LECTURE 3

ONE SIDED LIMITS

Concepts
Definition 3.1

Let 𝑓 be a function that is defined at every number in some open interval (𝑎, 𝑐 ). Then the limit
of 𝑓(𝑥 ), as 𝑥approaches a from the right, is 𝐿, written 𝑙𝑖𝑚+ 𝑓(𝑥 ) = 𝐿 if for any 𝜀 > 0, however
𝑥→𝑎
small, there exists a 𝛿 > 0 such that if 0 < |𝑥 − 𝑎| < 𝛿 then |𝑓 (𝑥 ) − 𝐿| < 𝜀.
Definition 3.2
Let 𝑓 be a function that is defined at every number in some open interval (𝑎, 𝑐 ). Then the limit
of 𝑓(𝑥 ), as 𝑥approaches a from the left, is 𝐿, written 𝑙𝑖𝑚− 𝑓(𝑥 ) = 𝐿 if for any 𝜀 > 0, however
𝑥→𝑎
small, there exists a 𝛿 > 0 such that if 0 < |𝑥 − 𝑎| < 𝛿 then |𝑓 (𝑥 ) − 𝐿| < 𝜀.
Theorem 3.1
𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝑓(𝑥 ) exists and is equal to 𝐿 if and only if 𝑙𝑖𝑚+ 𝑓(𝑥 ) and 𝑙𝑖𝑚− 𝑓(𝑥 ) both exists and both are
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
equal to 𝐿.

Example Find the limit of the following:

𝑥 2 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≤ 2
1. 𝑙𝑖𝑚+ 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) = {
𝑥→2 8 − 2𝑥 𝑖𝑓 2 < 𝑥
2. 𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) = |2𝑥 − 3| − 4
3−
𝑥→
2
|𝑥|
3. 𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) =
𝑥→−3 𝑥+3
2𝑥 + 3 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 < 1
4. 𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) = { 4 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 = 1
𝑥→1
𝑥 2 + 2 𝑖𝑓 1 < 𝑥
3
√x + 1 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≤ −1
5. 𝑙𝑖𝑚− 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) = {√1 − 𝑥 2 𝑖𝑓 − 1 < 𝑥 < 1
𝑥→1
3
√x − 1 𝑖𝑓 1 ≤ 𝑥
Solution
𝑥 2 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≤ 2
1. 𝑙𝑖𝑚+ 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) = {
𝑥→2 8 − 2𝑥 𝑖𝑓 2 < 𝑥
𝑙𝑖𝑚+ (8 − 2𝑥) = 8 − 2(2) = 8 − 4 = 4
𝑥→2
𝑙𝑖𝑚 (8 − 2𝑥) = 8 − 2(2.01) = 8 − 4.02 = 3.98 ≈ 4
𝑥→2+

Therefore the limit of the function is 4.

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2. 𝑙𝑖𝑚
3−
𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) = |2𝑥 − 3| − 4
𝑥→2
2𝑥 − 3 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 > 0
|2𝑥 − 3| = {
−2𝑥 + 3 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 < 0
3
2𝑥 − 3 − 4 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 >
2
𝑓(𝑥) = { 3
−2𝑥 + 3 − 4 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 <
2
3
2𝑥 − 7 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 >
2
𝑓(𝑥) = { 3
−2𝑥 − 1 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 <
2
3
𝑙𝑖𝑚
3−
𝑓(𝑥) = −2𝑥 − 1 = −2 ( ) − 1 = −3 − 1 = −4
2
𝑥→2
𝑙𝑖𝑚
3−
𝑓(𝑥) = −2𝑥 − 1 = −2(1.4) − 1 = −2.8 − 1 = −3.8 ≈ −4
𝑥→
2
Therefore the limit of the function is -4
|𝑥|
3. 𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) =
𝑥→−3 𝑥+3
𝑥 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 > 0
|𝑥 | = {
−𝑥 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 < 0
x
𝑖𝑓 𝑥 > −3
𝑥+3
𝑓(𝑥) = { −x
𝑖𝑓 𝑥 < −3
𝑥+3
x −3 −3
𝑙𝑖𝑚 ( ) = = = 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑
𝑥→−3 𝑥+3 −3+3 0

