a.

b.
c.
d.
e.
 THE LIMIT
THEOREMS
Suppose that is a real number and that and both exist

lim 𝑥=𝑐
LIMIT OF THE IDENTITY FUNCTION

𝑥lim→ 𝑐
Example:
𝑥 lim 𝑥¿ − 8
𝑥→5
¿5 𝑥 → −8
Suppose that is a real number and that and both exist

CONSTANT RULE- the limit of a constant is that constant

•, where is a real number

Example:
lim 4¿ 4 lim 9 ¿9
𝑥→2 𝑥→6
Suppose that is a real number and that and both exist

PRODUCT OF A CONSTANT AND A FUNCTION: The constant

lim [ 𝑘∙ 𝑓 ( 𝑥 ) ]=𝑘∙ lim 𝑓 ( 𝑥 )

can be factored outside of the limit

𝑥 →𝑐
Example: 𝑥 →𝑐
lim 2 𝑥 lim − 3 𝑥
𝑥 → −2
𝑥→5

¿ 2( 5) ¿ − 3(− 2)
¿ 10 ¿6
Suppose that is a real number and that and both exist

lim [ 𝑓 ( 𝑥 ) +𝑔 ( 𝑥 ) ]= lim 𝑓 ( 𝑥 )+ lim 𝑔 ( 𝑥)

SUM RULE: The limit of the sum of the two functions is the
sum of their limits

𝑥→𝑐
Example:
lim ( 𝑥 +7)¿ lim 𝑥+ lim 7
𝑥→2 𝑥→ 2

¿ 2+7
𝑥 →2 𝑥→𝑐
𝑥 → −1 𝑥→𝑐
lim 2 𝑥+ 3¿ 2 lim 𝑥+ lim 3
𝑥 → −1

¿ 2( − 1)+ 3
𝑥 →− 1

¿9 ¿1
Suppose that is a real number and that and both exist

lim [ 𝑓 (𝑥 ) −𝑔 ( 𝑥 )]=lim 𝑓 ( 𝑥) −lim 𝑔 (𝑥 )

DIFFERENCE RULE: The limit of the difference of the two functions
is the difference of their limits

𝑥→3
𝑥→𝑐
Example:
𝑥→ 3 𝑥 →3
𝑥→𝑐
𝑥→0
𝑥→𝑐
lim (𝑥 − 5)¿ lim 𝑥 − lim 5 lim 3 𝑥 −1 ¿ 3 lim 𝑥 − lim 1
𝑥→ 0 𝑥 →0

¿3−5 ¿ 3 ( 0) − 1
¿−2 ¿ −1
Suppose that is a real number and that and both exist

lim [ 𝑓 (𝑥 ) ∙𝑔 (𝑥 )] =lim 𝑓 ( 𝑥 )∙ lim 𝑔 ( 𝑥 )

PRODUCT RULE: The limit of a product of two functions is the
product of their limits

𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐

Example:
𝑥→2 𝑥→ 2 [
lim 3 𝑥( 𝑥 +1) ¿ 3 lim 𝑥 lim 𝑥+ lim 1
𝑥→2 𝑥 →2 ]
¿ 3 (2)¿+1 ¿
¿ 6 (3)
¿ 18
Suppose that is a real number and that and both exist

lim 𝑓 ( 𝑥 )
QUOTIENT RULE: The limit of a quotient of two functions is the

[ ]
quotient of their limits, except if the limit of the denominator is zero.
𝑓 ( 𝑥 ) 𝑥→ 𝑐
lim = 𝑖𝑓 lim 𝑔 ( 𝑥 ) ≠0
𝑥
Example:
lim
→
2 𝑥 +5 𝑐 𝑔 ( 𝑥 ) lim 𝑔
2 lim 𝑥 +lim 5( 𝑥
2 ( +5
)
2) 9
𝑥→ 𝑐
𝑥 +3 ¿ lim 𝑥 +lim 3𝑥 →𝑐
𝑥 →2 𝑥→2
¿ ¿
𝑥→2
2 +3 5
𝑥 →2 𝑥→2
Suppose that is a real number and that and both exist

POWER RULE:
𝑛 𝑛
lim 𝑥 =𝑐 , 𝑤h𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟
𝑥 →𝑐
Example:
−2
3
lim 𝑥¿ 5 3 lim 𝑥 ¿3
−2
𝑥→5 𝑥→3
¿ 125 1
¿ 2
3
1
¿
9
 Suppose that is a real number and that and both exist

𝑛 𝑛
lim [𝑓 ( 𝑥)] =[ lim 𝑓 ( 𝑥)] ,𝑤h𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟
POWER FUNCTION RULE: The limit of an nth power of the limit
of the function, where n is a positive integer.

Example:

𝑥→𝑐
lim ( 3 𝑥 + 4)
𝑥→1
3

𝑥→𝑐
¿ ¿ ¿
¿ [ 3 (1)+ 4 ]
3

3
¿ (7 )
¿ 343
Suppose that is a real number and that and both exist

lim √𝑥=√𝑐,𝑤𝑒h 𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 ,𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑐>0𝑖𝑓 𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛

𝑛RADICAL
𝑛 RULE:

𝑥→𝑐
Example:
lim
𝑥 → 64
√ 𝑥¿ √ lim 𝑥
𝑥→ 64
lim
𝑥 → 32
√ 𝑥¿
5

√
5
lim 𝑥
𝑥→ 32
¿ √ 64 ¿ √ 32
5

¿8 ¿2
 Suppose that is a real number and that and both exist

lim √ 𝑓 (𝑥)= lim 𝑓 (𝑥) √

𝑛 𝑛
RADICAL FUNCTION RULE: The limit of an nth root of the limit
of the function, where n is a positive integer and f(x)>0 if n is
even.

𝑤h𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑎 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓 (𝑥)>0 𝑖𝑓 𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛

Example:
lim
𝑥→2
√ 3
𝑥 𝑥→𝑐 √
2
+4¿ 3
lim ( 𝑥
𝑥→ 2
+ 2
4) 3 2
𝑥→𝑐
¿ √ 2 + 4¿ √ 8 ¿ 2
3
 Suppose that is a real number and that and both exist

lim 𝑓 (𝑥)= 𝑓 (𝑐)

DIRECT SUBSTITUTION PROPERTY: If is a polynomial or a
rational function and is in the domain of , then

𝑥→𝑐
Example:
2
lim ( 3 𝑥 − 4 𝑥+5) ¿ 3 (2)2 − 4 ( 2 ) +5
𝑥→2
¿ 3 ( 4 ) − 8+5
¿ 12 − 8 +5
¿9
EVALUATE THE FOLLOWING
LIMITS
EVALUATE THE FOLLOWING
LIMITS