Chapter 4 Limit

UNIVERSITY KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIAN INSTITUTE OF AVIATION TECHNOLOGY
CHAPTER 4: LIMIT
4.1 INTRODUCTION
Limit is used to describe how a function behaves as the independent variable x approaches a given
value
4.1.1 NUMERICAL APPROACH TO LIMITS
Example
1. Given that f  x   2 x  2, calculate f  x  as x takes values closer to 1
Step 1: Consider the value of x approaching 1 from the left, x  1

x 0.5 0.8 0.9 0.95 0.99 0.999 0.99999 → 1.00
f  x 3 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.98 3.998 3.99998 ?
Step 2: Consider the value of x approaching 1 from the right, x  1

x 1.0 ← 1.00001 1.001 1.01 1.05 1.1 1.2 1.5
f  x ? 4.00002 4.002 4.02 4.1 4.2 4.4 5
Step 3: In both cases, when x approaches 1, f  x  approaches 4. Or, we can write as

lim 2 x  2  lim 2 x  2  4
x 1 x 1
 We are only interested in the values that f  x  takes when x gets closer to 1 and
NOT at f 1
 If lim f  x   lim f  x  , we can say that f  x  as x approaching to a is

xa xa
UNDEFINED
x3  1
2. Consider the function f  x   , what happen to f  x  when x approaches 1?
x 1
Construct a table to calculate some values when x approaches 1 from the left side and the
right side
x 0.75 0.9 0.99 0.999 1.0 1.001 1.01 1.1 1.25
f  x ?
All the information seems to point to the same conclusion: f  x  approaches 3 as x

approaches 1
x3  1
 lim 3
x 1 x 1
AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 1

4.1.2 GRAPHICAL APPROACH TO LIMITS

The two-sided limit of a function f exists at a point c if and only if both the one sided limit
exist at that point and have the same value, that is L
lim f  x   L if and only if lim f  x   L  lim f  x 
x c x c x c
Right-hand limit: lim f  x   L , where we can make f  x  as close to L for all x

 x c
sufficiently close to c and x  c without letting x be c

Left-hand limit: lim f  x   L , where we can make f  x  as close to L for all x
 x c
sufficiently close to c and x  c without letting x be c
Example
f  x Solution:
1. Refer to Figure 1 below, determine lim
x2
Step 1:
The graph shows that as x approaches
2 from the left (the bicycle), y = f(x)
approaches 2 and this can be written
as lim f  x   2
x 2
This is known as left-hand limit
Step 2:
As x approaches 2 from the right (the
car), y = f(x) approaches 4 and this can
be written as
lim f  x   4
x 2 
This is known as right-hand limit
Step 3:
Figure 1 Since, the left-and-right hand limits
are all different.
Thus, lim f  x  does not exist

x2
Hence, when x is equal to 2 (the black

dot), therefore f(2) = 3

f  x Solution:
2. Refer to Figure 2 below, determine lim
x2
Step 1:
The graph shows that lim f  x   2
x 2
Or we can say that left-hand limit
equal to 2
Step 2:
lim f  x   4
be written as x 2 
Or we can say that right-hand limit
equal to 4
Step 3:
Since, the left-and-right hand limits
are not equal.
Figure 2
Therefore, lim f  x  does not exist
x2

3.
Refer to Figure 3 below, determine lim f  x  Solution:
x 0
Step 1:
The graph shows that lim f  x   2
x 0
Or we can say that left-hand limit
equal to 2
Step 2:
lim f  x   2
be written as x 0
Or we can say that right-hand limit
equal to 2
Step 3:
Since, the left-and-right hand limits
and f(0) are equal.
Figure 3
Hence, lim f x  is exists and
x 0
lim f  x   2
x0

Exercise
 x if x  0
1. From the graph of f ( x)   , determine lim f  x 
x 0
  x if x  0
2 if x  0
2. From the graph of f ( x)   , determine lim f  x 
 2 if x  0 x 0

