7.

Limit at infinity and Horizontal Asymptotes

※ Rank of the growth rate.

We can rank the growth rate of functions when x→∞.

let f(x) and g(x) be positive for large x.

① If f(x) grows faster than g(x) as x→∞,

② If f(x) and g(x) grow at the same rate as x→∞,

Blank : ① ∞ ②0
EXAMPLE 9. Find the limit.
lim  3 x 3  5 x 2  100
① x 

lim  5 x 3  5 x 4
② x 

x2
lim
③ x  2 x
2
 4x  3

3 x 5  x 3  10
④ lim
x  2  5x5

3x2
lim
⑤ x  x1/ 2  2
 3x2
⑥ lim
x  x1/ 2  2

4x2  1
lim
x 1  x
⑦

x 2  x  100
⑧ lim
x  2x2  2

ex
⑨ lim 3
2
x  x
 ln x
⑩ lim  3
4
x  x

2e x
lim
x  1  3e x
⑪

2x
lim
x 1  3x
⑫

⑬ lim x  1  x
x
 ※ Definition of ‘Horizontal’ Asymptote :

If we have a horizontal asymptote at y = b;

To find the horizontal asymptote; find lim and lim

x x

3x
EXAMPLE 10. Find the horizontal asymptote of y  .
x 3
2

Blank : ① b
8. Exponential function and Limits

lim e x  ∞ lim e  x  0
① ②

x  x 

EXAMPLE 11. Find the limit.

① lim e x  2
x 

② lim e  x  5
x 

lim  2 e x  6
③ x 

1
lim  2 e x 6
④ x 

3  2x
lim
⑤ x 1  3
x

Blank : ① ∞ ②0
AP Style Problem

1. In order for the line y = t to be a horizontal asymptote of G(x), which of the following must
be true?
A) lim G( x)  
x t 

B) lim G( x)  
x 

C) lim G( x)  t
x 

D) lim G( x )  
x t 

E) lim G( x)  
x 

ex  3
2. What is(are) the horizontal asymptote of y  x ?
e 1
A) y=1

B) y = 1, y = 3

C) y = 1, y = -3

D) y = 0, y = 1
E) none
9.Special Trig limits

EXAMPLE 12. Find the limit.

2 sin x
① lim
x 0 3x

tan x
lim
x 0
② x

sin 3 x
③ lim
x 0 2 x

Blank : ① 1
 sin 4 x
lim
④ x 0 sin 8 x

sin 2 x
⑤ lim
x 0 tan 6 x

2 x  sin x
lim
⑥ x  x

1  sin x
⑦ lim
x   cos x
2
 1  cos 2 x
lim
x0 x2
⑧

⑨ lim arctan x
x 
10. Squeeze theorem

If g(x) ≤ f(x) ≤ h(x)

and lim h( x)  L , lim g( x)  L

x c xc

then lim f ( x)  L
x c

sin x
EXAMPLE 13. Show that lim  0 using squeeze theorem.
x  x
 11. * Formal Definition of Limit
 Reminder

|x - a|<b means: Numbers within ①___ units of ②____

|x - a|<b (if b is a small number) means:

Numbers really close to ③_____

Assume f is defined in a neighborhood of c and let c and L be real numbers. The function f

has limit L as x approaches c if, given any positive number ε(epsilon), there is a positive

number δ(delta) such that for all x,

We write

Blank : ① b ②a ③a
* All in One about Evaluating Limits

Evaluate lim f(x) . c could be numbers, ∞ or -∞.

x c

If we plug in c answer is /
example
and get; solving method

number x2  1 2
number lim  2
number x 1 x 1

0 x2  1 0
0 lim  0
number x 1 x 1

0 factor and reduce x2  1

lim  lim( x  1)  2
0 / use conjugate x 1 x  1 x 1

number x2
either ∞ or -∞ lim  
0 x 1 x  1

number 5
0 lim 0
∞ x  x  1

∞+∞ ∞ lim x  x  1  
x 

1
∞-∞ use conjugate lim x  x  1  lim 0
x  x  x  x 1

∞x∞ ∞ lim x  x  1  
x 

∞ compare the growth x3  5x

lim 0
rate x x
∞ x  5

∞ 1
2
∞ lim e x 
e x 

-∞ 0 lim e  x  3  0  3  3
e x 

 
arctan ∞ lim arctan x 
2 x  2