Introduction to Limits

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Objectives:

We are expected to:

• define the limit of a function;
• distinguish the difference and similarity of and ;
• evaluate limits using a table of values; and
• evaluate the limit of a given function.

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Recall:

A given relation can be determine whether it is a

function or not through the following:

Values of the domain

Correspondence
Vertical line test
Equation

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Functions and Relations
Determine where the following is function or Not a function

x  x
 a a

b 1 1 b

c c

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Functions and Relations
Determine where the following is function or Not a function

Relationship of two sets of numbers

x where for every element in the first set
a
1
(domain) correspond a unique element in
b the second set (range)
2
c Functions can be either one-to-one (one
3
d input has one output) or many-to-one
(many inputs map onto the same output).

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Functions and Relations
In the ordered pairs or table
{( 1 , 2 ) , ( 1 , 3 ) , ( 2 , 4 ) , ( 3 ,6 ) }x x -1 0 1 2 5
y 3 7 11 15 27 
{( 1 , 2 ) , ( 0 , 3 ) , (− 2 , 8 ) , ( −3 , 15 ) } 
{( 1 , 2 ) , ( 0 ,− 3 ) , ( 0 , 4 ) , ( 0 , −17 ) } x x 1 0 1 2 0
y 4 6 -13 9 -4 x
{( 1 , 2 ) , ( 0 , 2 ) , ( − 2 ,2 ) , ( −3 ,2 ) } 

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Functions and Relations
Using the vertical line test to identify functions

If the vertical line intersects the curve more than once, the graph does
not represent a function.

If the line does intersect the curve exactly once for a given set of inputs
(which does not need to be all real numbers), then the graph does
represent a function.

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Functions and Relations
Using the vertical line test to identify functions

 x

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Functions and Relations
In the equation
If the exponent of the variable y is an even integers then it is not function

x 
If the absolute value involves the variable y then it is not function

 x
x
Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023
Recall:

The value of the domain of a function will tell us that

the set of values of the range must be also real
numbers.
The idea of the value of the function in terms of exists if
belongs to the domain of .

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

If you can see everything except a single value, what do you
think is there?

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023
The infinitesimal

The formal definition of limits

Limits are well-supported predictions. Here’s the official
definition:

means for all real there exists a real such that for all
with , we have

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Let us compare this with Math and common English

Math Common English

means When we “strongly predict” that ,
we mean
for all real For any error margin, we want
meters)
there exists a real There is a zoom level seconds)
such that for all with , we have Where the prediction stays
accurate with the error margin.

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

The Limits

The limit, to be denoted by L, is the unique real

value that will approach as approaches .
In symbol:

This is read, ‘‘The limit of as approaches is L.”

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

The Limits
3 10
𝒍𝒊𝒎 ( 𝟏 +𝟑 𝒙 ) 2.5 8.5
𝒙 →𝟐
2.2 7.6
2.1 7.3
x 2.03 7.09
2
2.005 7.015
2.0001 7.0003
2.00000001 7.00000003
2.00000000001 7.0000000003

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

The Limits
1 4
𝒍𝒊𝒎 ( 𝟏 +𝟑 𝒙 ) 1.4 5.2
𝒙 →𝟐
1.7 6.1
1.95 6.7
x 1.97 6.85
2
1.99 6.97
1.9999 6.97
1.999999 6.99997
1.99999999 6.99999997

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

The value of Limit
𝒍𝒊𝒎 ( 𝟏 +𝟑
𝒙 →𝟐
¿𝒙𝟕
)

Example
find the limit of as x approaches
𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝒇 ( 𝒙 )¿ 𝒍𝒊𝒎 ( 𝒙 𝟐 +𝟏)
𝒙 →− 𝟏 𝒙 →− 𝟏

¿ 𝟐

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

The limit of a polynomial functions
If is a polynomial function, then

¿ −9
¿ 19
¿0
¿ −12

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

The limit of a function involving absolute value
𝒍𝒊𝒎|𝒙 −
𝒙 →𝟐
¿𝟐 0|
How about the limit of a rational function?
𝒇 (𝒙 )
𝒍𝒊𝒎
𝒙→𝒂 𝒈 (𝒙)

Case 1:
Case 2:
Case 3:

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Examples
𝑥 2+12 𝑥+5 6𝑥 5 𝑥+3
𝑎. 𝑓 (𝑥 )= 2
𝑏 . 𝑔 ( 𝑥)= 2 𝑐 .h ( 𝑥 )= 2
𝑥 +1 𝑥 +2 𝑥 +3 𝑥+ 6

𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝒇 ¿
( 𝒙 )𝟓
𝒙 →𝟑
𝟏𝟖
𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝒈¿
(𝒙)
𝒙 →𝟑 𝟏𝟏
𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝒉¿
(𝒙)
𝟑
𝒙 →𝟑 𝟒

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Examples
𝒙 𝟐+ 𝒙 − 𝟒
𝒈 ( 𝒙)=
𝒙−𝟐

¿ 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅
𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝒈 ( 𝒙 )
𝒙 →𝟐

𝒙 𝟐+ 𝒙
𝒉 ( 𝒙 )=
𝒙 +𝟏
¿
𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝒉 ( 𝒙 ) −𝟏
𝒙 →− 𝟏

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

 Examples
𝒙 𝟐 + 𝒙 −𝟔 𝒙 𝟐 − 𝟓 𝒙 +𝟒 𝒙 𝟐 −𝟗
𝒂 . 𝒇 ( 𝒙)= 𝒃 . 𝒈 ( 𝒙 )= 𝒄 . 𝒉 ( 𝒙 )= 𝟐
𝒙−𝟐 𝒙 −𝟏 𝒙 −𝟓 𝒙 +𝟔

𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝒇 ¿
( 𝒙 )𝟓
𝒙 →𝟐

𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝒈¿
( 𝒙−
) 𝟑
𝒙 →𝟏

𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝒉¿
( 𝒙 )𝟔
𝒙 →𝟑

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023

Elective Mathematics 10: Precalculus March 13 - 17, 2023