CHAPTER 7

INDETERMINATE FORM
AND
L’HOPITAL’S RULE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this chapter, students should be able to

 Find limit using L’Hopital’s Rule
0 
 Identify indeterminate form , ,   , .0 , 00, 0, 1
0 
 Find limit involving limits   , .0 , 00, 0, 1

7.0 Introduction

1 x
Consider lim .
x 1 1 x 2
As x approaches 1, both numerator and denominator approach 0. This is the
' '
0
indeterminate form of the type . The value of the limit is not obvious; the limit
0
might exist (real number) or does not exist ( 01 or ∞). The term indeterminate implies
that some additional works are needed to find the limit.
In the next section, we are going to look into the various types of indeterminate
form which will employ the L’Hopital ‘s Rule such as

0 
, , 0,  -  , 00 , 0 , 1
0 

0 
7.1 Indeterminate Form Of The Type or
0 

L’Hopital’s Rule:
f (x) ' '
0 
' '
f (x) f  (x)
If lim is in the form or then lim = lim
xa g ( x ) 0  xa g ( x ) x a g  ( x )

Note:
 To use L’Hopital’s rule, make sure both lim f(x) and lim g(x) approaches 0 or
both lim f(x) and lim g(x) approaches ∞.

95
96 L’Hopital’s Rule

 Differentiate f(x) and g(x) separately. DO NOT differentiate f(x)/g(x) using

quotient rule.
 Repeated use of L’Hopital’s rule are allowed as long as we have an
' '
0 
indeterminate form of the type or .
0 

Example 1 Find limit if exist.

x2  4 sin x
a. lim b. lim
x  2 x 2 x 0 x
ex x ln x
c. lim d. lim
x  x2 x  ex

Solution

x2 4 '
0'
a. lim , use L”Hopital Rule
x  2 x  2 0
2x
= lim
x  2 1

=4

'
sin x 0'
b. lim , use L”Hopital Rule
x 0 x 0

cos x
= lim
x0 1

= cos 0

=1

ex '
'
c. lim , use L”Hopital Rule
x  x2 

ex '
'
= lim , use L”Hopital Rule
x 2x 
ex
= lim
x  2

= , limit does not exist.

x ln x '
'
d. lim , use L”Hopital Rule
x  ex 
L’Hopital’s Rule 97

 1
ln x  x  
= lim x
x  x
e
ln x  1 '
'
= lim , use L”Hopital Rule
x  ex 
1
= lim xx
x  e

1
= lim
x  x e x

=0

The following theorem can be used to help solve more complicated limit problems.

Theorem
Assuming lim f(x) and lim g(x) exist,
1. lim f(x) + g(x) = lim f(x) + lim g(x)
2. lim f(x)  g(x) = lim f(x)  lim g(x)
3. lim f(x)  g(x) = lim f(x)  lim g(x)
4. lim f(x)  g(x) = lim f(x)  lim g(x)
5. lim f(x)n = [ lim f(x) ]n

Example 2 Find limit if exist.

sin x 2 ln ( ln x )
lim 2x  1 
a.
x 0 1  kos x
b. lim
x  
ln x cos x1
Solution

sin x 2
a. lim 2x  1  use limit theorem no 1 to simplify problem
x 0 1  kos x
sin x 2 '
0'
= lim 2x + 1 + lim , use L”Hopital Rule
x 0 x 0 1  cos x 0
2 x cos x 2 '
0'
= 1 + lim , use L”Hopital Rule
x0 sin x 0
x
= 1 + lim 2 cos x 2 lim use limit theorem no 3 to simplify problem
x 0 x 0 sin x
1
= 1 + 2 lim
x0 cos x
= 1 + 2 (1)

= 3
98 L’Hopital’s Rule

ln ( ln x ) '
'
ln x cos  1x 
b. lim
x  .1
1 ln ( ln x ) '
'
= lim
x  cos  x1  lim
x  ln x 
L’hopital Rule

1 1

1 ln x x
= lim
cos 0 x  1
x
1
= 1 lim
x  ln x

= 0 

Exercise 7A

Find limit if exist.