3. For the function f(x) graphed below, determine the limits:
a) lim f  x  b) lim f  x  c) lim f  x 

x 2 x 2 x 2
d) f  2  e) lim f  x  f) lim f  x 
x 1 x 1
g) lim f  x  h) f  1 i) lim f  x 
x 1 x 3
j) lim f  x  k) lim f  x  l) f  3
x 3 x 3

4.2 LIMIT THEOREMS

The following theorems tell us how to calculate limits of functions. Let n be a positive integer, k be
a constant, f(x) and g(x) be functions which have limits at c. Then:
1. lim k  k
x c
2. lim x  c
x c
3. lim kf  x   k lim f  x 
x c x c
4. lim  f  x   g  x    lim  f  x    lim  g  x  

5. lim  f  x  .g  x    lim  f  x   .lim  g  x  

 f  x   lim  f  x  
6. lim    x c
xc g  x 
  lim  g  x  
x c
n n
7. lim  f  x    lim f  x  
x c  x c 
8. lim n f  x   n lim f  x 
x c x c
Theorem 6 is valid only when the limit of the function that appears in the denominator is not
equal to zero at the given point.
In the case where the numerator has a limit other than zero and the denominator has a limit equal
to zero, the limit of the quotient DOES NOT EXIST at the point.
If both the numerator and the denominator of the function approach zero as x approaches the
0
given point, we obtain the INDETERMINATE FORM or AMBIGUITIES,
0
0 f  x
The expression is used to describe the situation when we have lim with both limits
0 xa g  x 
lim f  x  and lim g  x  equal to 0

xa xa
The following are also ambiguities:

 f  x
a) is used to describe lim , with lim f  x    and lim g  x   
 xa g  x  xa x a
b)   and 0   describe what the ambiguities indicate

c) 00 , 1 and  0 also indicate as ambiguities

Exercise
1. lim x3
x 2
2. lim  5 x 4  2 
x 1
2  x2  4 4. lim
v 1
3. lim
x 2 x2
v 1 v 1
5. lim  4t 2  2t  1 6. lim  x3  1 x 2  1

t 3 x 3
h 1 2k 2  3k
7. lim 8. lim
h 3 h  3 k 0 k
w2  25 z3  8
9. lim 10. lim
w5 w  5 z 2 z2
p4 1  h 1
11. lim 12. lim
p 4 p 2 h 0 h

x
lim  x 2  4  .
13. 14. x 2 x2 2
 1 1 
lim 2  4 
x 0 x
 x  x2 
SYMBOLIC EQUALITIES
The following symbolic equalities are not ambiguities:
 a.     , a  0
 a.     , a  0
a
  0, a any real number

  
a a
 
 ,   , a  0
0 0

4.3 LIMITS AT INFINITY

Definition:
 The function f(x) has a limit L as x increases without bound (as x approaches +∞) if the
values of f(x) can be made arbitrarily close to L by taking x large enough
lim f  x   L
x 
 The function f(x) has a limit M as x decreases without bound (as x approaches -∞) if the
values of f(x) can be made arbitrarily close to M by taking x to be negative and sufficiently
large absolute value
lim f  x   M
x 
 To determine limits at infinity of rational function, we divide both the numerator and
denominator by the highest power of x in the denominator. And use some of the algebraic
properties of limits at infinity:
1
1. lim0
x
x 
1
2. lim  0
x  x
1 1
By using intuitive approaches, lim  0 and lim  0 can be shown as:
x  x x  x
1
As x grows without bound, values of approach 0
x

