[MAA 5.

1] THE CONCEPT OF THE LIMIT

SOLUTIONS
Compiled by: Christos Nikolaidis

O. Practice questions
1. (a)
For positive values For negative values
of x near 0 (i.e. 0+) of x near 0-(i.e. 0–)
x f ( x) x f ( x)
0.1 1.0517 – 0.1 0.9516
0.01 1.0050 – 0.01 0.9950
0.001 1.0005 – 0.001 0.9995

ex 1
(b) lim 1
x0 x

2. (a) f (1)  0.2838

(b) because the denominator is 0.
(c)
For values of x near 2+: For values of x near 2-
x f ( x) x f ( x)
2.1 0.5171 1.9 0.4837
2.01 0.5017 1.99 0.4983
2.001 0.5002 1.999 0.4998

e x2  x  1
(d) lim  0.5
x  2 ( x  2) 2

3. (a) (i) 3.09 (ii) 1.23 (ii) 0.598

(b)
P

(c) lim P  2 .
Q 0

1
4. (a)
x f ( x)
100 2.87619
1 000 2.98706
1 000 000 2.99999
3x  2
(b) lim 3
x  x5
(c)
x f ( x)
- 100 3.13684
- 1 000 3.01307
- 1 000 000 3.00001
3x  2
(d) lim 3
x  x  5

(e) y 3
x3 x3
5. (a) (i) lim  1 (ii) lim 1
x  x2 x  x2
(b) y 1
x3
(c) (i) f (3)  6 (i) lim 6
x 3 x2
x3 x3
(d) (i) lim   (ii) lim  
x 2 x2 x 2 x2
x 3 x 3
(iii) lim   (iv) lim  
x2 x2 x2 x2
(e) x2
(2  h) 2  22
6. (a) (i) lim  4, m2  4
h 0 h
(3  h) 2  32
(ii) lim  6, m3  6
h 0 h
(b) (i) m5  10 , (ii) m5  10
(c) mx  2 x

ln(2  h)  ln 2 1
7. (a) (i) lim  0.5 , m2  0.5 
h 0 h 2
ln(5  h)  ln 5 1
(ii) lim  0.2 , m3  0.2 
h 0 h 5
1
(b) m5  0.1 
10
1
(c) mx 
x

2
8. (a) (i) e  2.7183 (ii) e2  7.3891
(b)
n n
 1  2
n 1   1  
 n  n
1 2.0000 3.0000
10 2.5937 6.1917
100 2.7048 7.2446
1 000 2.7169 7.3743
1 000 000 2.7183 7.3890
n n
 1  2
(c) (i) lim 1   e (ii) lim 1   e
2


n  n n 
 n
n
 3
(d) lim 1    e3
n 
 n