MTH101: Calculus I

IBU Lecture 2: Limits

International Burch University
Lecture 2: Limits

Sections 1.3 & 1.4

Example 1: Find an equation of the tangent line to y = x 2 + 1 at the

point P(1, 2).

We know that the equation of this line is

y − 2 = m(x − 1)

where m is its slope.

As we are not given two points on the tangent line, we cannot find its
slope m directly, but we can approximate it. Note that the secant lines of
the parabola, passing through P(1, 2) and nearby points Q(x, x 2 + 1)
approximate our tangent line.

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Note that the slopes of the secant lines s1 , s2 approximate m and are
given by
x2 + 1 − 2
mPQ =
x −1
At x = 2, m = 3,

at x = 1.5, m = 2.5,

x = 1.25, m = 2.25.

x = 1.05, m = 2.05, etc.

As the point Q approaches P, mPQ approaches m, and we write:

x2 − 1
lim mPQ = m and lim =2
Q→P x→1 x − 1
Example 2: Suppose an object is s(t) meters from its start at t seconds.
Find the average velocity on the time interval from t = 2 to t = 2 + h
seconds, where s(t) = t 2 .
change in position
average velocity = =
time elapsed

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Average velocity for successively smaller intervals:

Time Interval Average Velocity

2 ≤ t ≤ 2.5
2 ≤ t ≤ 2.1
2 ≤ t ≤ 2.01
2 ≤ t ≤ 2.001

The instantaneous velocity v when t = 2 is defined to be the limiting

value of these average values over shorter and shorter intervals. From the
table we see that v= m/s.
Introduction to Limits

Definition
We write
lim f (x) = L
x→a

if we can make the values of f (x) arbitrarily close to L by taking x

sufficiently close to a (on either side of a), but not equal to a.

We say that f (x) approaches L, as x approaches a.

or
the limit of f (x), as x approaches a, equals L.

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 x2 − 1
Example 3: Find lim .
x→1 x − 1

x2 − 1
f (x) = is not defined for x = 1.
x −1

Consider the following table:

x f(x)
1.5
1.1
From the table we find that
1.01
1.001 x2 − 1
0.5 lim =
x→1 x − 1
0.9
0.99
0.999
 x2 − 1
Sketch the graph of f (x) = .
x −1
Example 4: If

x − 1, if x =
6 0;
f (x) =
2, if x = 0
find lim f (x)
x→0
One-sided Limits

Definition
The limit of f(x) as x approaches a from the left is equal to L if the
values of f(x) can be made arbitrarily close to L by taking x to be
sufficiently close to a, and x < a.
We write
lim f (x) = L
x→a−

Definition
The limit of f(x) as x approaches a from the right is equal to L if the
values of f(x) can be made arbitrarily close to L by taking x to be
sufficiently close to a, and x > a.
We write
lim+ f (x) = L
x→a

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Note:
x → a− means that x < a, x approaches a.
x → a+ means that x > a, x approaches a.

Fact

lim f (x) = L ⇔ lim− f (x) = L and lim f (x) = L

x→a x→a x→a+
Example 5: Let

x + 1, if x ≥ 0;
g (x) =
x, if x < 0

From the graph of y = g (x) we can

see that

lim g (x) =
x→0−

and
lim g (x) =
x→0+
Evaluating Limits (Section 1.4)

Limit Laws

Suppose that c is a constant and lim f (x) and lim g (x) exist. Then
x→a x→a

1. lim [f (x) ± g (x)] = lim f (x) ± lim g (x)

x→a x→a x→a

2. lim cf (x) = c lim f (x)

x→a x→a

3. lim [f (x)g (x)] = lim f (x) · lim g (x)

x→a x→a x→a

f (x) lim f (x)

4. lim = x→a if lim g (x) 6= 0
x→a g (x) lim g (x) x→a
x→a

5. lim [f (x)]n = [ lim f (x)]n , where n is a positive integer

x→a x→a

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 p
n
p
n
6. lim f (x) = limx→a f (x), where n is a positive integer
x→a

7. lim c = c
x→a

8. lim x = a
x→a

9. lim x n = an , where n is a positive integer

x→a

√
n
√
10. lim x= n
a, where n is a positive integer, and a > 0
x→a
Example 1: Find lim (x 3 + 2x 2 + 1).
x→2

x2 + 1
Example 2: Find lim .
x→1 x + 1
Direct Substitution Property
If f is a polynomial or a rational function and a is in the domain of f, then

lim f (x) = f (a)

x→a

x 3 + 3x 2
Example 3: Find lim
x→2 x − 1

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Fact
If f (x) = g (x) when x 6= a, then lim f (x) = lim g (x), if the limits exist.
x→a x→a

x3 − 1
Example 4: Find lim
x→1 x − 1

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 √
x2 + 8 − 3
Example 5: Find lim
x→1 x −1

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 x 2 + 3x
Example 6: Find lim
x→0 |x|

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Example 7: Let
 √
9 − x, if x < 0;
g (x) =
x + 3, if x ≥ 0

Find lim g (x). Sketch the graph of y = g (x).

x→0

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Fact
If f (x) ≤ g (x) when x is near a, except possibly at a, and the limits
lim f (x), lim g (x) exist, then
x→a x→a

lim f (x) ≤ lim g (x)

x→a x→a

The Squeeze Theorem

If f (x) ≤ g (x) ≤ h(x) when x is near a, except possibly at a, and
lim f (x) = lim h(x) = L, then
x→a x→a

lim g (x) = L
x→a

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Example 8: Show that lim x 4 cos =0
x→0 x

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