ln ( 1  x ) sin 3x  tan 3x
a. lim b. lim
x 0 1 e 2x x 0 x2
e x  e  x  2 sin x x ln x
c. lim d. lim
x 0 x sin x x  x  ln x
1  cos x 1  2x
e. lim f. lim
x 0 x2 x  2  3x
x  ex e 2 x tan 1 x
g. lim h. lim
x  x  2x x  e3x  x
2x ln x 2
i. lim j. lim
x 0 ln ( 2  3 x  e x ) x  2x
( x 3  1)(x  2) sin 2 x  x cos x
k. lim l. lim
x 1 ( x  1)( x  2) x 0 x 2e 4x

7.2 Indeterminate Form Of The Type ‘  ’

An indeterminate form of the type    occurs when

1 1
i. lim f(x) = and lim g(x) =
x a 0 x a 0
ii. lim f(x) =  and lim g(x) = 
x a x a

0' 
' ' '
Limit problem of this form has to be converted to the form or . In case (i)
0 
L’Hopital’s rule can be applied. However, in the (ii) case, sometimes L’Hopital might
not be a good be a good idea, so use the technique learned in Calculus I.
L’Hopital’s Rule 99

Example 3 Find limit if it exist.

1 1 1 1
a. lim  b. lim 
x 0 x sin x x 0 e  1
x
x
1
c. lim sec x – tan x d. lim csc x  x
x
 x 0 e 1
2

e. lim 4x 2  9  x
x 

Solution
'
1 1 0'
a. lim  Change    to
x 0 x sin x 0
sin x  x '
0'
= lim , use L”Hopital’s Rule
x 0 x sin x 0
cos x  1 '
0'
= lim , use L”Hopital’s Rule
x 0 sin x  x cos x 0
 sin x
= lim
x 0 cos x  cos x  x sin x

0
=
2
=0

1 1
b. lim  -
x 0 e 1 x x
x  ( e x  1) '
0'
= lim , use L”Hopital’s Rule
x 0 x (e x  1 ) 0
1 e x '
0'
= lim , use L”Hopital ‘s Rule
x 0 (e x  1)  xe x 0
 ex
= lim
x 0 e x  xe x  e x
1
= 
2

c. lim sec x – tan x


x
2
1 sin x
= lim  
 cos x cos x
x
2

1  sin x '
0'
= lim , use L”Hopital’s Rule
 cos x 0
x
2

 cos x
= lim
x
  sin x
2
100 L’Hopital’s Rule

0
= =0
1

1
d. lim csc x 
x 0 e 1
x

1 1
= lim  x 
x 0 sin x e 1
e x  1  sin x '
0'
= lim , use L”Hopital’s Rule
x 0 (e x  1) sin x 0
e x  cos x '
0'
= lim , use L”Hopital’s Rule
x 0
(e x  1) cos x  e x sin x 0
e x  sin x
= lim
x 0
 (e x  1) sin x  e x cos x  e x cos x  e x sin x
1
=
2

 4x 2  9  x 
e. lim 4x 2  9  x = lim 4x 2  9  x    mult. with its conjugate
x  x   4x 2  9  x 
 
4x  9  x
2 2
= lim
x 
4x 2  9  x
3x 2  9 
= lim , L’Hopital is not suitable to use. Why?
x 
4x  9  x
2 
= 

Exercise 7B

Evaluate the following.

x2 x2 1 1
a. lim  b. lim 
x  x  1 x 1 x 2 x  2 ln ( x  1 )
1 1 1 1
c. lim 2 x  2 d. lim 
x 0 e 1 x x 0 x tan x
1 1
e. lim cot2 x – ex f. lim 
x 0 x 0 x
x 2  2x
1 1 1 1
g. lim  h. lim 
x 2 sin x tan x x 1 ln x x  1
L’Hopital’s Rule 101

7.3 Indeterminate Form Of The Type     ‘

To deal with an indeterminate form of the type   , simply write f(x)g(x) as a

f g
quotient 1
or 1 . This would convert the limit into an indeterminate form of the
(g ) (f )
0 
type or .
0 

Example 4 Find limit if exist.

