Chapter1 Limits and Continuity

1.1 Rates of Change and Limits

1.2 Finding Limits
1.3 Infinite Limits and Vertical Asymptotes
1.4 Continuity
1.5 Tangent Lines
1.1 Rates of Change and Limits
Example1. Instantaneous Speed （瞬时速度）

Suppose you drive 200 miles, and it takes you 4 hours.

mi
Then your average speed is: 200 mi  4 hr  50
hr
distance x
average speed  
elapsed time t

If you look at your speedometer during this trip, it might read

65 mph. This is your instantaneous speed.
A rock falls from a high cliff.

The position of the rock is given

by: t0
y  16t 2 t
t
After 2 seconds: y  16  22  64
64 ft ft
average speed: Vav   32
2 sec sec
What is the instantaneous speed at 2 seconds?
 16  2  h   16  2 
2 2
y
Vinstantaneous  
t h

for some very small where h = some very

change in t small change in t

We can use calculator to evaluate this expression for

smaller and smaller values of h.
 16  2  h   16  2 
2 2
y
Vinstantaneous  
t h
16   2  h  ^ 2  64   h h  1,.1,.01,.001,.0001,.00001
We can see that the velocity y
approaches 64 ft/sec as h becomes h t
very small.
1 80
We say that the velocity has a
0.1 65.6
limiting value of 64 as h approaches
.01 64.16
zero.
.001 64.016
(Note that h never actually .0001 64.0016
becomes zero.) .00001 64.0002
 16  2  h   16  22
2
The limit as h
approaches zero: lim
h 0 h

Since the 16 is 16  lim

 4  4 h  h 2
 4
unchanged as h h 0 h
approaches zero, we
can factor 16 out.
4  4h  h 2  4
16  lim
h 0 h
0
16  lim  4  h   64
h 0
 Generally, to find an instantaneous speed at t  t0 ,
assume that t is a time close to t0 ,
the average speed of the rock during
t0
a given time interval t is t
s t
s ( t )  s ( t0 ) s ( t0   t )  s ( t 0 )
v  
t t  t0 t
here s is the change in distance.

The instantaneous speed

s ( t )  s ( t0 ) s
v  lim  lim .
t  t0 t  t0 t  0  t
 Definition: Average Rate of Change

The change of f (x) over the interval [a,b] is

f  f (b)  f (a)
The average rate of change of f (x) over the interval
[a , b] is

change in f f f (b)  f (a ) Difference

 
change in x x ba Quotient
In geometry, average rate of change is equal to

the slope of the secant line through the points (a , f (a))

and (b , f (b)) on the graph of f (x)

Q  b, f (b) 

f  f (b)  f (a )
P   a, f ( a ) 
x  b  a secant line has
slope mS

f f (b)  f (a )
mS  mPQ  
x ba
The average rate of change of f over the interval [a , b]
can be written in two different ways:

f f (b)  f (a ) f (a  h)  f (a )
 
x ba h
Example2. Limits of a function values

Given the function g(x) . As values of x get closer

and closer to 4, what, if anything, can we say
about the corresponding g(x) values?
Limits

“Limit as z goes to
4 from the right of
g(z) is 26”

26

“Limit as z goes to 4
from the left of g(z) is
26”
Limits

lim g ( z )  26
z 4

26

lim g ( z )  26
z 4
Limits

lim g ( z )  26 lim g ( z )  26
z 4 z 4

lim g ( z )  26
z 4
Informal Definition of Limit
A function f ( x ) has the limit L at a point x0
if the values f  x  get arbitrarily close to L as x
gets close to x0 (but is not x0 ).
Notation lim f  x   L
x  x0

 Tips:
 Limit must be the same from both sides
 The limit does not depend on how the function is
defined at x0 (Example 5, p.90)
One-Sided Limits

The right-hand limit of f (x), as x approaches a,

equals L
written: lim f ( x)  L
x a

if we can make the value f (x) arbitrarily close

to L by taking x to be sufficiently close to the
right of a.
y  f ( x)
L

a
The left-hand limit of f (x), as x approaches a,
equals M
written: lim f ( x)  M
x a

if we can make the value f (x) arbitrarily close

to L by taking x to be sufficiently close to the
left of a.
y  f ( x)

