BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

LIPA CAMPUS

DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS

FUNCTIONS: Preliminaries
• A function is a special relation such that every first element is paired to a unique second
element.
• It is a set of ordered pairs with no two pairs having the same first element.
• A function is a correspondence from a set X of real numbers x to a set Y of real numbers y,
where the number y is unique for a specific value of x.
• One to one and many to many relations/functions
• Vertical line test

Function Notation
• Letters like f , g , h, F,G,H and the likes are used to designate functions.
• When we use f as a function, then for each x in the domain of f , f ( x ) denotes the image of x
under f .
• The notation f ( x ) is read as “ f of x ”.

Types of Functions
An algebraic function is the result when the constant function, (f(x) = k, k is constant) and the
identity function (g(x) = x) are put together by using a combination of any four operations, that
is, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and raising to powers and extraction of roots.
Example: f(x) = 5x – 4,

Generally, functions which are not classified as algebraic function are considered as
transcendental functions namely the exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, inverse
trigonometric, hyperbolic and inverse hyperbolic functions.

Operations on Functions

Example:

1. If what is the value of ?

2. If what is the value of ?

3. If what is the value of ?

4. If what is the value of the following:

, , , , ,
LIMITS OF A FUNCTION
The most basic use of limits is to describe how a function behaves as the independent variable
approaches a given value. For example let us examine the behavior of the function
for x-values closer and closer to 2 We describe this by saying that the “limit of

is 3 as x approaches 2 from either side,” we write

The Properties on Limits

Limit of a Constant
The limit of a constant is the same constant.

Examples:

1.

2.

3.

Limits Obtained by Direct Substitution

Examples:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Limit of a Sum or Difference

Examples:

1.

2.

Limit of a Product
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Limit of a Quotient

;
Examples:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Limit of a Radical Expression

Examples:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.
Limit at Infinity

The limit of or in general of where is a positive integer, as approaches infinity, is zero.

, where is a positive integer.

Examples:

1.

2.

Another forms of limits approaching infinity:

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.