INFINITE LIMITS

(FOR BEGINNERS)

BY: REIGNER RODRIGUEZ

INFINITE LIMITS
In this section we will take a look at limits whose value is
infinity or minus infinity. These kinds of limit will show up
fairly regularly in later sections and in other courses and so
you’ll need to be able to deal with them when you run
across them.
SHALL WE BEGIN?
Let’s start off with a fairly typical example
illustrating infinite limits.
INFINITE LIMITS
 If function values  If function values
keep INCREASING keep DECREASING
WITHOUT BOUND WITHOUT BOUND
as x approaches a as x approaches a
given value we say given value we say
the limit is the limit is
-INFINITY. +INFINITY
EXAMPLE

lim x + 2
x→3 x−3
Solution:
Step 1)
Determine the form of the limit.
Evaluate lim x + 2
x→3 x−3

=3+2=5
3−3 0

The limit does not exist, but it has the necessary form
so that it might be an infinite limit.
Step 2)
Examine the left-hand limit.
1. The numerator approaches 5, so it will be
positive.
2. Since x is approaching 3 from the left, the
denominator will be negative.
3. As the denominator shrinks to 0, the function
becomes infinitely large.
Result: lim x + 2 = −∞
x→3− x+3
Step 3
Examine the right-hand limit.
1. The numerator approaches 5, so it will be
positive.
2. Since x is approaching 3 from the right, the
denominator will be positive.
3. As the denominator shrinks to 0, the function
becomes infinitely large.
Result: lim x + 2 = ∞
x→3+ x + 3