BASIC CALCULUS

UNIT 1 MODULE 3: LIMITS AND CONTINUITY

Name: Section:

ETIC DIVISION

LESSON 1.2: LIMIT LAWS (Continuation)

JANUARY 18-22, 2021

A. Consider the following limits.

lim ¿ lim ¿ 3
a. 3 b. 3 c. lim
x−5
+¿ −¿
x→ 5 ¿ x→ 5 ¿ x →5
x−5 x−5

3
For lim , complete the table 1 below. The values of x are greater than 5 but getting closer to 5.
x →5 x−5

Table 1:
x 6 5.9 5.5 5.3 5.1 5.01 5.001 5.0001 5.00001
f(x)

lim ¿
 What do you think is x→ 5 3 +¿
¿
equal to? ___________________
x−5

lim ¿
For x→ 5
3 −¿
¿
, complete table 2 below. This time, values of x are smaller than 5 but are getting
x−5

closer to 5.

Table 2:
x 4 4.1 4.3 4.5 4.7 4.9 4.99 4.999 4.9999
f(x)

lim ¿
 What do you think is x→ 5 3 −¿
¿
equal to?_______________
x−5

Is lim ¿ equal to lim ¿? What can you say about lim f ( x )?________________
−¿ +¿
x→ 5 f (x)¿ x→ 5 f (x)¿ x →5

Prepared by: HOMER V. VENIDA Page 1 of 7

A. Infinite Limits:
If the function values decrease or increase without bounds as the independent variable gets
closer and closer to a certain fixed number, then the function has an infinite limit.
Here, the functions has an infinite limit if the limit of the denominator is 0 and the limit of
the numerator is not 0.

Example 1:
A. Evaluate each of the following limits
lim ¿ lim ¿ 2
a. 2 b. 2 c. lim
x−3
+¿ −¿
x→ 3 ¿ x→ 3 ¿ x →3
x−3 x−3

Solution:
lim ¿
a. x→ 3 +¿ 2
¿
x−3

2
These values of x are greater than 3 but are getting closer to 3. Let f ( x )=
.
x−3
Notice that as the value of x becomes smaller and approaches 3, the value of f (x) becomes larger
and larger.

x 4 3.7 3.4 3.1 3.01 3.001 3.0001 3.00001

f(x) 2 2.8571 5 20 200 2000 20000 200000

It appears that lim ¿ = +∞

+¿
x→ 5 f (x)¿

lim ¿
b. x→ 3
−¿ 2
¿
x−3

f ( x )= lim ¿
Let x →3
2
¿
−¿ . Construct the table of values. Notice that as x approaches 3 from
x−3

the left, or as the value of x get closer to 3, the value of f(x) becomes smaller and
smaller.
X 2 2.1 2.3 2.6 2.9 2.99 2.999 2.9999
f(x) -2 -2.2222 -2.8571 -5 -20 -200 -2000 -20000
It appears that lim ¿
−¿
x→ 3 f ( x ) =−∞ . ¿

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 lim ¿
c. −¿
x→ 3 f (x)≠ lim ¿¿¿+¿
Hence, lim
x →3
f ( x ) does not exist.
x→3 f( x)

The graph is shown below.

Vertical asymptote

The blue line that the graph of the function approaches but never touches is called the vertical
asymptote. To find the vertical asymptote, set the denominator to 0 and solve for x:
x−3=0 → x=3
The vertical asymptote is x=3.

B. Limits as x Approaches 0:

Example:
1
2. Consider the function defined by f ( x )=
x
Evaluate the following:
lim ¿ lim ¿
a. x→ 0 1 ¿
−¿ b. x→ 0
+¿ 1
¿
x x

Solution:
lim ¿
a. x→ 0 −¿ 1
¿
x

x -10 -5 -1 -0.5 -0.1 -0.01 -0.001

f(x) -0.1 -0.2 -1 -2 -10 -100 -1000

As the value of x approaches 0 from the left, the value of f(x) approaches negative infinity.
lim ¿
It appears that x→ 0 1 =−∞ . ¿ −¿
x

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 lim ¿
b. x→ 0
+¿ 1
¿
x

x 10 5 1 0.5 0.1 0.01 0.001

f(x) 0.1 0.2 1 2 10 100 1000

As the value of x approaches 0 from the right, the value of f(x) approaches positive infinity.
lim ¿
It appears x→ 0 1 =+∞ . ¿
+¿
x

If r is a positive integer, then

lim ¿ lim ¿
a. x→ 0 1 =+ ∞ ¿ b. 1 +∞ if r is even
+¿

xr
−¿
x→ 0 {
x r −∞ if r is odd
¿

C. Limits at Infinity of Polynomials:

Example:

x−2
3. Find lim .
x→+∞ x 2−3

Solution:
Divide each term of the numerator by the higher power of x occurring in the denominator,
which in this case is x 2 .
1 1 2 1 2
− 2 −
x−2 x 2
x x x x2
lim ( 2 ) = lim 2 = lim
x→+∞ x −3 1 x→+ ∞ x 3 x→+ ∞ 1− 3
− 2
x2 2
x x x2

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Find the limit of each term of the numerator and the denominator and
1
apply the fact that lim
x→+∞ x
n
=0 if n is a positive integer.
1 1
lim − lim 2 ∙ lim 2
x →+∞ x x →+∞ x →+∞ x 0−2 ∙ 0 0
¿ ¿ = =0
1 1−3 ∙ 0 1
lim 1− lim 3 ∙ lim 2
x →+∞ x →+∞ x →+∞ x

Limits at Infinity of Polynomials

If r any positive integer, then
r is even
1. x→+∞
r
lim x =+ ∞ 2. lim x =
x →−∞
r
{+∞if
−∞if r is odd

Our Live Synchronous Meeting is on Wednesdays @1:30-3:30 pm. Everyone

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most welcome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRkyiMuaoic This YouTube link might be a big

help for you to evaluate limit, given a table of values.

A. In items 1-2, construct the table of values, sketch the graph, and find the vertical asymptote.
Then,
find the indicated limits. (Reference page: 39, math selfie A- no. 1-2)

1
1. f ( x )=
x−4

Page 5 of 7
 lim ¿
a. x→ 4
−¿ 1
¿
= _______________
x−4

x 2 2.5 3 3.5 3.9 3.99 3.999 3.9999

f(x)

lim ¿
b. x→ 4
1 +¿
¿
= __________________
x−4

x 6 5.5 5 4.5 4.1 4.01 4.001 4.0001

f(x)

lim ¿ lim ¿ 1
1 ______ 1 , Hence: lim _______________
x−4
−¿ +¿
x→ 4 ¿ x→ 4 ¿ x→ 4
x−4 x−4

−1
2. f ( x )=
x−4

lim ¿
a. x→ 4
−¿ 1
¿
= _______________
x−4

x 2 2.5 3 3.5 3.9 3.99 3.999 3.9999

f(x)

lim ¿
b. x→ 4
+¿ −1
¿
= __________________
x−4

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 x 6 5.5 5 4.5 4.1 4.01 4.001 4.0001
f(x)

lim ¿ lim ¿ −1
−1 ______ −1 , Hence: lim _______________
x−4
−¿ +¿
x→ 4 ¿ x→ 4 ¿ x→ 4
x−4 x−4

A. Evaluate the following limits. (Reference page: 40- mathgroupie B-no. 9,11,12,13)

5 x−2 x +8
1. x→+∞
lim
3 x +1
2. x→+∞
lim
5 x +2

4 x 2−5 lim
x+6
3. lim 2
x→+∞ x +6
4. x→+∞ 3 x 2−2

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