M
a
Theorem

The connection between the limit and

one-sided limits is this:
lim f ( x )  L if and only if
x a
lim f ( x )  L and lim f ( x )  L
x a  x a 

Tip: This theorem is used to show a limit does not exist.

  x  1, if x  0
For the function f ( x)  
 x  1, if x  0.

lim f ( x) does not exist because lim f ( x)  1 and lim f ( x )  1.

x 0 x 0 x 0

But
lim f ( x)  2 because lim f ( x)  2 and lim f ( x)  2.
x 1 x 1 x 1
See Example 5 in p.90 of the textbook.
Example 7 in p.90 of the textbook.

(a) It jumps (b) It goes to infinity (c) It oscillates infinitely

Evaluation of Limits (Summary)

Finding a limit geometrically:

Finding a limit algebraically:
Try substitution;
If that doesn’t work, try algebraic simplification;
If that doesn’t work, use tables.
In-class Exercises (Use Graphs and Calculators )

Finding the limit graphically

lim f  x  does not exist
x 1
2
because the left and right
hand limits do not match!
1

1 2 3 4

At x=1: lim f  x   0 left hand limit

x 1

lim f  x   1 right hand limit

x 1

f 1  1 value of the function

 2 lim f  x   1
x2
1 because the left and right
hand limits match.
1 2 3 4

At x=2: lim f  x   1 left hand limit

x 2

lim f  x   1 right hand limit

x 2

f 2  2 value of the function


 2 lim f  x   2
x 3
1 because the left and right
hand limits match.
1 2 3 4

At x=3: lim f  x   2 left hand limit

x 3

lim f  x   2 right hand limit

x 3

f 3  2 value of the function


 sin x
Consider: y
x
What happens as x approaches zero? sin x
lim 1
Graphically:
So guess: x 0 x
Looks like y=1


The limit of a function refers to the value that the function
approaches, not the actual value (if any).

lim f  x   2
x2


 Use your calculator to evaluate the limits

 4( x 2  4)  Factor and cancel

a. lim   Answer : 16
x2
 x  2  common factors
1, if x  0 Answer : no limit
b. lim g ( x), where g ( x)  
x 0
1, if x  0
1
c. lim f ( x), where f ( x)  2 Answer : no limit
x 0 x
 1 x 1 
d. lim   Answer : 1/2
x 0
 x 
Indeterminate forms occur when substitution in the limit results in
0/0. In such cases either factor or rationalize the expressions.
Precise Definition of Limit
A function f :    has the limit L at a point x0
if the values f  x  get arbitrarily close to L as x
gets close to x0 (but is not x0 ).
Notation lim f  x   L
x  x0

 Tip:
 Limit must be the same from both sides
 The limit does not depend on how the function is
defined at x0 (Example 5, p.90)
 Precise Definition of Limit  -

We say lim f ( x)  L if and only if

xa

given a positive number  , there exists a positive  such that

if 0 | x  a |  , then | f ( x)  L |  .

L
L
L 

y  f ( x)
a
a  a 
This means that if we are given a
small interval ( L   , L   ) centered at L,
then we can find a (small) interval ( a   , a   )

such that for all x  a in (a   , a   ),

f ( x) is in ( L   , L   ).
Examples
1. Show that lim(3 x  4)  10.
x 2
Let   0 be given. We need to find a   0 such that
if | x - 2 |  , then | (3 x  4)  10 |  .
But | (3 x  4)  10 || 3 x  6 | 3 | x  2 | 
 
if | x  2 | So we choose   .
3 3
1
2. Show that lim  1.
x 1 x

Let   0 be given. We need to find a   0 such that

if | x  1|  , then | 1  1|  .
x
1 x 1 1
But |  1|| | | x  1| . What do we do with the
x x x
x?
 1
If we decide | x  1| , then 1  x  3 . 1/2 1 3/2
2 2 2
1
And so <2.
x
1 1
Thus |  1| | x  1| 2 | x  1| .
x x

 1 
Now we choose   min  ,  .
3 2
homework (Exercise 1.1)

 3, 5; (p.95)
 10, 13, 14;
 Find limits algebraically: 19,22.