Mia’s AP Calculus

1. Limit

1. Limit
① What is the value of y when x=2?

② What is the value of y when x approaches to 2?

① : When x = 2, the y value is 5. We can write this with function notation; f(2) = 5.

② : When x approaches to 2, the y value will be about 3. (y approaches to 3)

 
We can write this using ‘limit’ notation: lim f x  3
x 2

※ Notation of a Limit

When you see "limit", think "approaching"

2. One-sided Limit
When x approaches to 2, we can approach in two different directions; from the negative (-)
direction (from the left), and from the positive (+) direction (from the right).
 ① ②

When x approaches to 2 When x approaches to 2

from the negative direction, from the positive direction,
f approaches 5. f approaches 3.
= the left-hand limit(-) is 5 = the right-hand limit(+) is 3

Then

_____________③

When you have lim f ( x) (with no direction sign) then you should check both directions. If the
x2

left-hand limit and the right-hand limit are different, then we can say the limit ‘Does not

 
exist.’ So it will be lim f x  DNE .
x 2

※ Existence of a Limit
If f is a function and c and L are real numbers,

x c
 
then lim f x  L if and only if both the left- and right- limits are equal to L.

Blank : ① 5 ②3 ③ Does not exist (DNE) ④ Exists

 EXAMPLE 1. Evaluate the function. And find the one-sided limit, two sided limit at each
point if they exist.

① i) g(2) ② i) g( 4)

ii) lim g( x) ii) lim g( x)

x2 x 4 

iii) lim g( x) iii) lim g( x)

x2 x 4 

iv) lim g( x) iv) lim g( x)

x2 x 4

③ i) g(6) ④ i) g( 7)

ii) lim g( x) ii) lim g( x)

x 6 x 7 

iii) lim g( x) iii) lim g( x)

x 6 x 7 

iv) lim g( x) iv) lim g( x)

x 6 x7

※ Limit with infinity

means x becomes a large positive number

(On the graph, x goes to the right endlessly…)

means x becomes a large negative number

(On the graph, x goes to the left endlessly…)
 ① ②

EXAMPLE 2. Find the limit.

① lim f ( x) ② lim g( x)
x  x 

③ lim f ( x) ④ lim g( x)
x  x 

⑤ lim f ( x) ⑥ lim g( x)
x 2 x 3

⑦ lim f ( x) ⑧ lim g( x)
x 2 x 3

⑨ lim g( x)
x2

⑩ lim g( x)
x2

Blank : ① ∞ ②0
 EXAMPLE 3. Find the limit.
① lim G  x 
x 

② lim G  x 
x 

③ lim G  x 
x 0

3. Evaluating Limits

① Direct substitution(Just put the values in)

If f is continuous at x = c, and c, a are any real number, then

② Cancelation

0
When you do the substitution and get , you can factor out the numerator (or
0
denominator) and cross out.

x2  1 (x
①
 1)(x  1)
lim  lim  lim(x  1)  2
x 1 x  1 x 1 (x  1) x 1

③ Rationalization(use conjugate)

2 x ②
(2  x)(2  x) 4x 1 1
lim  lim  lim  lim 
x4 4  x x  4 (4  x)(2
③ x) x  4 (4  x)(2  x) x  4 (2  x) 4

Blank : ① (x+1)(x-1) ② 2+√x ③ 2+√x

EXAMPLE 4. Evaluate.
Always try substitution 1st!

① lim 4 x  3
x2
 2


x1
② lim
x3 x4

x
③ lim sin  

x 2
3

t 2  3t  2
④ lim
t 2 t2  4

2  x
3
8
⑤ lim
x 0 x
 x3 3
⑥ lim
x0 x

3 x
⑦ lim
x9 x  9

AP Style Problem

1. The graph of a function f is shown. Which of the following statements about f is true?

 
A) lim f x does not exists.
x a

 
B) lim f x  2
x b

 
C) lim f x  2
x a

 
D) lim f x  lim f x
x a xb
 
 
E) lim f x  1
x b
2. For what value(s) of a is it true that lim f  x   
exists and f(a) exist, but lim f x ≠ f(a)
x a x a

A) -1 only
B) 1 only
C) 2 only
D) -1 or 1
E) 1, -1, or 2

x a
 
3. lim f x does not exist for a=

A) -1 only
B) 1 only
C) 2 only
D) -1 or 1
E) 1, -1, or 2

x4  a4
4. If a  0 , then lim is
xa x2 a 2

A) 6a
2

B) a
2

C) 0

D) 2a
2

E) Not exist.
 x2  x  k
5. For what value of k does lim exist?
x 3 x3
A) -12
B) 7
C) 6
D) -6
E) No such value exists.

