ARELLANO UNIVERSITY – MALABON

Elisa Esguerra Campus

Gen. Luna Cor. Esguerra Sts., Brgy. Bayan-Bayanan, Malabon City
2nd Semester: 2022-2023

BASIC CALCULUS

MR. LEOMER E. DELA TORRE

Name: Chwe, Hansol V. Score:

STEM 11-17A

Concept Note No. 5: Limit of Polynomial and Rational Functions

 Limit of a Polynomial Function: for any polynomial function f(x) and any number c.
lim f ( x )=f (c )
x →c

3 2
Example: lim (9 x −7 x + 2)
x →2

By applying the Limit of Polynomial Function, we get

lim ( 9 x −7 x +2 )
3 2

x →2
3 2
¿ 9 ( 2 ) −7 ( 2 ) +2
¿ 46

 Limit of a Rational Function – if f(x) and g(x) are polynomial functions and g(x) is not equal to 0,
f (x) f (c)
lim = , where g(x )≠ 0
x →c g(x ) g( c)

x 2 +3
Example: lim 3
x→−3 x −2 x +1

By applying the Limit of Polynomial Function, we get

x 2 +3
lim 3
x→−3 x −2 x +1

(−3 )2 +3
¿ 3
(−3 ) −2 (−3 ) +1
3
¿−
5

f (x) 0
 Indeterminate Form: if lim results to , then we say that the function is in indeterminate
x →c g(x ) 0
form.
During the evaluation of the limits using a direct substitution that yields to an indeterminate form,
some algebraic techniques such as factoring and rationalization/conjugate method may be used
depending on the needs.

x 3 +1
Example for Factoring: lim
x→−1 x+ 1

x 3 +1 (x+ 1)( x ¿¿ 2−x +1)

lim = lim ¿
x→−1 x+ 1 x →−1 x +1

¿ lim ( x ¿¿ 2−x +1)¿

x →−1

2
¿(−1) −(−1 ) +1

x 3 +1
lim =3
x→−1 x+ 1
Example for Rationalization/Conjugate Method: lim
√ x+ 3−3
x →6 x −6

lim √ x+ 3−3 =lim √ x +3−3 ∙ √ x +3+3

x →6 x −6 x →6 x−6 √ x +3+3
x+3−9
¿ lim
x→ 6 ( x−6 ) ( √ x +3+3 )

x−6
¿ lim
x→ 6 ( x−6 ) ( √ x +3+3 )

1
¿ lim
x→ 6 ( √ x+ 3+3 )

1 1 1
¿ = =
√ 6 +3+3 √ 9+3 3+3

¿ lim √ x+ 3−3 = 1
x→ 6 x−6 6