1
As x decreases without bound, values of also approach 0
x
Example
1. Determine the limit at infinity

1.
a) x2 b) v4  v
2 4
x x2 v v
lim  lim lim  lim v
x  9  x 2 x 9 x 2 v  3  2v v  3  2v

x2 x2 v
lim 1 lim v3  1
x 
  v
 9  3 
lim  2  1 lim   2 
x  x v  v
   
1 
  1   
0 1 02
2. From the graph in Figure 4, determine

lim f  x  lim f  x 
a) x  b) x 
Figure 4

Solution:
a) As x increases without bounds (approaching infinity), f(x) gets larger and larger
until it approaches y = 7, so we can write;
lim f  x   7
x 
b) As x decreases without bounds (approaching minus infinity), f(x) gets larger and
larger until it approaches y = 7, so we can write;
lim f  x   7
x 
2u 2
Given f  u   , complete the tables and use the results to estimate the limits, if they
3. 1 u2
exist
Determine lim f  u 
a) u 
u 1 10 1000 10000
f u  1 1.98019802 1.999998 1.99999998
Determine lim f  u 
b) u 
u -10000 -1000 -10 -1
f u  1.99999998 1.999998 1.98019802 1
From the tables above,
 When u gets larger, f(u) approaches the value 2, hence

lim f  u   2
u 
 When u gets smaller, f(u) approaches the value 2, hence

lim f  u   2
u 

Exercise
1. Use the graph below to determine lim f  x  and lim f  x 

x  x 
a) b)
2. Determine the limits of each of the following:
2 2x  3
a) lim b) lim
x  x  1 x 5 x  7

6 x 4  8 x 2  3x  4 2 x5  3
c) lim d) lim
x  7  6 x3  2 x 4 x  x 2  x

4.4 CONTINUITY
A function, f is continuous at the point x  a . If the following conditions are satisfied:
1. f  a  is defined
2. lim f  x  exist
xa
3. lim f  x   f  a  .
xa
CONTINUITY THEOREM (PROPERTIES OF CONTINUOUS FUNCTIONS)

1. All polynomial functions p  x   an x n  an 1 x n 1  ...  a1 x  a0 are continuous at every point
p  x
2. All rational functions r  x   where p  x  , q  x  are polynomials, are continuous at
q  x
every point where q  x   0
3. Logarithmic function f  x   log a x is continuous at every point x  0
4. Exponential function f  x   a x is continuous at every x
5. If f  x  and g  x  are continuous at x  x0 , then:
a) f  x   g  x  is continuous at x  x0
b) f  x  g  x  is continuous at x  x0
f  x
c) is continuous at x  x0 , provided that g  x0   0
g  x
Example
Test the following functions for continuity
3x2  x  2
1. f  x 
x2  1
Solution:
3x2  x  2
The function f  x   is rational and the denominator g  x   x 2  1 is never 0.
x2  1
Therefore, according to Continuity Theorem 2, f  x  is continuous at every point

t
2. g t   2
t 1
Solution:
t
The function g  t   2
is rational. Therefore, according to Continuity Theorem 2, g  t  is
t 1
2
continuous at every point except, maybe, points where t  1  0 , namely t  1 . Continuity
Theorem says nothing about these points, so these points need special testing. For t  1 and
t  1 function g  t  is not defined, so condition 1 for continuity is not satisfied by g  t  .
Therefore points t  1 and t  1 are points of discontinuity and function g  t  is discontinuous
all these points
1
3. f  x  if x  2 and f  2   3
2 x
Solution:
According to Continuity Theorem 2, f  x  is continuous at every point except at x  2 . So, we ill
test this point separately
i) f  x  is defined at x  2, f  2   3
1 1
ii) lim f  x   lim doesn’t exist (as x gets closer to 2, grows/decreases
x2 x2 2  x 2 x
without bounds). So the condition 2 for continuity fails to be satisfied by f  x  .
Therefore f is discontinuous at x  2
4. f  x   2 x 3 if x  0 and f  0   1
Solution:
The point suspected to be the point of discontinuous is when x  0 . So only this point needs out
attention
i) f  x  is defined at x  0, f  0   1
ii) lim f  x   lim 2 x 3  0
x 0 x0
iii) lim f  x   f  0 
x 0
The condition 3 for continuity fails to be satisfied by f  x  . Therefore the function is

