Department of Mathematics

Jain Global campus, Jakkasandra Post, Kanakapura Taluk, Ramanagara District -562112

Module 1:

Prof. Ramesha M
Department of Mathematics,
FET, Jain(Deemed-to-be-University)
Indeterminate forms and L'Hospital's rule.
 Indeterminate forms

If an expression f ( x ) at x  a assumes forms like 0 / 0,  / , 0  ,   , 00 ,  0 ,1 which do not represent any

value are called Indeterminate forms.

The concept of limit give a meaningful value for the function f ( x ) at x  a overcoming these indeterminate forms.
Students already familiar with the evaluation of limit mostly in the case of 0 / 0,  /  without the involvement of
differentiation.

Few more indeterminate forms: 0  ,   , 00 ,  0 ,1 can be reduced to 0 / 0,  /  , then the limit is found
passing through a process of differentiation warranted by a very simple rule called L' Hospital's (French
Mathematician) rule which is established by using Cauchy's Mean value theorem.
L'Hospital's Rule (Theorem)
Statement

Let f ( x ) and g ( x) be functions such that

i) and i.e.,

ii) and exist and , then

Note: Extension of theorem

If f '(a )  0 and g '(a )  0 then we have

and so fon.
( x) f '( x) f ''( x)
Lim  Lim  Lim and soon.
x a g ( x) x  a g '( x ) x  a g ''( x )
 Working Rule:
1.a. The rule is applicable for the form 0 / 0 . It can be applied for
the form  /  as we write
𝑓 f (𝑥
( x) ) 1/ g ( x) 1 / 𝑔( 𝑥 )
limLim  Lim
= lim ,
𝑥 → 𝑎 𝑔(
x  a g ( x𝑥
) ) a 1/
x 𝑥→ ) 1/ 𝑓 (𝑥)
f ( x𝑎

where f ( x)    and g ( x)    as x  a

2.
a. Differentiate Numerator f ( x ) and Denominator g ( x) separately and
put x  a , if this reduces to indeterminate form 0 / 0 continue the
above procedure until a finite value is obtained.
a. In case where the expansions of functions, involved in indeterminate
3.
form are known or some of the Standard limits are known, may be
used to simplify the work.

4.
a. The following four standard limits and well known simple properties
connected with limits can be readily used:
sin x x tan x x
(i) Lim  1 (ii) Lim  1 (iii) Lim  1 (iv) Lim 1
x 0 x x  0 sin x x  0 x x  0 tan x
 Indeterminate form 0 / 0 

The rule can be applied directly in case of 0 / 0 and  /  .

In case of    and   0 , we have to employ methods
(taking L.C.M, using equivalent trigonometric expressions etc.)
to simplify the given expression in bringing it to the form
0 / 0 or  /  so that L' Hospital rule can be employed.
Problems:
x  log(1  x)
1. Evaluate lim
x 0 1  cos x
Solution:
x  log(1  x) 0 
Let y  lim  form 
x 0 1  cos x 0 

On Applying L’Hospital’s Rule, We get

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

On Applying L’Hospital’s Rule, We get

 1 
0 2 
 1  x   x  log(1  x)

y  lim  y 1  lim
x 0 1  cos x
1
x 0 cos x
 tan x  sin x
2. Evaluate lim 3
.
x 0 sin x

Solution: tan x  sin x

Let y  lim
x 0 sin 3 x
sin x {sec x  1} sec x  1 0 
y  lim  y  lim  form 
x 0 sin 3 x x  0 sin x2  0 
sec x  1 x 2 0  x 2
y  lim . 2  form  aslim 2  1 ;
x 0 x2 sin x  0  x  0 sin x

on Applying L’Hospital’s Rule,

sec x tan x  0 
Can be written as y  lim  form 
x 0 2x 0 
sec x  tan x 
y  lim lim
 x 0  1
x 0 2  x 
1
 y
2
tan x  sin x 1
 lim 
x 0 sin 3 x 2
 Alternate Method:

tan x  sin x  0  sec 2 x  cos x  0  2sec 2 x tan x  sin x  0 

lim    lim    lim  
x 0 3
sin x  0  x  0 3sin x cos x  0  x 0 6sin x cos 2 x  3sin 3 x  0 
2

4sec 2 x tan 2 x  2sec 4 x  cos x 0  2 1 3 1

 lim   
x  0 6 cos 3 x  12sin 2 x cos x  9 sin 2 x cos x 600 6 2
 sin x  x
1. 3. Evaluate lim
x  0 tan 3 x

Solution:

sin x  x  0  cos x  1  0   sin x 0

lim 
  x 0lim    lim  
x  0 tan 3 x
0 3 tan 2 x sec 2 x 0  x 0 6 tan x sec 4 x  6 tan 3 x sec 2 x 0 

 cos x 1
 lim 
x 0 6sec 6 x  24 tan 2 x sec 4 x  18 tan 2 x sec 4 x  12 tan 4 x sec 2 x 6
 ax  bx
1. 4. Evaluate lim
x 0 x
Solution:
ax  bx  0  a x log a  b x log b a
lim    lim  log a  log b log
x 0 x  0  x 0 1 b
 cos x  log(1  x)  1  x
1. 5. Evaluate lim
x 0 sin 2 x
Solution:

1 1
 sin x  1  cos x 
cos x  log(1  x)  1  x  0  1  x  0   lim (1  x) 2 1  1
lim 2    lim   x 0  0
x 0 sin x  0  x 0 sin 2 x 0 2 cos 2 x 2
 xx  x
1. 6. Evaluate lim
x 1 x  1  log x

Solution:

xx  x  0  x x (1  log x)  1  0  x x (1  log x)2  x x1 1  1

lim    lim
x 1 x  1  log x 0 1    lim 1
 2
  x 1
1 0 x 1 1
2
x x
 e ax  e  ax
1. 7. Evaluate lim
x  0 log(1  bx )

Solution:

e ax  e  ax  0  ae ax  ae  ax a  a 2a
lim
x 0 log(1  bx ) 0
   lim
x 0 b / (1  bx )
 
  b b
Thank You