MTH 104

Lecture # 11
Calculus and Analytical
Geometry
 L’HÔPITAL’S RULE: INDETERMINATE FORMS

INDETERMINATE FORMS OF TYPE 00

.
Limit of the form
f ( x)
lim
xa g ( x)

in which f ( x)  0 and g ( x)  0 as x  a
is called an indeterminate form of type 0 0
L’Hopital Rule for form 0/0

Suppose that f and g are differentiable functions on an open

interval containing x  a , except possible at x  a , and that

lim f ( x)  0 and lim g ( x)  0
x a x a

If lim  f ( x) / g ( x)  exists, or if this limit is  or , then

xa

f ( x) f ( x)
lim  lim
xa g ( x) xa g ( x)

Moreover this statement is also true in the case of limits as

x  a  , x  a  , x  , or as x  ,
EXAMPLE Find the limit
x2  4
lim
x2 x  2

Using L’HÔPITAL’S rule, and check the result by factoring.

solution
x 2  4 22  4 0
lim  0
form
x2 x  2 22
Using L’HÔPITAL’S rule

x 4
2 
d 2
x  4 2x
lim  lim dx  xlim 4
x2 x  2 x 2 d 2 1
 x  2
dx
 By computation
x2  4 ( x  2)( x  2)
lim  lim  lim  x  2   4
x2 x  2 x2 ( x  2) x2

Example
In each part confirm that the limit is an indeterminate
form of type 0/0 and evaluate it using L’HOPITAL’s rule

sin 2 x 1  sin x
(a) lim lim
x0 x (b) x / 2 cos x

ex 1 tan x
(c) xlim (d) lim
x0
3
0 x x2
 1  cos x x 4 / 3
(e) lim 2 (f) lim
x0 x x sin(1/ x)
Solution
sin 2 x sin 0
(a) lim   %
x0 x 0

Applying L’HÔPITAL’S rule

d
sin 2 x (sin 2 x)
lim  lim dx
x0 x x0 d
( x)
dx
2cos 2 x
 lim  2cos(0)  2
x0 1
 
(b) 1  sin x 1  sin 2 1  1 0
lim   
x / 2 cos x cos  0 0
2
Applying L’HÔPITAL’S rule
d
1  sin x 1  sin x   cos x
lim  lim dx  lim
x / 2 cos x x / 2
 cos x  x / 2  sin x
d
dx
cos 
 2  0 0
sin  1
2
(c) ex 1 e0  1 1  1 0
lim    0
x0 x3 0 0

Applying L’HÔPITAL’S rule

 ex 1 ex
e0
lim  lim 2   1 0  
x0 x3 x0 3 x 0
(d)
tan x tan 0
lim   0
x0 x2 0 0
Applying L’HÔPITAL’S rule
d
tan x  tan x 
lim  lim dx

 
2
x0 x x0 d x 2
dx
sec2 x
 lim  
x0 2 x
INDETERMINATE FORMS OF TYPE  
The Limit of a ratio, f ( x) / g ( x) in which the numerator has limit 
and the denominator has the limit  is called an indetreminate
form of type 

L’Hopital Rule for form 

Suppose f and g are differentiable functions on an open interval
conatining x=a, except possibly at, x=a and that

lim f ( x)   and lim g ( x)  

x a x a

If lim  f ( x) g ( x)  exists, or if this limit is  or 

, then
xa
f ( x) f ( x)
lim  lim
xa g ( x) xa g ( x)
Moreover this statement is also true in the case of limits as
x  a  , x  a  , x  , or as x  ,
 Example
In each part confirm that the limit is indeterminate form of type  
and apply L’HÔPITAL’S

x ln x
lim (b) lim
(a) x e x x0 csc x

solution
(a) x  
lim   
x e x 
e

Applying L’HÔPITAL’S rule

 d
x ( x)
lim x  lim dx 1
 lim  1  0
x e x d
(e x ) x e
x 
dx
(b)
 
ln x ln 0
lim 
x0 csc x csc(0)

Applying L’HÔPITAL’S rule

d
(ln x)
ln x dx 1x
 
lim  lim  lim 
  d   csc x cot x
x0 csc x x0 (csc x) x0
dx

Any additional application of L’HÔPITAL’S rule will yield powers of

1 x in the numerator and expressions involving csc x and cot x
in the denominator.
Rewriting last expression

 sin x  sin x lim tan x

lim   tan x    lim

x0 x x0

x0  x 

 (1)(0)  0

ln x
Thus, lim 0
x0 csc x
INDETERMINATE FORMS OF TYPE 0.

