Limits and Continuity

•Definition
•Evaluation of Limits
•Continuity
•Limits Involving Infinity
 Limit
We say that the limit of f ( x) as x approaches a is L and write
lim f ( x)  L
x a

if the values of f ( x) approach L as x approaches a.

y  f ( x)
L

a
 Limits, Graphs, and Calculators
 x 1 
1. a) Use table of values to guess the value of lim  2 
x 1 x  1
 

x 1
b) Use your calculator to draw the graph f ( x)  2
x 1
and confirm your guess in a) Graph 1
2. Find the following limits
 sin x 
a) lim   by considering the values
x 0
 x 
x  1, 0.5, 0.1, 0.05, 0.001. Thus the limit is 1.
sin x
Confirm this by ploting the graph of f ( x) 
x
Graph 2
b) limsin 
x 0
 x  by considering the values
(i) x  1,  1 ,  1 , 1
10 100 1000

(ii) x  1,  2 ,  2 , 2
3 103 1003
This shows the limit does not exist.

 x
Confrim this by ploting the graph of f ( x)  sin 

Graph 3
 3x if x  2
c) Find lim f ( x) where f ( x)  
x 2
1 if x  2

Note: f (-2) = 1
is not involved -2
 3) Use your calculator to evaluate the limits

 4( x 2  4)  Answer : 16
a. lim  
x 2
 x  2 

1, if x  0 Answer : no limit

b. lim g ( x), where g ( x)  
x 0
1, if x  0
1
c. lim f ( x), where f ( x)  2 Answer : no limit
x 0 x
 1  x 1 
d. lim   Answer : 1/2
x 0 x
 
 The  - Definition of Limit
We say lim f ( x)  L if and only if
xa
given a positive number  , there exists a positive  such that
if 0 | x  a |  , then | f ( x)  L |  .

L 
L
L 
a
y  f ( x)
a  a 
This means that if we are given a
small interval ( L   , L   ) centered at L,
then we can find a (small) interval (a   , a   )

such that for all x  a in (a   , a   ),

f ( x) is in ( L   , L   ).
Examples
1. Show that lim(3 x  4)  10.
x2
Let   0 be given. We need to find a   0 such that
if | x - 2 |  , then | (3x  4)  10 |  .
But | (3x  4)  10 || 3x  6 | 3 | x  2 | 
 
if | x  2 | So we choose   .
3 3
1
2. Show that lim  1.
x 1 x

Let   0 be given. We need to find a   0 such that

if | x  1|  , then | 1  1|  .
x
x 1 1
But | 1  1|| | | x  1| . What do we do with the
x x x
x?
 1
If we decide | x 1| , then 1  x  3 . 1/2 1 3/2
2 2 2
1
And so <2.
x
1
Thus | 1  1| | x  1| 2 | x  1| .
x x
 1 
Now we choose   min  ,  .
3 2
One-Sided Limit
One-Sided Limits
The right-hand limit of f (x), as x approaches a,
equals L
written: lim f ( x)  L
xa
if we can make the value f (x) arbitrarily close
to L by taking x to be sufficiently close to the
right of a.
y  f ( x)
L

a
The left-hand limit of f (x), as x approaches a,
equals M
written: lim f ( x)  M
xa

if we can make the value f (x) arbitrarily close

to L by taking x to be sufficiently close to the
left of a.
y  f ( x)

M
a
Examples

Examples of One-Sided Limit


 x 2
if x  3
1. Given f ( x)  
2x if x  3


Find lim f ( x)
x3

lim f ( x)  lim 2 x  6
x3 x3

Find lim f ( x)
x3

lim f ( x)  lim x 2  9
x3 x3
 More Examples
 x  1, if x  0
2. Let f ( x)  
 x  1, if x  0. Find the limits:

a) lim f ( x)  lim ( x  1)
x 0
 0 1  1
x 0
b) lim f ( x)  lim ( x  1)  0  1  1
x 0 x 0

c) lim f ( x)  lim(

x  1)  11  2
x 1
x 1

d) lim f ( x)  lim( x  1)  11  2

x 1 
x 1
 A Theorem
lim f ( x)  L if and only if lim f ( x)  L and lim f ( x)  L.
xa x a x a

This theorem is used to show a limit does not

exist.
 x  1, if x  0
For the function f ( x)  
 x  1, if x  0.
lim f ( x) does not exist because lim f ( x)  1 and lim f ( x)  1.
x 0 x 0 x 0

But
lim f ( x)  2 because lim f ( x)  2 and lim f ( x)  2.
x 1 x 1 x 1
 Limit Theorems
If c is any number, lim f ( x)  L and lim g ( x)  M , then
xa xa

a) lim  f ( x)  g ( x)   L  M b) lim  f ( x)  g ( x)   L  M
x a x a

c) lim  f ( x)  g ( x)   L  M
x a
d)
x a 
lim f ( x)
g ( x)   L , ( M  0)
M

e) lim  c  f ( x)   c  L f) lim  f ( x)   Ln
n
x a
x a

g) lim c  c h) lim x  a
xa x a

i) lim x n  a n j) lim f ( x)  L , ( L  0)
x a x a
Examples Using Limit Rule
Ex. lim  x  1  lim x  lim1
2
x 3
2
x 3
x3

   lim1
2
 lim x
x 3 x 3

 32  1  10

2x 1 lim  2 x  1 2 lim x  lim1


Ex. lim  x 1
 x 1 x 1
x 1 3 x  5 lim  3x  5 3lim x  lim 5
x 1 x 1 x 1

2 1 1
 
35 8
 More Examples
1. Suppose lim f ( x)  4 and lim g ( x)  2. Find
x 3 x 3

a) lim  f ( x)  g ( x)   lim
x 3
f ( x)  lim g ( x)
x 3
x 3
 4  (2)  2

b) lim  f ( x)  g ( x)   lim f ( x)  lim g ( x)

x 3
x 3 x 3

 4  (2)  6
 2 f ( x)  g ( x)  lim 2 f ( x)  lim g ( x) 2  4  (2) 5
c) lim    x 3 x 3
 
x 3
 f ( x) g ( x)  lim f ( x)  lim g ( x) 4  (2) 4
x 3 x 3
 Indeterminate Forms

Indeterminate forms occur when substitution in the limit

results in 0/0. In such cases either factor or rationalize the
expressions.
0
x5 Notice form
Ex. lim
x 5 x 2  25 0
x5
 lim Factor and cancel
x5  x  5  x  5 
common factors
1 1
 lim 
x 5  x  5  10
 More Examples
 x 3  ( x  3)( x  3) 
a) lim  
 = lim  
 x 9   ( x  9)( x  3) 
x 9 x 9

 x 9   1  1
 lim    6
x 9 
 lim
x 9 ( x  9)( x  3)
   x 3

 4  x2   (2  x)(2  x) 
b) lim  2  = lim 
x 2 2 x  x 3
  
x 2
 x 2
(2  x ) 
 2 x
= lim  
 x 
x 2 2

2  (2) 4
  1
(2) 2
4