Limits and Continuity

Casiano DC. Jaurigue

Limit of a Function
1.1 The Limit of a Function

› Consider the function f defined by

𝑥2 − 4 (𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 + 2)
𝑓 𝑥 = = = 𝑥 + 2, 𝑥 ≠ 2
𝑥−2 𝑥−2
› Let us investigate the function values (i.e., 𝑦’s or
𝑓 𝑥 ’s) as x gets closer and closer to 2.
› We are not after the value of the function at 𝑥 = 2
› 𝑓 is undefined when 𝑥 = 2
 𝑥2 − 4
𝑓 𝑥 =
Consider values of 𝑥 approaching 2. 𝑥−2
𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 + 2, 𝑥 ≠ 2
𝑥 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑥 𝑓(𝑥)
0 2 4 6
1 3 3 5
1.5 3.5 2.5 4.5
1.9 3.9 2.1 4.1
1.99 3.99 2.01 4.01
1.999 3.999 2.001 4.001
1.9999 3.9999 2.0001 4.0001

Observation:
As 𝑥 gets closer and closer to 2, 𝑓 𝑥 gets closer and closer to 4.
 1.1 Limit of a Function

𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 + 2, 𝑥 ≠ 2
The observation can be expressed this
way:

The limit of 𝑓 𝑥 as 𝑥 approaches 2 is 4

or in symbols,
lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 4.
𝑥→2
Limit of a function

If the values of 𝑓 𝑥 can be made as close as we

like to 𝐿 by taking values of 𝑥 sufficiently close
to 𝑎 (but not equal to 𝑎), then we write
lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝐿
𝑥→𝑎

which is read as

“the limit of 𝑓 𝑥 as 𝑥 approaches 𝑎 is 𝐿” or

“𝑓 𝑥 approaches 𝐿 as 𝑥 approaches 𝑎.”
• In finding the limit of a function as x
approaches a number a, we are not concerned
with the value of the function when x = a, but
only with the values of the function when x is
close to a.

• lim 𝑓 𝑥 can exist even if 𝑓(𝑎) is undefined

𝑥→𝑎
Example 1. Let f ( x) = ( x − 1) . Sketch the graph of
3

f and use the graph to find lim f ( x )

x →3

Solution:
From the graph of f ,
notice that the values
of f approach 8 when
x is near 3. Thus,

lim ( x − 1) = 8
3

x →3
 3x − 1, if x  1
Example 2. Let f ( x ) = 
 3, if x = 1
Sketch the graph of f and use the graph to find lim f ( x )
x →1

Solution:
• Although f (1) is 3, this
has nothing to do with
the limit of the function
as x approaches 1.
• Notice that as x gets
closer and closer to 1,
f (x) moves closer and
closer to 2. Hence, lim f ( x) = 2
x →1
Theorems on Limits of
Functions

cdcjaurigue
Theorems on Limits of Functions

Theorem 1. lim x = a
x→a

Theorem 2. lim c = c
x→a

where c is a constant
Example 3. Evaluate the following limits:
1 1
a. xlim
→−7
x = −7 d. lim
x→ 3 2
=
2
100
b. lim x = lim  = 𝜋
e. x→
x→
100 3 1
2
3

c. x→−
lim 5 = 5
1
Theorem 3
If lim f1 ( x ) = L1 and lim f 2 ( x ) = L 2
x →a x →a
then
a. lim  f1 ( x )  f 2 ( x )  = L1  L 2
x→a

b. lim  f1 ( x )  f 2 ( x )  = L1  L 2
x →a
c. lim  k f1 ( x )  = kL1 , k is a constant
x→a  
f1 ( x ) L1
d. lix→ma = , provided that L2  0
f 2 ( x ) L2
Theorem 4
If lim f1 ( x ) = L1 , lim f 2 ( x ) = L 2 , … ,
x →a x →a

lim f n ( x ) = Ln , then
x →a

a. lim 
 f1 ( x )  f 2 ( x )   f n ( x )

x→a

= L1  L 2   Ln
b. lim  f1 ( x )  f 2 ( x )   f n ( x ) 
x→a 

= L1  L 2   L n
Theorem 5
If lim f ( x ) = L and n is any positive integer, then
x →a

a. lim  f ( x )  = L
n

n
 n lim f ( x)  = Ln
x→a  x → a 

b. lim n f ( x ) = n L ( If n is even, the

x →a
theorem holds if L > 0.)
Example 4. Evaluate the following limits:

a. lim (8 x − 9 ) = 8 3 − 9 = 15
x →3

b. lim
x→ − 1
( x 2
− x + 5 ) = (−1) 2
− −1 + 5 = 7

2x + 7 2 2 + 7 11 11
c. lim = = =−
x→2 3x − 8 3 2 − 8 −2 2
Example 4. Evaluate the following limits:

x + 6 x + 5 (−1)2 +6 −1 + 5 0
2

d. lim = = =0
x→ − 1 x+2 −1 + 2 1

e. lim x +5 =
2
22 + 5 = 3
x→ 2

z − 2 z + 3 3 (−1)2 −2 −1 + 3 3 6
2

f. lim 3 = =
z →−1 z +5 −1 + 5 4
3
= 3/2
Example 4. Evaluate the following limits:

4x 4(1/2) 2
g. lim = = =?
x →1/ 2 2 x − 1 2 1/2 − 1 0

2 4x
Since is undefined, xlim
→1/ 2 2 x − 1
does NOT exist.
0

If the numerator is non-zero but the denominator

is zero, then the limit does not exist.
Q: What if both the numerator and denominator are
zero? Does this indicate that the limit is non-
existent?
A: Not necessarily

x 2 − 3x
Example 5. Evaluate lim
x →0 2x
x − 3x
2
0 2
− 3(0) 0
lim = = =?
x →0 2x 2(0) 0

Indeterminate
form!
 𝟎
If the indeterminate form is encountered, simplify the
𝟎
argument/expression by factoring and/or by
rationalizing the denominator/numerator.

x − 3x
2
𝑥(𝑥 − 3)
lim = lim
x →0 2x 𝑥→0 2𝑥
𝑥−3
= lim
𝑥→0 2
−3 3
=
2
=−
2 The limit exists!
 3s − 5 s − 2
2
3(2)2 −5 2 − 2 0
Example 6. Evaluate lim =
s →2 s2 − 4 2
(2) −4 0

3s − 5 s − 2  0 
2
lim  
s →2 s −4
2
0
3𝑠 + 1 𝑠 − 2
= lim
𝑠→2 𝑠 + 2 𝑠 − 2
3𝑠 + 1
= lim
𝑠→2 𝑠 + 2
3 2 +1 7
= =
2+2 4
 2−𝑡
Example 7. Evaluate lim 2
𝑡→ 2 2 − 𝑡

2−𝑡 0
lim  
𝑡→ 2 2 − 𝑡
2 0
2−𝑡
= lim
𝑡→ 2 2−𝑡 2+𝑡
1
= lim
𝑡→ 2 2 + 𝑡

1 1 2
= = =
2+ 2 2 2 4
 𝑥 +7− 7 0
Example 8. Evaluate lim  
𝑥→0 𝑥 0
𝑥+7− 7 𝑥+7+ 7
lim ⋅
𝑥→0 𝑥 𝑥+7+ 7
(𝑥 + 7) − 7
= lim
𝑥→0 𝑥 𝑥+7+ 7
1
= lim
𝑥→0 𝑥+7+ 7
1 1 7
= = =
7 + 7 2 7 14
Next:

One-Sided Limits
Sir Choy