The concept of

limit
New and difficult concept!
 The concept of limit
• The most important basic concept in calculus
• The concept of limit helps us to see what really
happens to a function f(x) as x goes to a.
• With this concept, one can manipulate very small
and very large quantities.

f(a) = ???: don’t care What happens

here?
What do we care?
When need the concept of
limit?
• Continuity of functions
• Defining derivatives // velocity, tangent line,
acceleration, rate of change (next chapter)
• Defining integral // calculating areas, distance,
volume, length (quantities) (later chapters)
• Defining sum of series (later chapters)
 Example
Given f(x) = x2 – x + 2
What happens to f(x) when x gets closer to 2 but not
equal to 2?
➔ f(x) gets closer to 4. Step
1

Step
2
 Notation
• What happens to f(x) when x gets closer to 2 but
not equal to 2?
• Answer: 4

limf(x) = ?4
x→2
lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝐿 x goes to a, we never
𝑥→𝑎 consider x = a
• Read: “the limit of , as approaches a, equals L”
• f(x) approaches L as x approaches a
• f(x) tend to get closer and closer to L as x gets closer and closer to a
• f(x) goes to L as x goes to a
Algebraic method
𝑥−1
lim 2
𝑥→1 𝑥 − 1
0
• f(x) is undefined when x = 1, but that =? ??
doesn’t matter 0
• We want to know what happens to f(x)
near 1.
• When x gets closer to 1, the values of
f(x) are shown in the table at the left
• Let make the guess:

𝑥−1
lim 2 = 0.5
𝑥→1 𝑥 −1
 One-sided limits
𝑥−1
• Given f(x) =
𝑥 2 −1
• What happens to f(x) as x gets closer and closer to
1 from the left?

𝑥−1
lim- 2 = 0.5
x → 1 𝑥 −1
x goes to 1, x < 1

What
happen?
 Theorem
• Left-hand limit:
lim− 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝐿
𝑥→𝑎
• Right-hand limit:
lim+ 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑅
𝑥→𝑎
• If
lim− 𝑓(𝑥) = lim+ 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝐿 Left = right
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
Then
lim 𝑓(𝑥)= L
𝑥→𝑎
 TRUE OR FALSE?
x = −7  −6.999 1.80
t = 2.2  2.205 7
Given the graph of f(x)

(a) x = 2 is in the domain of f

(b) limf(x) exists

2 x→2

(c) lim x →2− f ( x) = lim x →2+ f ( x)

 Finding limits
• Using graphs
• Using table of values of f(x)
• Using limit laws
• Using analytic technique
• And more: L’hospital’s rule (ignored)
 Finding limits.
Using graphs.
• Using the given graph to find the values of limits.

lim+ g ( x ) =1
x →2

x gets closer and closer to 2 from the right, x > 2

 Using table of values of
f(x).
• Find the limit 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥 0
𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥 x = 0 ➔ 𝑥 = 0 =? ? ?
lim Does not matter.
𝑥→0 𝑥 We don’t care.

𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥
We care what happens to as x goes to 0?
𝑥

𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥
lim =1
𝑥→0 𝑥
 THE LIMIT LAWS
Suppose that c is a constant and the limits lim f ( x)
x→a
and lim g ( x) exist. Then
x→a

1.lim  f ( x)  g ( x)  = lim f ( x)  lim g ( x)

x →a x →a x →a

3.lim  cf ( x)  = c lim f ( x)
x →a x →a

4.lim  f ( x) g ( x)  = lim f ( x)  lim g ( x)

x →a x →a x →a

f ( x) lim f ( x)
5.lim = x→a
if lim g ( x)  0
x→a g ( x) lim g ( x) x→a
x→a
USING THE LIMIT LAWS
n
6.lim  f ( x)  = lim f ( x) 
n

x →a  x →a 
7.lim c = c
x→a

8.lim x = a
x→a

9.lim x n = a n
x →a

10.lim n x = n a
x →a

11.lim n f ( x) = n lim f ( x)
x →a x →a
 Finding limits
Example
3x – 4, x ≠ 0
If f(x) = then find lim f(x) = –4.
10, x = 0, x→0

It does not matter that f(0) = 10. For x ≠ 0, and thus for all x near 0,
f(x) = 3x – 4 and therefore lim f(x) = lim (3x – 4) = –4.
x→0 x→0
Find the indicated limit
 x 2 + 1, x  2
f ( x) = 
5 x − 3, x  2 jump

lim f ( x)
x →2
Calculate one sided limits

lim− f ( x)
x→2
 lim+ f ( x) = 7
x →2

lim f ( x) does not exist

x →2

The graph jumps at x =2

 Analytic Technique
x2 − 9
Find the limit. lim
x →3 x − 3

x 2 − 9 ( x − 3)( x + 3)
= = x+3
x−3 x−3
Answer: x  3
x −9
2
= x+3
x−3

x2 − 9
lim = lim ( x + 3) = 6 Using limit laws
x →3 x − 3 x →3
 Analytic
x + x−6
2
lim
x →−3 x+3