The limit of an expression that has one of the forms

f ( x)
, f ( x).g ( x), f ( x) g ( x) , f ( x)  g ( x), f ( x)  g ( x)
g ( x)

is called and indeterminate form if the limits f ( x) and g ( x)

individually exert conflicting influences on the limit of the entire
expression.

For example lim x ln x  0. Indeterminate form

x0
On the other hand

lim
x
 
x 1  x 2  ()   Not an indeterminate form
Indeterminate form of type
0.
can sometimes be evaluated by rewriting the product as a
ratio, and then applying L’HÔPITAL’S rule for indeterminate
form of type 0 / 0 or  .

Example Evaluate

(a) lim x ln x (b) lim (1  tan x)sec 2 x

x0 x / 4

Solution
(a) lim x ln x  0.()
x0

Rewriting ln x
lim x ln x  lim 1
x0 x
  form
x0
 Applying L’HÔPITAL’S rule d
(ln x) 1
ln x dx x
lim x ln x  lim 1  lim  lim
 1
    d 1 x 0
x0 x 0 x x 0 ( ) x 2
dx x

 x2
 lim  lim ( x)  0
x0 x x0

(b)
lim (1  tan x)sec 2 x  0  
x / 4
Rewriting as

1  tan x
lim 1  tan x  sec 2 x  lim
 x 1 sec 2 x
x
4 4
 1  tan x 
 lim  00
 cos 2 x
x
4

Applying L’HÔPITAL’S rule

d
1  tan x
1  tan x 
 dx
lim 1  tan x  sec 2 x  lim
 cos 2 x
lim  d

x
4
x
4
x 
4  cos 2 x 
dx
2 
 sec x (sec
2 )
 lim  4  2 1
x 2sin 2 x
 2 2
4
2sin
4
Indeterminate forms of type  
.
A limit problem that leads to one of the expressions

         ,       
    ,     
is called an indeterminate form type 
The limit problems that lead to one of the expressions

    ,     

    ,     
are not indeterminate, since two terms work together.
Example Evaluate
1 1 
lim   
x0
 x sin x 
Solution
1 1  1 1 
lim         
x0  x sin x   0 sin 0 
Rewriting

1 1 
lim  
x0  x

sin x  x0  x sin x 
lim 
0sin 0
 
 sin x  x  sin 0  0  0
0

Applying L’HÔPITAL’S rule

  d 
1 1   sin x  x  lim  dx
 sin x  x  
lim     lim    
d 
 x sin x  
x0  x sin x  
x 0  x sin x  x 0

 dx 
 cos x  1  0
 lim  
x0  sin x  x cos x 
 0  
Again Applying L’HÔPITAL’S rule
d
1 1  dx
 cos x  1
lim     lim
x0  x sin x  x0 d

dx
 sin x  x cos x 

  sin x 
 lim  
x0  cos x  x sin x  cos x 

 sin 0 0
  0
cos 0  0sin 0  cos 0 1  0  1
INDETERMINATE FORM OF TYPE 00 , 0 ,1

Limits of the form

lim f ( x) g ( x )

can give rise to indeterminate forms of the types 00 ,0 and 1

For example

lim (1  x)
1
x (1 form)
x0
1
It is indeterminate because the expressions 1  x and x gives
1 and  respectively. --Two conflicting influences. Such inderminate
form can be evaluated by first introducing a dependent variable

y  f ( x) g ( x ) The limit of lny will be an

indeterminate form of type 0  
1n y  1n  f ( x)
g ( x)

 g ( x) 1n f ( x)
 1
Example lim (1  x) x  e
x0

Solution Let y  (1  x)1 x

1
1
ln y ln(1  x) x  ln y  ln(1  x)
x
ln(1  x) ln(1  0) (0
lim ln y  lim  0
form)
x0 x0 x 0
Applying L’HÔPITAL’S rule
1
lim ln y  lim 1  x
x0 x0 1
1
limln y  lim 1
x0 x0 1  x
 ln y  1 as x  0

 eln y  e1 as x  0
 y  e as x  0.
1
Thus, lim 1  x   e.
x
x0