discontinuous at x  0 . But function f  x  is continuous at every other point

x2  4
5. h  x  if x  2 and h  2   4
x2
Solution:
The function h  x  continuous at every point except when x  2 . So we will test function h  x 
for continuity at x  2
i) h  x  is defined at x  2, h  2   4
lim h  x   lim
x2  4
 lim
 x  2 x  2   lim x  2  4
ii)
x 2 x 2 x  2 x 2 x2 x 2
iii) lim h  x   h  2 
x 2
All conditions for continuity are met. Therefore the function is continuous at x  2 . So h  x  is
continuous at every point.
 2 x if x  1

6. g  x    2 x if  1  x  2
 2 x 2  4 if x  2

Solution:
There are 2 points that need testing, namely x  1 and x  2 .
For x  1
1
i) g  x  is defined at x  1, g  1  21 
2
x 1
ii) lim g  x   lim 2  2  0.5, lim g  x   lim 2 x  2
x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1
iii) lim g  x   lim g  x  , therefore lim g  x  does not exist

x 1 x 1 x 1
So function is discontinuous at x  1
For x  2
i)
2
 
g  x  is defined at x  2, g  2   2 2  4  4
ii) lim g  x   lim 2 x  4, lim g  x   lim 2 x 2  4  4 . Therefore lim g  x  exist and
x  2 x2 x 2 x 2 x2
lim g  x   4
x2
iii) lim g  x   4  g  2  ,
x 2
Since all conditions are met, g  x  is continuous at x  2

Combining all, we conclude that g  x  is continuous at every point except x  1

TYPES OF DISCONTINUITY
Function f may be discontinuous at a point x  c for several different reasons
Reason 1
Both limits lim f  x  and lim f  x  exist but

x c x c
not equal.
lim f  x   M
x c 
x c 
M  L
This type of discontinuity is called a jump

We can say that such function has a jump at
point x  c
Reason 2
At least one of the limit lim f  x  or

x c 
lim f  x  is infinite
x c 
lim f  x   
x c 
x c 
In this case we say that such function f  x 

has infinite discontinuity at point x  c
Reason 3
When x approaches point c from either side, the values of f  x  oscillate infinitely.
From the graph we can see that the values of f  x  oscillate between 1 and -1 infinitely often as x
approaches 0

Reason 4
Limits lim f  x  and lim f  x  both exit, are

x c x c
equal but not equal to the value of the
function f  x  at point c
lim f  x   lim f  x   L
x c  x c
In this case we say that the function f  x  has

a removable discontinuity at point x  c but
f  c   L . We can change the value of the
function at only one point x  c , setting
f  c   L , so that the changed function
becomes continuous at point x  c
Example
x2
1. Find all points of discontinuity of function f  x   and classify them
x 2
Solution:
Two points need our attention:

x  2 and x  2 (Function f is not defined at x  2 )
x2
a) At x  2 , lim f  x   lim 
x 2 x 2 x  2
So point x  2 is a point of infinite discontinuity
x2
b) At x  2 , lim f  x   lim 1
x2 x 2 x2
So point x  2 is a point of removable discontinuity
The function can be made continuous at x  2 if we define f  2   1

