
lim = lim
x→5 x − 5 x→5 x −5
= lim (x + 5)
x→5
= 10

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 5 / 30

Rules for calculating limits

1 lim [f (x) ± g (x)] = lim f (x) ± lim g (x)

x→a x→a x→a

2 lim [cf (x)] = c lim f (x), where c is a constant.

x→a x→a
  
3 lim (f (x)g (x)) = lim f (x) lim g (x)
x→a x→a x→a

f (x) lim f (x)

4 lim = x→a provided that lim g (x) 6= 0.
x→a g (x) lim g (x) x→a
x→a

This means we can break our problems down into pieces by making use of
the following obvious facts.
1 lim x = a
x→a

2 lim c = c, where c is a constant.

x→a

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 6 / 30

Calculating limits

Evaluate lim 2x 2 − 3x + 4


Example.
x→5

Solution.

lim 2x 2 − 3x + 4 = lim (2x 2 ) − lim (3x) + lim 4

x→5 x→5 x→5 x→5

= 2 lim (x 2 ) − 3 lim x + lim 4

x→5 x→5 x→5
  
= 2 lim x lim x − 3 lim x + lim 4
x→5 x→5 x→5 x→5

= 2(5)(5) − 3(5) + 4

= 39

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 7 / 30

Calculating limits
0
If your function looks like the main technique is to factorise the
0
numerator and denominator and then cancel any common factors. Don’t
forget to check if you are dealing with the indeterminate form first,
however!
Example. Evaluate each of the following limits
x 2 − 5x + 6
1 lim
x→2 x2 − 4
x2 + 1
2 lim 2
x→1 x + 4

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 8 / 30

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 9 / 30
Possible behaviour of f (x) as x → ∞
What happens when x gets very, very big? i.e. x approaches infinity?
f (x) could get arbitrarily large. We write
f (x) → ∞ as x → ∞

f (x)

Remember, do not write lim f (x) = ∞

x→∞

as you can never actually reach ∞, and ∞ is not a real number!

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 10 / 30

Possible behaviour of f (x) as x → ∞

f (x) could become very large in magnitude, but negative,

f (x) → −∞ as x → ∞
f (x)

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 11 / 30

Possible behaviour of f (x) as x → ∞

f (x) continues to oscillate as x increases.

i.e. lim f (x) does not exist.

x→∞

f (x)

You might know a range of values for f (x) at large x but you don’t
know exactly what value it takes at ∞, because you don’t know
exactly where ∞ is!
Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 12 / 30
Possible behaviour of f (x) as x → ∞

f (x) get arbitrarily close to some real number L. We write

f (x) → L as x → ∞
or lim f (x) = L.
x→∞
y

L f (x)

The line y = L is a horizontal asymptote for the function. That is, for large
x, the function will settle down to y = L.
Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 13 / 30
So how do we determine the limit?

When x gets large and positive, we say x → ∞. When x gets large and
negative, we use x → −∞.

Infinity is not a real number so we cannot just evaluate the function. You
need to consider the relative size of the terms.

If the function is a ratio, the limit can be evaluated by inspection by

considering the relative “strength” of the terms in the numerator and
denominator, or by simply dividing by the “strongest” term.
Then make use the fact
1 1
lim = 0 or lim =0
x→∞ x n x→−∞ x n

when n > 0.

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 14 / 30

Limits as x → ∞

Example. Evaluate
3x 2 − 1
lim
x→∞ 4x 2 + 5x − 2

We have a formal and an informal approach.

Informally:

3x 2 − 1 3x 2
lim ≈ lim
x→∞ 4x 2 + 5x − 2 x→∞ 4x 2
3
=
4

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Limits as x → ∞

Formally: identify the “strongest” term in the denominator and rearrange

by dividing by this term throughout:

3x 2 1
3x 2−1 2
− 2
lim = lim x x
x→∞ 4x 2 + 5x − 2 x→∞ 4x 2 5x 2
2
+ 2 − 2
x x x
1
3−
= lim x2
x→∞ 5 2
4+ − 2
x x
3
=
4

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 16 / 30

So how do we determine the limit?

This technique also works as x → −∞.