( x + 3)( x − 2)
lim
x →−3 x+3
lim ( x − 2) = - 5
x →−3
 Analytic
• Find the value of the limit
9 + ℎ2 − 3
lim
ℎ→0 ℎ2
 Do yourself
2
x + x−6 x +1 −1
lim lim
x →−3 x+3 x →0 x
SQUEEZE THEOREM Theorem 3
The Squeeze Theorem (the Sandwich Theorem or the Pinching
Theorem)
f ( x )  g ( x )  h( x )
?
lim f ( x) = lim h( x) = L L lim g ( x) = L
x →a x →a
x →a
SQUEEZE THEOREM Example

1
o Find lim = x sin2
x →0 x
1 1
− x  x sin  x
2 2 2
−1  sin  1
x x

0
1
lim x sin = 0
2
x →0 x
 Limits involving infinity
• Some useful notes:
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 3
=0 lim
x → 2 x + 1
∞ x
∞ lim
=∞ x → 2017 2017
5
∞ 3x 3
= 𝑛𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 lim = lim =0
∞ x → 2x +1
2 x → 2x
 +  = , . = 
( −x )( +x )
0 x →
(
 -  = no conclusion lim 4 x 2 + 3 − x = lim
x →
) ( +x )
=0
0
0 x −3
= lim
0
0 x2 − 4x + 3
x →3−
= 𝑛𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛
0
= lim− 2
3− x
= lim−
( 3 − x ) .1
=
1
x →3 x − 4 x + 3 x →3 ( x − 3 )( x − 1) 2
 Continuity
• Small change in f(x) for small change in x
• Continuous functions ➔ easy to find their limits.
 CONTINUITY 1. Definition

A function f is continuous at a number a if:

lim f ( x) = f (a)
x →a

Notice that :
▪ f(a) is defined - that is,
a is in the domain of f
▪ lim f ( x)exists.
x→a

▪ lim f ( x) = f (a )
x →a
 CONTINUITY Definition

Discontinuous at a = NOT continuous at a.

At x = 5: f(5)  limx→5 f(x) ➔

discontinuous at x = 5

f(5)
At x = 3: large change in f(x)
for small change in x. In fact,
left side limit  right side jump
limit
➔ Discontinuous at x = 3 jump

At x = 1: f(1) is undefined
➔ discontinuous at x = 1
 Exploring Continuity
cx
2
if x  1 lim− f ( x) = c(1)2 = c Step 2
 x →1
f ( x ) = 4 if x = 1
Step 1. f(1) = 4
− x 3 + mx if x  1

lim+ f ( x) = −(1)3 + m(1) = −1 + m
x →1
Step 3
f is continuous at 1 ➔ m, c =???

−1 + m = 4
lim+ f ( x) = lim− f ( x) = f (1) m = 5
x →1 x →1

c=4
CONTINUITY Theorem
If f and g are continuous at a; and c is a constant, then
the following functions are also continuous at a:

1. f + g

2. f - g old cont. functions

3. cf ➔new ones
4. fg
by +, - , . , /
f
5. if g (a)  0
g
 CONTINUITY 7. Theorem

Always continuous (in the specific domains):

o Polynomials // hàm đa thức

o Rational functions // hàm hữu tỉ

o Root functions // hàm căn thức

o Trigonometric functions // hàm lượng giác

INTERMEDIATE VALUE THEOREM Theorem

f (a )  N  f (b)
f(c) = N
f is continuous on [a, b] for some c in (a, b)

Values of f(x)
change
continuously
from f(a) to
f(b)
 Asymptotes
2𝑥+3
• Given f(x) =
1−𝑥
• What happens to f(x) when x goes to 1 from the
left?
• In other word, what is

=
2𝑥 + 3 ≠0
lim− ??? =
𝑥→1 1 − 𝑥 0

Vertical Asymptote x =1

1
 DEFINITIONS
• x=a is called the vertical asymptote of f(x) if we
have one of the following:

lim− f ( x ) =  lim+ f ( x ) = 
x→a x→a

lim− f ( x ) = − lim+ f ( x ) = −
x→a x→a
 Find Vertical Asymptotes. (x = a)
Common Method: Find x = a such that:
≠0
f(x) tends to
0

x−2 x−2
f ( x) = f ( x) = 2
x+5 x + 5x + 6
x−2 x−2
f ( x) = 2 f ( x) = 2
x − 5x + 6 x +6
A graph maybe have:
• no vertical asymptote (T)
• only one (T)
• Five (T) TRUE OR
• Infinity (T) FALSE?
 Asymptotes

3𝑥+1
f(x) = 𝑥 lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 3
𝑥→∞
3 HORIZONTAL asymptote y = 3

f(x) approaches 3 as x goes to infinity

 Find horizontal Asymptotes (y = L)
Identify any vertical asymptotes:

5x − 2 x−2
f ( x) = f ( x) = 2
2x + 5 x + 5x + 6

x −22
4x2 + 1
f ( x) = f ( x) =
5x + 1 x
A graph maybe have:
• no horizontal asymptote (T)
• only one (T)
• Two (T) TRUE OR
• More than two (False) FALSE?
THANKS