3  x 2 if x  0
2. Find all points of discontinuity of the function f  x    and classify them
 sin x if x  0
Solution:
Only one point x  0 needs our attention
lim f  x   lim sin x  0

x  0 x 0
lim f  x   lim 3  x 2  3
x  0 x 0
So, lim f  x   lim f  x  , and function f  x  has a jump at x  0

x 0 x 0
Exercise
1. Given the function defined by the graph below, determine if f  x  is continuous at

x  1, x  2, x  3, x  4, x  5 and x  6
Solution:
At x  1 ; f 1 is defined but the lim f  x  does not exist. Therefore f  x  is discontinuous
x 1
at x  1
At x  2 ; f  2  is defined but the lim f  x  does not exist. Therefore f  x  is

x2
discontinuous at x  2
At x  3 ; f  3 is undefined even though the lim f  x  is exist. Therefore f  x  is

x 3

At x  4 ; f  4  is undefined but not equal to the lim f  x  . Therefore f  x  is

x4

x 5

x 6
2. From the graph below, explain why the function f(x) is discontinuous at each of the given
points

3. Given the function defined by the graphs below, determine if f(x) is continuous at
x  2, x  0, x  3 and x  4

Exercise
LIMITS (GRAPHICAL APPROACH)
1. Determine the limits shown in the figure below. Then, determine the values of f(x) for the
given values of x

given values of x

given values of x

given values of x

given values of x

given values of x

LIMIT (CONTINUITY)
For each figure below; determine whether the function f is continuous or not at each indicated point.
Explain





Chapter 4 Limit

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Chapter 4 Limit

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UNIVERSITY KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIAN INSTITUTE OF AVIATION TECHNOLOGY

4.1.1 NUMERICAL APPROACH TO LIMITS

1. Given that f  x   2 x  2, calculate f  x  as x takes values closer to 1

Step 1: Consider the value of x approaching 1 from the left, x  1

Step 2: Consider the value of x approaching 1 from the right, x  1

Step 3: In both cases, when x approaches 1, f  x  approaches 4. Or, we can write as

 If lim f  x   lim f  x  , we can say that f  x  as x approaching to a is

x 0.75 0.9 0.99 0.999 1.0 1.001 1.01 1.1 1.25

All the information seems to point to the same conclusion: f  x  approaches 3 as x

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 1

4.1.2 GRAPHICAL APPROACH TO LIMITS

Right-hand limit: lim f  x   L , where we can make f  x  as close to L for all x

sufficiently close to c and x  c without letting x be c

sufficiently close to c and x  c without letting x be c

Thus, lim f  x  does not exist

Hence, when x is equal to 2 (the black

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 2

Hence, when x is equal to 2 (the black

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 3

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 4

3. For the function f(x) graphed below, determine the limits:

a) lim f  x  b) lim f  x  c) lim f  x 

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 5

4.2 LIMIT THEOREMS

4. lim  f  x   g  x    lim  f  x    lim  g  x  

5. lim  f  x  .g  x    lim  f  x   .lim  g  x  

lim f  x  and lim g  x  equal to 0

The following are also ambiguities:

b)   and 0   describe what the ambiguities indicate

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 6

5. lim  4t 2  2t  1 6. lim  x3  1 x 2  1

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 7

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 8

4.3 LIMITS AT INFINITY

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 9

1. Determine the limit at infinity

2. From the graph in Figure 4, determine

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 10

From the tables above,

 When u gets larger, f(u) approaches the value 2, hence

 When u gets smaller, f(u) approaches the value 2, hence

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 11

1. Use the graph below to determine lim f  x  and lim f  x 

2. Determine the limits of each of the following:

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 12

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 13

CONTINUITY THEOREM (PROPERTIES OF CONTINUOUS FUNCTIONS)

Test the following functions for continuity

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 14

The condition 3 for continuity fails to be satisfied by f  x  . Therefore the function is

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 15

iii) lim g  x   lim g  x  , therefore lim g  x  does not exist

Since all conditions are met, g  x  is continuous at x  2

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 16

Both limits lim f  x  and lim f  x  exist but

This type of discontinuity is called a jump

At least one of the limit lim f  x  or

In this case we say that such function f  x 

AQB10203_ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2_2017 17

Limits lim f  x  and lim f  x  both exit, are

In this case we say that the function f  x  has

Two points need our attention:

The function can be made continuous at x  2 if we define f  2   1