Limits at Infinity

Formal Definition of a Limit

Mathematics 53
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For today

Limits at Infinity

The Formal Definition

Proving using the Definition

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Illustration

Consider: f ( x ) =

1
. What happens as x increases or decreases without bound?
x

f (x)

f (x)

10
1000

0.1
0.001

1000000

0.000001

1000000000

0.000000001

1
100
10000
10000000
1000000000

1
0.01
0.0001
0.0000001
0.000000001

As x +, f ( x ) 0.
As x , f ( x ) 0.

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Illustration

f (x) =

1
x

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Intuitive Definition
We say that the limit of f ( x ) as x approaches positive infinity is L if the values
of f ( x ) get closer and closer to L as the values of x increase without bound.
Notation:

lim f ( x ) = L

x +

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Intuitive Definition
We say that the limit of f ( x ) as x approaches negative infinity is L if the values
of f ( x ) get closer and closer to L as the values of x decrease without bound.
Notation:

lim f ( x ) = L

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Example
Let f ( x ) =

1
x
x

f (x)

f (x)

1
10

1
0.1

1000

0.001

1
100
10000
10000000
1000000000

1
0.01
0.0001
0.0000001
0.000000001

1000000

0.000001

1000000000

0.000000001

We write:

lim

x +

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1
= 0 and
x

lim

1
=0
x

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Horizontal Asymptotes
Definition
The line y = L is a horizontal asymptote of the graph of y = f ( x ) if

lim f ( x ) = L or

lim f ( x ) = L

x +

y=L

y=L

y=L

y=L

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Example
lim

x +

1
1
= 0 and lim
=0
x x
x

f (x) =

1
x

y=0
4

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Limit Theorems

Theorem
Suppose lim f ( x ) = L1 and lim g( x ) = L2 .
x
x

lim [ f ( x ) g( x )] = lim f ( x ) lim g( x ) = L1 L2

x
x



lim [ f ( x ) g( x )] =
lim f ( x )
lim g( x ) = L1 L2

x
x

lim [c f ( x )] = c lim f ( x ) = cL1

lim f ( x )

lim

L
f (x)
x
=
= 1 , provided L2 6= 0
g( x )
lim g( x )
L2
x

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Limit Theorems

Theorem
Suppose lim f ( x ) = L and n
x

N, n > 1.

n

lim ( f ( x )) =
lim f ( x )
= Ln
x
q
q

n
lim n f ( x ) = n lim f ( x ) = L, provided that L > 0 when n is even.

x
x

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Examples

lim x = +

lim x =

x +
2

lim x2 = +

x +
4

lim x2 = +

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lim =

x
3

lim 6 = 6

x +

1
=0
x
1
lim
=0
x x
lim

x +

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Theorem

R, then x
lim c = c.

If c

If n is even, then lim x n = + .

x

If n is odd, then
1
2

lim x n = +

x +

lim x n =

1
=0
xn
Let c . Suppose lim f ( x ) = c and lim g( x ) = . Then
lim

x +

x +

lim

x +

f (x)
= 0.
g( x )

In item (5), x + may be replaced by x a, x a , x a+ , and

x .
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Example

lim ( x4 2x3 )
( )


2
= lim x4 1
(+)(1 0)
x +
x

x +

= +

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Example

lim (3x5 x4 + 2x 4)


1
2
4
5
= lim x 3 + 4 5
x
x
x
x

()(3 0 + 0 0)

In general, if f ( x ) is a polynomial function, then lim f ( x ) depends only on the

leading term.

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Examples

lim

x +


x

1
+

1
=0
x3 4x

lim

x +

lim

1
x3 4x

3x2 2x


lim

5
x2

5
(3x 2x ) 2
x
2

(+ 0)

= +

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Illustration

x1
x + 3x + 1

Evaluate: lim
Note:

x 1
3x +1

10

0.290323
0.332889
0.3333292
0.333333

103
105

lim ( x 1) = +

x +

107

lim (3x + 1) = +

x +

It seems that

f (x)

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1
as x +
3

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Another Indeterminate Form

Definition
Suppose f ( x ) and g( x ) as x a. Then

f (x)
g( x )

lim

xa

is an indeterminate form of type



The expression x a may be replaced by x a+ , x a , x +, and

x .

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Example
Evaluate: lim

x +

x1
3x + 1

Solution:

x1
x + 3x + 1

lim

x1

x + 3x + 1

= lim
= lim

x +

1
3+

+
+

1
x
1
x

1
x
1
x

10
1
=
3
3+0

Technique: Multiply the numerator and denominator by x1n , where n is the

degree of the denominator.

