Limits and Continuity

Calculating Limits Using the

Limit Laws
The resources used in this course are from internet and the following materials：
1. Accomplishments by advanced mathematics teaching and research team of Northwestern
Polytechnical University.
2. G.B. Thomas, M.D. Weir, J. Hass, F.R. Giordano (2004). Thomas’s Calculus (11th edition). Addison
Wesley.
3. J. Stewart (2015). Calculus (8th edition). Brooks Cole Cengage Learning.
4. R. Larson, B. Edwards (2017). Calculus (11th edition). Brooks Cole Cengage Learning.

Chapter 2 Ying Zhang

目
1 The Limit Laws
录
C O N T E N T S

Eliminating Common Factors from Zero

2
Denominators

3 The Sandwich Theorem

 Part One

The Limits Laws

1 The Limits Laws

Theorem 1 If L, M , c and k are real numbers and lim f ( x) = L and lim g ( x) = M , then
x →c x →c

1. Sum Rule: lim( f ( x) + g ( x)) = L + M

x →c

2. Difference Rule: lim( f ( x) − g ( x)) = L − M

x →c

3. Constant Multiple Rule: lim(k  f ( x)) = k  L

x →c

4. Product Rule: lim( f ( x)  g ( x)) = L  M

x →c
f ( x) L
5. Quotient Rule: lim = , M 0
x →c
g ( x) M
6. Power Rule: lim[ f ( x)]n = Ln
x →c
7. Root Rule: lim n f ( x) = n L = L1/ n
x →c

(If n is even, we assume that f ( x)  0 for x in an interval containing c)

1 The Limits Laws

Using Limit Laws

Use the observation lim k = k and lim x = c the properties of limits to find the following limits.
x →c x →c

Example 1
Sum and Difference Rules Constant Multiple Rule
1. lim(4 x + 3 x − 1)= lim 4 x 2 + lim 3 x − lim1= 4 lim x 2 + 3lim x − lim1= 4  12 + 3  1 − 1 = 6
2
x →1 x →1 x →1 x →1 x →1 x →1 x →1

Quotient Rule Sum Rule Product or Power rule

x + 100
3 lim( x 3 + 100) lim x 3 + lim100
03 + 100 1
2. lim 2 = x →0
= x →0 x →0
= 2 =
x →0
x + 3500 lim( x + 3500) lim x + lim3500
2 2
0 + 3500 35
x →0 x →0 x →0

3. lim( x 4 − x 2 ) 2 = (14 − 12 ) 2 =0 Difference and Power Rules

x →1

4. lim x + 3 = 22 + 3= 7
2
Root, Sum and Power Rules
x→2
1 The Limits Laws

Theorem 2 Limits of Polynomials can be Found by Substitution

If P( x) = an x n + a( n−1) x ( n−1) + + a0 , then lix→mc = P(c) = an c n + a( n −1)c ( n −1) + + a0 .

Limits of Rational Functions can be Found by Substitution

Theorem 3
If the Limit of the Denominator is Not Zero
Limits of Rational Functions can be Found by Substitution
If P( x) and Q( x) are polynomials and Q(c)  0 , then
P ( x ) P (c )
lim = .
x →c
Q ( x ) Q (c )
1 The Limits Laws

Direct Substitution Property

Summarizing Theorem 2 and Theorem 3:
If f is a polynomial or rational function and a is in the domain of f , then
lim f ( x) = f (c)
x →c

x 3 + 100
Example 2 Evaluate lim
x →0
x + 3500
2 .
x2 + x − 2
lim 2
x 3 + 100 03 + 100 1 x →1
x −x
Solution lim 2 = 2 =
x →0
x + 3500 0 + 3500 35
 Part Two

Eliminating Common Factors from

Zero Denominators
2 Eliminating Common Factors from Zero Denominators
If the denominator of the rational function is 0 at the limit point c
Theorem 3 can’t be applied

Canceling common factors in the numerator and denominator

Apply Theorems and Limit Laws

Example 3 1
lim x sin =？
2
x →0
x
x2 + x − 2 ( x + 2)( x − 1) ( x + 2) (1 + 2)
lim 2 = lim = lim = lim =3
x →1
x −x x →1
x( x − 1) x →1
x x→1
1

x 2 + 100 − 10 ( x 2 + 100 − 10)( x 2 + 100 + 10) x 2 + 1001 − 100 1

lim = lim =
= lim
lim =
x →0
x2 x →0
x 2 ( x 2 + 100 + 10)
xx→
→00 2
+ 100+ 10)
x( ( x 2x+2 100 + 10) 20
 Part Three

The Sandwich Theorem

3 The Sandwich Theorem

h
f
l
The Sandwich Theorem

x
0
3 The Sandwich Theorem

Theorem 4 The Sandwich/Squeeze/Pinching Theorem

Suppose that g ( x)  f ( x)  h( x) for all x in some open interval containing c , except
possibly at x = c itself. Suppose alsoThe Sandwich Theorem
that
lim g ( x) = lim h( x) = L.
x →c x →c

Then lim f ( x) = L .
x →c

Notes
Construct g ( x) and h( x) , and there are two requirements below:
The Sandwich Theorem
1. lim g ( x) = lim h( x) = L.
x →c x →c

2. The limits of g ( x) and h( x) can be find easily.

3 The Sandwich Theorem
1
Example 5 Show that lim x x →0
2
sin =0.
x

Solution
First note that we cannot use
1 1
lim x sin = lim x  limsin
2 2
x →0
x x →0 x →0
x
1
Because limsin
x →0
does not exist.
x
Instead, we apply the Sandwich Theorem.
3 The Sandwich Theorem
1
Example 5 Show that lim xx →0
2
sin =0.
x

Solution According to the Sandwich Theorem

1
−1  sin  1
x
1
− x 2  x 2 sin  x 2 ,
x
because, lim x 2 = 0 and lim − x 2 = 0
x →0 x →0

2 1
Then, lim x sin =0.
x →0
x
3 The Sandwich Theorem

Theorem 4
If f ( x)  g ( x) for all x in some open interval containing c , except possibly at x = c Itself,
and The Sandwich Theorem
lim f ( x) = L and lim g ( x) = M .
x →c x →c

Then, lim f ( x)  lim g ( x).

x →c x →c

Guess:
The Sandwich Theorem
If we replace by  , is this theorem still true?
Summary
4 Summary

One Two Three

Eliminating
The Sandwich
The Limits Laws Common Factors
Theorem
from Zero
Denominators

Canceling common
factors in the numerator
and denominator
 Ying Zhang Jiaqi Wang

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