How to show that a limit does not exist -

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Proper limit at a point (Heine’s definition)

Let f : R2 → R be a function. Function f has a proper limit g at a point (x0 , y0 )

lim f (x, y) = g
(x,y)→(x0 ,y0 )

if and only if for every sequence (xn , yn ) such that lim (xn , yn ) = (x0 , y0 ) we have
n→∞

lim f (xn , yn ) = g.
n→∞

Improper limit at a point (Heine’s definition)

Let f : R2 → R be a function. Function f has an improper limit ±∞ at a point (x0 , y0 )

lim f (x, y) = ±∞
(x,y)→(x0 ,y0 )

if and only if for every sequence (xn , yn ) such that lim (xn , yn ) = (x0 , y0 ) we have
n→∞

lim f (xn , yn ) = ±∞.

n→∞

Remark

Heine’s definition of a limit may be easily used to show that a limit does not exist – it is enough
to find two different sequences (x0n , yn0 ) and (x00n , yn00 ) and show that f (x0n , yn0 ) tends to a different
number than f (x00n , yn00 ).

Limits That Arise Frequently

Once you substitute sequences for x and y, you will need to use some commonly used formulas:



 does not exist q ≤ −1


|q| < 1

n
 0
• lim q = .
n→∞ 

 1 q = 1


∞

 q>1
√
• If a > 0, then lim n
a = 1.
n→∞
√
• lim n
n = 1.
n→∞
How to show that a limit does not exist -
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 an
1
• If lim an = ∞, then lim 1 + = e.
n→∞ n→∞ an

1
sin
• lim 1
n
= 1.
n→∞ n

Examples

x
Example 1. Show that a limit lim does not exist.
(x,y)→(0,0) x+y
Solution: We will find two sequences that both tend to (0, 0), but for which function f (x, y) =
x
x+y
approaches different numbers. Let the sequences be (x0n , yn0 ) = ( n1 , 0) and (x00n , yn00 ) = (0, n1 ).

Now, let us calculate two limits:

1 1
• lim f (x0n , yn0 ) = lim 1
n
+0
= lim n
1 = 1.
n→∞ n→∞ n n→∞ n

• lim f (x00n , yn00 ) = lim 0

1 = 0.
n→∞ n→∞ 0+ n

Obviously 1 6= 0, so it is not true that for every

sequence (xn , yn ) function f (xn , yn ) tends to the
same number as n approaches infinity. Therefore, func-
x
tion f (x, y) = x+y
does not have a limit at a point (0, 0).

We can informally check our result by plotting this func-

tion in the neighbourhood of (0, 0), say in [−2, 2]×[2, 2].
We can see that the plot of this functions has two
“wings” that spring in two different directions in the
neighbourhood of (0, 0).

2xy
Example 2. Show that a limit lim 2 2 does not exist.
(x,y)→(0,0) x +y
Solution: We will find two sequences that both tend to (0, 0), but for which function f (x, y) =
x
x+y
approaches different numbers. Let the sequences be (x0n , yn0 ) = ( n1 , n3 ) and (x00n , yn00 ) = ( n1 , n2 ).
Now, let us calculate two limits:
1 3 6
2· n ·n
• lim f (x0n , yn0 ) = lim 1 2
( n ) +( n3 2
)
= lim 1
n2
+ 92
= 6
1+9
= 6
10
= 53 .
n→∞ n→∞ n→∞ n2 n

1 2 4
2· n ·n
• lim f (x00n , yn00 ) = lim 1 2
( n ) +( n2 2
)
= lim 1
n2
+ 42
= 4
1+4
= 45 .
n→∞ n→∞ n→∞ n2 n
How to show that a limit does not exist -
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Again, we obtained two different limits, which implies that a limit does not exist.

6
Example 3. Show that a limit lim y3x−1 does not exist.
q (x,y)→(0,1) q
0 0 1 1 00 00 1 1
Solution: Let (xn , yn ) = ( n , 1 − n3 ) and (xn , yn ) = ( n , 3 1 −
3 √
n3
).
q
1
It is obvious that lim 3
1− n3
= 1 and
n→∞
lim 1 = 0 = lim √1 .
n→∞ n n→∞ n

We have the following result:

1 1
• lim f (x0n , yn0 ) = lim n6
(1− 13 )−1
= lim n6
− 13
=
n→∞ n→∞ n n→∞ n
3
= lim − nn6 = 0.
n→∞

1 1
• lim f (x00n , yn00 ) = lim n3
(1− 13 )−1
= lim n3
− 13
=
n→∞ n→∞ n n→∞ n

= −1.

Since 0 6= −1, the limit does not exist.

x6
The figure on the right shows the plot of f (x, y) = y 3 −1

for (x, y) ∈ [−2, 2] × [−2, 2].

x
Example 4. Show that a limit lim does not exist.
(x,y)→(0,0) y
x0n x00
Solution: Let (x0n , yn0 ) = ( n , n ) and (x00n , yn00 )
1 1
= ( n1 , n2 ). Then, lim 0 = 1 and lim n
00 = 12 .
n→∞ yn n→∞ yn
Thus, the limit does not exist.

cos x
Example 5. Show that a limit limπ cos y
does not
(x,y)→( 2 , π2 )
exist.
π
Solution: Let us “move” the cosines by 2
to ob-
tain the sines (which we are more used to). Since
π
cos(x + 2
) = − sin x, we now need to show that
lim sin x does not exist. We will also need to use
(x,y)→(0,0) sin y
sin x
the fact, that lim x
= 1. So:
x→0
sin x x· sinx x
lim = lim sin y = lim x·1 =
(x,y)→(0,0) sin y (x,y)→(0,0) y· y (x,y)→(0,0) y·1
lim x ,
(x,y)→(0,0) y
How to show that a limit does not exist -
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and it has already been shown in Example 4 that such a limit does not exist.
cos x
The figure shows the plot of f (x, y) = cos y
for (x, y) ∈ [0, π] × [0, π].

1
Example 6. Show that a limit lim does not
(x,y)→(0,0) x+y
exist.

Solution: We need to notice that:

1 1
• lim = [ +0 ]=∞,
(x,y)→(0+ ,0+ ) x+y

1 1
• lim = [ −0 ] = −∞.
(x,y)→(0− ,0− ) x+y

Therefore, the limit does not exist.

1
Figure on the right shows the plot of f (x, y) = x+y
.

x2 −y 2
Example 7. By considering different lines of approach show that the limit lim 2 2 does
(x,y)→(0,0) x +y
not exist.
x2 −y 2
Solution: The domain of function f (x, y) = x2 +y 2
is R2 \{(0, 0)}. We will approach point
(0, 0) along two lines: y = x and y = 2x:

a) along y = x:

x2 −x2 0
f (x, y) = f (x, x) = x2 +x2
= 2x2
,
lim f (x, y) = 0,
(x,y)→(0,0) along y=x

b) along y = 2x:

x2 −4x2 −3x2
f (x, y) = f (x, 2x) = x2 +4x2
= 5x2
= − 53 ,
lim f (x, y) = − 35 .
(x,y)→(0,0) along y=2x

Limits presented in poiunts (a) and (b) are different, therefore f (x, y) has no limit as (x, y)
tends to (0, 0).