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Example
x3 2x2 + 3
x + 4x4 x2 + x + 1

Evaluate: lim
Solution:



x3 2x2 + 3
x + 4x4 x2 + x + 1
lim

= lim

x +

= lim

x +

x3

2x2

+3

4x4 x2 + x + 1
1
x

2
x2

3
x4

1
x2

1
x3

1
x4
1
x4

1
x4

0
=0
4

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Recall

x2 = | x | =

x,

x0

x, x < 0

Note:

x2 = x as x +
x2 = x as x

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Example

Evaluate: lim

x +



x2 3
x+2

Solution:

lim

x +

x2 3
x2 3
= lim

x + x + 2
x+2

= lim

x +

= lim

x +

x2 3

x+2
q

x +

x2 = x as x +

x 2 3
x2
x +2
x

= lim

1
x2
1

x2
1

x2
1
x

1+

3
x2
2
x

10
=1
1+0

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Example


3x + 1

Evaluate: lim
x
+
4x2 1
Solution:
1
3x + 1
3x + 1
2
lim
= lim
1x
2
2
x
x

4x 1
4x 1
2
3x + 1
= lim

x
4x2 1

x2 = x as x

x
1
x
1
x2

3x +1

= lim q x
x

4x2 1
x2

3 1x
= lim q
x
4 x12
30
3
=
=
2
40
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Example
Evaluate: lim

p

Solution: lim

p

= lim
x

9x2 x + 3x
9x2

( )

x + 3x = lim

9x2 x 3x

1
x2
1

x2

p

9x2

 9x2 x 3x
x + 3x
9x2 x 3x

x2 = x as x

1
x
1x
x
9x2 x 3x 2
x
1
= lim r
x
1
9 +3
x
= lim

1
6

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Recall:

Intuitive Notion of a Limit

lim f ( x ) = L

xa

f ( x ) gets closer and closer to L as x gets closer and

closer to a (but does not reach a)

Alternatively,

Intuitive Notion of a Limit

lim f ( x ) = L

xa

we could let f ( x ) be as close as we would like to L by taking

values of x sufficiently close but not equal to a

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Recall: If r, s

R, then |r s| = distance between the points on the number line

representing r and s.

|r s |
s

|r s |
r

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The Formal Definition

Definition
Let f be a function defined on
some open interval containing a

L+

except possibly at a. The limit

of f ( x ) as x approaches a is L,

written

L
lim f ( x ) = L

|{z}|{z}

xa

if for every > 0 (no matter how

small) there exists a > 0

)
a

such that if 0 < | x a| < ,

a+

then | f ( x ) L| < .
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The Formal Definition

e
e
e
e
e
e

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The Formal Definition

L?

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The Formal Definition

L?

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Proving using the Definition

Two steps in proving lim f ( x ) = L using the definition:

xa

I. Choose a suitable .
II. Verify that the chosen works.

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Example

Prove that lim (3x + 2) = 5.

x 1

Proof. Let > 0.

I. GOAL: Find > 0 such that
if 0 < | x 1| < , then

|(3x + 2) 5| <
|3x 3| <
3| x 1| <

| x 1| <
3

We choose =

.
3

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Example

Prove that lim (3x + 2) = 5.

x 1

II. Given > 0, choose =

. Then, if
3
0 < | x 1| < ,

we have

|(3x + 2) 5| = 3| x 1| < 3 = 3


3

= .

By definition, we have lim (3x + 2) = 5.

x 1

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Example

Prove that lim (5x + 6) = 4.

x 2

Proof. Let > 0.

I. GOAL: Find > 0 such that
if 0 < | x (2)| < , then

|(5x + 6) (4)| <

|5x + 10| <
5| x + 2| <

| x + 2| <
5

We choose =

.
5

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Example

Prove that lim (5x + 6) = 4.

x 2

II. Given > 0, choose =

. Then if
5
0 < | x (2)| < ,

we have

|(5x + 6) (4)| = 5| x + 2| < 5 = 5


5

= .

By definition, we have lim (5x + 6) = 4.

x 2

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Example

Prove that lim (4 3x ) = 4.

x 0

Proof. Let > 0.

I. GOAL: Find > 0 such that
if 0 < | x 0| < , then

|(4 3x ) 4| <
| 3x | <
3| x | <

|x| <
3

We choose =

.
3

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Example

Prove that lim (4 3x ) = 4.

x 0

II. Given > 0, choose =

. So if
3
0 < | x 0| <

then

|(4 3x ) 4| = 3| x | < 3 = 3


3

= .

By definition, we have lim (4 3x ) = 4.

x 0

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Remark
The value of is NOT unique!
If a given > 0 works such that
if 0 < | x a| < then | f ( x ) L| <
0

then any smaller 0 < will also work since

0

if 0 < | x a| <
then

| f ( x ) L| < .

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Exercise

Evaluate: lim

4x 3

x x2 + 2x

Use the formal definition of a limit to show lim (2x + 1) = 5.

x 2

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