x −2.9999 −2.9999
𝑙𝑖𝑚 ( ) = = = −29999
𝑥→−3+ 𝑥+3 −2.9999+3 0.0001

−x −(−3.0001) 30001
𝑙𝑖𝑚 ( ) = = = −30001
𝑥→−3− 𝑥+3 −3.0001+3 −0.0001

Therefore the limit does not exist or the limit is −∞

2𝑥 + 3 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 < 1
4. 𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) = { 4 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 = 1
𝑥→1 2
𝑥 + 2 𝑖𝑓 1 < 𝑥
𝑙𝑖𝑚 4 = 4
𝑥→1
𝑙𝑖𝑚 (𝑥 2 + 2) = 12 + 2 = 1 + 2 = 3
𝑥→1+
𝑙𝑖𝑚 (𝑥 2 + 2) = 1.012 + 2 = 1.02 + 2 = 3.02 ≈ 3
𝑥→1+

𝑙𝑖𝑚 (2𝑥 + 3) = 2(1) + 3 = 2 + 3 = 5

𝑥→1−
𝑙𝑖𝑚 (2𝑥 + 3) = 2(0.99) + 3 = 1.98 + 3 = 4.98 ≈ 5
𝑥→1−

Therefore the limit does not exist

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√x + 1 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≤ −1
5. 𝑙𝑖𝑚− 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) = {√1 − 𝑥 2 𝑖𝑓 − 1 < 𝑥 < 1
𝑥→1
3
√x − 1 𝑖𝑓 1 ≤ 𝑥

𝑙𝑖𝑚 √1 − 𝑥 2 = √1 − 12 = √1 − 1 = √0 = 0
𝑥→1−
𝑙𝑖𝑚 √1 − 𝑥 2 = √1 − 0.992 = √1 − 0.98 = √0.0199 = 0.141 ≈ 0
𝑥→1−
Therefore the 𝑙𝑖𝑚− 𝑓(𝑥) is 0
𝑥→1
𝑥 2 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≤ 2
6. 𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) = {
𝑥→2 8 − 2𝑥 𝑖𝑓 2 < 𝑥
𝑙𝑖𝑚+(8 − 2𝑥) = 8 − 2(2) = 8 − 4 = 4
𝑥→2
𝑙𝑖𝑚 (8 − 2𝑥) = 8 − 2(2.01) = 8 − 4.02 = 3.98 ≈ 4
𝑥→2+

𝑙𝑖𝑚 (𝑥 2 ) = 22 = 4 = 4
𝑥→2−
𝑙𝑖𝑚 (𝑥 2 ) = 1.992 = 3.9601 ≈ 4
𝑥→2−
Therefore the limit of the function is 4

7. 𝑙𝑖𝑚3 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) = |2𝑥 − 3| − 4

𝑥→2
3
2𝑥 − 7 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 >
2
𝑓(𝑥) = { 3
−2𝑥 − 1 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 <
2
3
𝑙𝑖𝑚
3−
𝑓(𝑥) = −2𝑥 − 1 = −2 ( ) − 1 = −3 − 1 = −4
2
𝑥→2
𝑙𝑖𝑚
3−
𝑓(𝑥) = −2𝑥 − 1 = −2(1.4) − 1 = −2.8 − 1 = −3.8 ≈ −4
𝑥→2
3
𝑙𝑖𝑚+(2𝑥 − 7) = 2 ( ) − 7 = 3 − 7 = −4
3 2
𝑥→2
𝑙𝑖𝑚+(2𝑥 − 7) = 2(1.6) − 7 = 3.2 − 7 = −3.8 ≈ −4
3
𝑥→2
Therefore the limit of the function is -4

3
√x + 1 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≤ −1
8. 𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑥) = {√1 − 𝑥 2 𝑖𝑓 − 1 < 𝑥 < 1
𝑥→1
3
√x − 1 𝑖𝑓 1 ≤ 𝑥

𝑙𝑖𝑚 √1 − 𝑥 2 = √1 − 12 = √1 − 1 = √0 = 0
𝑥→1−
𝑙𝑖𝑚 √1 − 𝑥 2 = √1 − 0.992 = √1 − 0.98 = √0.02 = 0.14 ≈ 0
𝑥→1−
3 3 3
𝑙𝑖𝑚 (√x − 1) = √1 − 1 = √0 = 0
𝑥→1+
3 3 3
𝑙𝑖𝑚 (√x − 1) = √1.01 − 1 = √0.01 = 0.215 ≈ 0
𝑥→1+
Therefore the limit of the function is 0.

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