1
a. lim x ln x b. lim x sin
x 0 x  x

c. lim sin 2x ln ( x  ) d. lim (ex – 1) ln x
 2 x 0
x
2

Solution

a. lim x ln x  change x = (x) 1 or (ln x) 1

x 0

ln x '
'
= lim ( choose x 1 – easier to differentiate)
x 1
x 0 
1
= lim x
x 0  x  2

1
= lim – ( x2) Simplify
x 0 x
= – lim x
x 0
=0

1
b. lim x sin ‘’
x  x
1
sin '
x 0'
= lim
x   x 1 0
1
cos  x 2
x
 
= lim
x   x 2
1
= lim cos
x  x
= 1


c. lim sin 2x ln ( x  ) 
 2

x
2
102 L’Hopital’s Rule

 
ln  x  
 2 
'
'
= lim
x
 sin 2x  1

2
1
 
x  
= lim  2
 sin 2 x   cos 2 x  2
2

x
2

1 (sin 2 x )2
= lim  lim 
 2 cos 2x  
x x
2
x
2 2

1 2  sin 2x  cos 2x  2
= lim
2  1

x
2
1
= 0
2

=0 

d. lim (ex – 1) ln x 

x 0

ln x '
'
= lim
x 0( e x  1)1 
1
= lim x
x  0  ( e x  1 ) 2  e x

1 ( e x  1) 2 0
=  lim x
lim simplify to give
x 0 e x 0 x 0
2 (e x  1)  e x
= (1) lim
x 0 1
0
=
1
= 0

Exercise 7C

Find limit if exist.

a. lim x2 ln x b. lim ex ln x

x 0 x 

c. lim (  2x ) sec x d. lim x2 sec2 x

 x 0
x
2
L’Hopital’s Rule 103

e. lim ex sin x ln x f. lim  cos x ln (cos x)

x 0 
x
2
1
g. lim x 2 tan
x  x

7.4 Indeterminate Form Of The Type 00 , 0 dan 1

Indeterminate form of the type 00 , 0 and 1 arise from expressions in the form
g(x).
f(x) We can find limits by taking the natural logarithm.

Steps
1. Let y = f(x)g(x)
2. ln y = ln f(x)g(x)
= g(x) ln f(x)
3. lim ln y = lim g(x) ln f(x)
xa xa

lim g ( x ) ln f ( x )
4. eln y = e x a

Example 5 Evaluate.
1
x
a. lim x b. lim xx
x 0 x 
1
c. lim ( 1 )x d. lim (sin x)x
x  x x 0

Solution

a. lim x x 00
x 0

Let y = xx
Introduce ln ln y = ln xx (ln ab = b ln a )
Introduce lim lim ln y = lim x ln x 
x 0 x 0

ln x 
ln y = lim 1
, L’Hopital’s Rule
x 0 x 
1
= lim x
x 0  x  2

 1
= had    x2
x 0 x
=  had x
x 0
ln y = 0

Introduce exponent eln y = e0 ( to neutralize step 2 )

104 L’Hopital’s Rule

y = 1
x
Hence lim x =1
x 0

1
b. lim xx 0
x 
1
Let y = xx
1
ln ln y = ln xx
1
limit lim ln y = lim ln x
x  x  x
ln x 
ln y = lim - L’Hopital’s Rule
x  x 
1
= lim x
x  1
ln y = 0

exp eln x = e0 = 1
1
Hence lim xx = 1
x 

1 x
c. lim ( 1 ) 1
x  x
1
Let y = ( 1 )x
x
1
ln ln y = ln ( 1 )x
x
1
lim lim ln y = lim x ln ( 1 ) 
x  x  x
1
ln ( 1 )
ln y = lim x
x  x 1
1
  x 2
1
(1 )
= lim x
x   x 2
1
= lim
x  1
(1  )
x
ln y = 1

exp y = e1
1
Hence lim ( 1 )x = e
x  x
L’Hopital’s Rule 105

d. lim (sin x)x

x 0

Let y = ( sin x )x
ln ln y = ln ( sin x )x
lim lim ln y = lim x ln sin x 
x 0 x 0

ln sin x
ln y = lim
x 0 x 1
1
 cos x
sin x
= lim
x 0  x 2
x2
= lim  cos x lim
x 0 x 0 sin x
2x
= 1 lim
x 0 cos x
ln y = 0
eln y = e0 = 1

Hence lim (sin x)x = 1 

x 0

Exercise 7D

Find limit if exist.

5x 1
 1 
a. lim  1   b. lim ( e  x
2x ) x
2
x   2x  x 0
1
c. lim ( x  2x )
2 2 x 3 d. lim ( 1 – x )ln x
x  x 1

e. lim ( ln x ) x1
f. lim
x 0
 cos ec x x
x 1
3 2x
g. lim ( 1  cosec x )cos x h. lim (1  )
 x  2x
x
2