4. Properties of Limits

Let b, c: real number, n: positive number, and

then
 EXAMPLE 5. Assume that lim f ( x)  7 and lim g( x)  3 . Find
x4 x 4


① lim g  x   3 f ( x)  1
x 4
 ② lim xf x
x 4
 

g  x ④ lim x2 f  x 
③ lim
x4 f  x  1 x4

f ( x)
⑤ lim e
x4

AP Style Problem

1. The selected values for the function g(x) is given as shown.

x 2.8 2.9 2.999 3 3.001 3.1 3.2

g(x) 4.2 4.01 4.001 1 3.999 3.9 3.8

g( x )
If g(x) is not continuous at x = 3, what is lim e =
x3

A) 2e
B) e

C) e2
D) 4

E) 1
2. The graph of f(x) is given.

 
1) lim f f ( x) =
x 1

A) -1 B) 1 C) 2 D) 3

 
2) lim f f ( x) =
x 3

A) -2 B) 0 C) 1 D) 3
5. One sided Limits and Vertical Asymptotes
EXAMPLE 6. Find the limit.
3  x ,

x2 a) f 2  
① f ( x)   x
 2  1, x2

b) lim f x
x2
 

c) lim f  x 
x2

d) lim f  x 
x2

 x 1
 , x1
a) f 1 
f ( x)   x 2  1
 4, x 1
② 
b) lim f x
x 1
 

c) lim f  x 
x 1

d) lim f  x 
x 1
 x x
③ lim ④ lim
x0 x x0 x

x 2  16 x 2  16
lim ⑥ lim
x 4 x4 x 4 x4
⑤
※ Definition of ‘Vertical’ Asymptote :
To find the vertical asymptote; find where the function is undefined.

If we have a vertical asymptote at x = a;

① ②

EXAMPLE 7. Find the limit.

If you have number , use test number to decide ∞ or -∞.

0

1 1
lim  (   vs  ) ③ lim  (   vs )④
x 1 x  1 x 1 x  1

1 1
① lim ② lim
x  2 x2 x  2 x  2

Blank : ① ∞ or -∞ ②∞ or -∞ ③ ∞ (If we plug in 1.1, it is positive) ④ ‒∞ (If we plug in 0.9, it is negative)

 2 2
③ lim ④ lim
 x  3  x  3
3 3
x  3 x  3

x2  5x  6 x5
lim lim
⑤ x 1 x 1 ⑥ x  4 ( x 2  10 x  24)2

lim csc  lim csc 

⑦  0 ⑧  0
AP Style Problem
ln x , 0  x  2
1. If f ( x)   , then lim f  x  is
 x ln 2 , 2  x
2
x 2

A) ln 8
B) nonexistent

C) ln 2

D) ln 16

E) 4

 x2  x
 , x0
2. If f ( x )   | x |  
, then lim f x is
x 0
0 , x0

A) 1
B) nonexistent

C) -1

D) 0

E) 2

3. A function f(x) has a vertical asymptote at x = 5. f(x) is increasing for all x ≠ 5. Which
statement is true?
I. lim f ( x)  
x5

II. lim f ( x )  
x  5

III. lim f ( x )  
x  5

A) I and II only
B) II only
C) III only
D) I only
E) I and III only
6. Finding Limit when x goes to ∞
EXAMPLE 8. Find the limit.

1 1
lim lim
① x x ② x x2

1 1
lim lim
④ x x
2
③ x x

Try to divide the top and bottom

by highest power of x in the denominator.

x2 3x2  2 x  1
lim lim
⑤ x  2 x2  4 x  3 ⑥ x  x2  2

4 x 4  2 x 3  8 4x2  1
⑦ lim ⑧ lim
x  x3 x  x  1

※ Limits at infinity