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    W4 Solutions

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    john smither
    The document provides examples of evaluating limits as the variable approaches certain values. It discusses techniques like factoring, canceling, and applying limits to fractions. It also introduces concepts like limits approaching positive/negative infinity if the numerator and denominator approach zero at different rates. Several specific limits are evaluated using these techniques, and the squeeze theorem is applied to evaluate one limit of a trigonometric function.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    W4 Solutions

    Uploaded by

    john smither
    22 views3 pages
    The document provides examples of evaluating limits as the variable approaches certain values. It discusses techniques like factoring, canceling, and applying limits to fractions. It also introduces concepts like limits approaching positive/negative infinity if the numerator and denominator approach zero at different rates. Several specific limits are evaluated using these techniques, and the squeeze theorem is applied to evaluate one limit of a trigonometric function.

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    calculus homework

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    The document provides examples of evaluating limits as the variable approaches certain values. It discusses techniques like factoring, canceling, and applying limits to fractions. It also introduces concepts like limits approaching positive/negative infinity if the numerator and denominator approach zero at different rates. Several specific limits are evaluated using these techniques, and the squeeze theorem is applied to evaluate one limit of a trigonometric function.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    22 views3 pages

    W4 Solutions

    Uploaded by

    john smither
    The document provides examples of evaluating limits as the variable approaches certain values. It discusses techniques like factoring, canceling, and applying limits to fractions. It also introduces concepts like limits approaching positive/negative infinity if the numerator and denominator approach zero at different rates. Several specific limits are evaluated using these techniques, and the squeeze theorem is applied to evaluate one limit of a trigonometric function.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    1

    Computing more limits


    1. Determine the following limits or state that they do not exist.
    1

    
    12
    (a) lim
    x2 x 2
    Combining the fractions in the numerator and cancelling, we find that
    1 1

    1
    1
    lim x 2 = lim
    = .
    x2 x 2
    x2
    2x
    4
    x

    
    (x 1)(x 2)
    (b) lim
    x1
    (x 1)3
    Even after cancelling (x 1) from the numerator with one factor of the denominator, this limit does not converge to a finite value. The limit from the left and
    the right both tend to negative infinity, since the numerator will be negative and
    the denominator positive for values arbitrarily close to one.
     3
    
    x 5x2 + 6x
    (c) lim
    x2
    x3 4x
    Factoring both the numerator and the denominator and cancelling leaves us with
    

    
    1
    x3
    lim
    = .
    x2 x + 2
    4
    

    
    x1
    (d) lim
    x1
    x1
    We can factor the numerator using fractional powers:

    x 1 = ( x 1)( x + 1),
    a trick which would normally make things more complicated, but which
    is useful

    for these types of problems; a key indication being the factor of x 1 in the
    denominator. Doing so affords us the right to cancel, and we arrive at
    
    
    

    ( x 1)( x + 1)
    x1

    = lim
    = lim x + 1 = 2.
    lim
    x1
    x1
    x1
    x1
    x1
    

    2. What happens to the denominators in the limit problems above, when evaluated at
    their limit? Why is this not a problem?
    The denominators tend to zero. Normally this would cause the entire fraction to tend
    to positive or negative infinity, however, in the cases above which have finite limits,
    the numerator contains factors which tend to zero at the same rate and they cancel.

    3. Suppose that
    g(x) = f (1 x) ,

    lim f (x) = 3 ,

    x1+

    lim f (x) = 7.

    x1

    Compute lim+ g(x) and lim g(x).


    x0

    x0

    This is cute. As x tends to zero from the right, as in the case of the first limit were asked
    to consider, the values will all be positive, so that the values 1 x will be approaching
    1 from below.
    Take a moment to convince yourself of this.
    Assigning y to be the function 1 x, we get
    lim g(x) = lim+ f (1 x) = lim f (y) = 7.

    x0+

    x0

    y1

    A similar analysis and substitution reveals


    lim g(x) = lim+ f (y) = 3.

    x0

    y1

    4. Use the squeeze theorem to evaluate lim x cos


    x0

    1
    x4

    
    .

    Its often convenient to remember that the functions cos(x) and sin(x) are bounded
    above by one and below by negative one; more explicitly, we can write
     
    1
    1
    1 cos
    x4
    for all nonzero values of x.
    After multiplying by x4 which for all values of x is positive, and therefore does not
    alter the direction of the inequalities we arrive at the rather useful set of inequalities
     
    1
    4
    4
    x4 .
    x x cos
    x4
    Taking the limits of x4 and x4 , and finding them both to be zero, we can apply the
    squeeze theorem to conclude that
    

    lim x cos

    x0

    1
    x4

    
    = 0.

    5. Determine the following limits or state that they do not exist.


    4
    x2
    (a) lim
    x16 x 16
    We can use the fractional powers factoring trick that we did above to factor the
    denominator. Doing so twice allows us to conclude that

    4
    x2
    1
    1

    lim
    = lim
    = .
    x16 ( 4 x 2)( 4 x + 2)( x + 4)
    x16 ( 4 x + 2)( x + 4)
    32
    (b) lim+ 3 csc()
    0

    Rewriting csc(), we get


    lim+

    3
    = +.
    sin()

    x2 + 3
    x1 x + 4
    2x+7

    (c) lim

    Following the sagely advice of a 1990s GladeTM commercial jingle, we get


    x2 + 3
    36
    = .
    4
    x1 x +
    13
    2x+7
    lim

    x4 6x3 + 11x2 6x
    x3
    x2 6x + 9
    The numerator factors as x(x 1)(x 2)(x 3), while the denominator factors as
    (x 3)2 . From the right, the values are all negative, and from the left the values
    are all positive, so the right and left limits are and +, respectively.

    (d) lim

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