17/07/2019

LIMITS
AND
CONTINUITY

Limit
We say that the limit of f ( x) as x approaches a is L and write
lim f ( x)  L
x a

if the values of f ( x) approach L as x approaches a.

y  f ( x)
L

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The  - 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 
a
y  f ( x)
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   ).

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Limit Theorems
If c is any number, lim f ( x)  L and lim g ( x)  M , then
x a x a

a) lim  f ( x)  g ( x)   L  M b) lim  f ( x)  g ( x)   L  M
x a x a

c) lim  f ( x)  g ( x)   L  M
xa
d)
x a 
lim f ( x)
g ( x)   L M , ( M  0)
e) lim  c  f ( x)   c  L f) lim  f ( x)   Ln
n
x a x a

g) lim c  c h) lim x  a
xa xa
i) lim x  an n
j) lim f ( x)  L , ( L  0)
x a x a

Indeterminate Forms

Indeterminate forms occur when substitution in the limit

results in 0/0. In such cases either factor or rationalize the
expressions.

x5 Notice form

Ex. lim
x 5 x  25
2

x5
 lim Factor and cancel
x 5  x  5  x  5 
common factors
1 1
 lim 
x 5  x  5  10

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Examples Using Limit Rule

Ex. lim  x  1  lim x  lim1
2
x 3
2
x 3
x 3

   lim1
2
 lim x
x 3 x 3

 3  1  10
2

lim  2 x  1 2lim x  lim1

Ex. lim 2 x  1  x1  x 1 x 1
x 1 3 x  5 lim  3x  5  3lim x  lim5
x 1 x 1 x 1

2 1 1
 
35 8

More Examples
1. Suppose lim f ( x)  4 and lim g ( x)  2. Find
x 3 x 3

a) lim  f ( x)  g ( x)   lim f ( x)  lim g ( x)

x 3 x 3 x 3

 4  (2)  2
b) lim  f ( x)  g ( x)   lim f ( x)  lim g ( x)
x 3 x 3 x 3

 4  (2)  6
 2 f ( x)  g ( x)  lim 2 f ( x)  lim g ( x) 2  4  (2) 5
c) lim    x 3 x 3  
x 3
 f ( x) g ( x)  lim f ( x)  lim g ( x) 4  (2) 4
x 3 x 3

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One-Sided and Two sided Limit

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

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

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Limits at Infinity
1 1
For all n > 0, lim  lim 0
x  x n x  x n

1
provided that is defined.
xn
3x 2  5 x  1 3 5  1 2
 lim
x x Divide
Ex. xlim
 2  4x 2 x  2 4 by x 2
x2


lim 3  lim 5
x  x 
 x   lim  1 x   3  0  0   3
x 
2

lim 2
x 
 x   lim 4
2
x 
04 4

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More Examples
 2 x3 3x 2 2 
 2 x3  3x 2  2   3
 3  3 
1. lim  3   lim  3 x x x 
 x  x  100 x  1 
x  2
x  x 2
  x  100 x  1 
 3 
x x3 x3 x3 

 3 2 
 2  x  x3 
 lim 
x  1 100 1 
 1  2  3 
 x x x 

2
 2
1

 4 x 2  5 x  21 
2. lim  3 
x  7 x  5 x 2  10 x  1
 
 4 x 2 5 x 21 
 3
 3 3 
 lim  3 x 2 x x 
x  7 x
 
5 x 10 x 1 
 
 3 
 x x3 x3 x3 
 4 5 21 
 x  x 2  x3 
 lim  
x  5 10 1
7  2  3 
 x x x 
0

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0