History

 Grégoire de Saint-Vincent gave the first definition of limit (terminus) of a

geometric series in his work Opus Geometricum (1647): “The terminus of a
progression is the end of the series, which none progression can reach, even not if
she is continued in infinity, but which she can approach nearer than a given
segment.”

 The modern definition of a limit goes back to Bernard Bolzano who, in 1817, introduced the
basics of the epsilon-delta technique to define continuous functions. However, his work was not
known during his lifetime.

 Augustin-Louis Cauchy in 1821, followed by Karl Weierstrass, formalized the definition of the
limit of a function which became known as the (ε, δ)-definition of limit.

 The modern notation of placing the arrow below the limit symbol is due to G. H. Hardy, who
introduced it in his book A Course of Pure Mathematics in 1908.

Concept of limit

Limits of a function 13.1.1

Let f be a function defined in a domain which we take to be an

interval, say, I. We shall

.Study the concept of limit of f at a point ‘a’ in I

We say
 –

) ( Lim

Xa

Fx

Is the expected value of f at x = a given the values of f near to

the

.Left of a. This value is called the left hand limit of f at a

) ( We say lim

Xa

Fx

is the expected value of f at x = a given the values of f near + →

to the

.Right of a. This value is called the right hand limit of f at a

If the right and left hand limits coincide, we call the common
value as the limit of f at

) ( X = a and denote it by lim

 Xa

Fx

Some properties of limits

) ( Let f and g be two functions such that both lim

Xa

Fx

) ( And lim

Xa

Gx

Exist. Then
) ( Lim [ ( ) ( )] lim ( ) lim )i(

Xaxaxa

Fxgxfxgx

→→→

) ( Lim [ ( ) ( )] lim ( ) lim )ii(

Xaxaxa

Fxgxfxgx

→→→

−= −

For every real number α )iii(

) ( Lim ( )( ) lim

Xaxa

Fxfx

→→
 Α=α

Lim [ ( ) ( )] [lim ( ) lim ( )] )iv(

Xaxaxa

Fxgxfxgx

→→→

Lim ( ) ( ) lim

) ( lim ) (

Xa

Xa

Xa

Fxfx

Gxgx

→
 →

provided g (x) ≠ 0 , = 