Example. Evaluate

2 − 7x 3 + 5x 2 + 11x
lim
x→−∞ 8x 3 − 4x + 2

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Evaluating Limits

Example. Find each of the following limits

1
5x 3 + 7x 2 + x − 2
lim
x→∞ 9x 2 − 3x + 2
2
9x 2 − 3x + 2
lim
x→−∞ 5x 3 + 7x 2 + x − 2

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Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 19 / 30
One-Sided Limits

When looking at
lim f (x) we approach +∞ from the left. −→ ∞
x→∞

lim f (x) we approach −∞ from the right. −∞ ←−

x→−∞

When we look at lim f (x) we consider two separate cases:

x→a
approaching a from the left resulting in lim f (x)
x→a−
approaching a from the right resulting in lim+ f (x)
x→a

f (x) lim f (x) → ← lim f (x)

x→a− + x→a
bc
b

x
a

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 20 / 30

The limit at x = a

If the left-hand limit equals the right hand limit at x = a, i.e.

lim f (x) = lim f (x) = L

x→a− x→a+

for some real number L, then we can say

lim f (x) = L.
x→a

i.e. the limit of f (x) as x → a exists and is equal to L.

If this is not true then lim f (x) does not exist (DNE).
x→a

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 21 / 30

Limits of Functions at a Point
Example. Consider the plot of f (x). For each of the following, either
evaluate the given quantity of explain why it does not exist.
1 lim f (x) f (x)
x→2−
2 lim f (x) 4 b

|
x→2+
lim f (x) 3 bc

|
3
x→2
2 bc

|
4 lim f (x)
x→4−
1 b b

|
5 lim f (x)
x→4+ | | | |

2 4 6 8 x
6 lim f (x)
x→4
7 lim f (x)
x→6
8 f (6)
9 lim f (x)
x→8

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 22 / 30

Solution.
1 lim f (x) = 3
x→2−
2 lim f (x) = 1
x→2+
3 lim f (x) does not exist since lim f (x) 6= lim+ f (x)
x→2 x→2− x→2
−
4 lim f (x) : f (x) → ∞ as x → 4
x→4−
5 lim f (x) : f (x) → −∞ as x → 4+
x→4+
6 lim f (x) does not exist
x→4
7 lim f (x) = 2
x→6
8 f (6) = 4
9 lim f (x) = 1
x→8

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 23 / 30

Continuity at a point

If
lim f (x) = f (a),
x→a

we say that f is continuous at a; otherwise we say that f is discontinuous

at a.

Informally, a function f (x) is continuous at x = a if you can draw its graph

without lifting your pen as you pass the point a.

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 24 / 30

Continuity of elementary functions

Polynomials, sin, cos and exp are continuous everywhere.

Rational functions, tan and ln are continuous at all points of their
domain.
Thus limits involving these elementary functions are easy — just
evaluate the function at the given point.

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 25 / 30

Continuity

Let’s return to our previous example.

Example. Consider the plot of f (x).
At what point(s) is f (x) discontinuous? Why?

f (x)

4 b
|

3 bc
|

2 bc
|

1 b b
|

| | | |

2 4 6 8 x

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 26 / 30

Continuity

Example. Is the function

1

 x2
x <0
,
f (x) = 0, x = 0
 1
x3
, x >0

continuous at x = 0?

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 27 / 30

Continuity

Example. The temperature T (in ◦ C) of a kettle full of water in time t

(in minutes) is given by
25 + 300t
T =
3t + 1
1 What is the initial temperature?
2 To what limit does the temperature tend?
3 Sketch T versus t.
4 When will the water be within 10◦ C of its limit?

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Joshua Capel (UNSW) Limits and Continuity 29 / 30
Rules for calculating limits

1 lim (f (x) ± g (x)) = lim f (x) ± lim g (x)

x→a x→a x→a

2 lim (cf (x)) = c lim f (x), where c is a constant.

x→a x→a
  
3 lim (f (x)g (x)) = lim f (x) lim g (x)
x→a x→a x→a

f (x) lim f (x)

4 lim = x→a provided that lim g (x) 6= 0.
x→a g (x) lim g (x) x→a
x→a
 n
5 lim (f (x))n = lim f (x) , where n is a positive integer.
x→a x→a

We can replace lim with lim or lim or the one-sided limits lim or
x→a x→∞ x→−∞ x→a−
lim in the above rules.
x→a+

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