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Evaluating Limits

The document discusses limits of polynomial, rational, and radical functions. It presents six theorems about limits as x approaches a number c. The theorems cover properties like uniqueness of limits, limits of constant multiples, sums, products, quotients, powers, and roots. Examples are provided to demonstrate evaluating limits of algebraic expressions like polynomials and rational functions using the theorems. The document also discusses evaluating limits intuitively for rational functions where the denominator approaches 0, resulting in the limit being positive or negative infinity.

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Krystin Diamos
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
102 views

Evaluating Limits

The document discusses limits of polynomial, rational, and radical functions. It presents six theorems about limits as x approaches a number c. The theorems cover properties like uniqueness of limits, limits of constant multiples, sums, products, quotients, powers, and roots. Examples are provided to demonstrate evaluating limits of algebraic expressions like polynomials and rational functions using the theorems. The document also discusses evaluating limits intuitively for rational functions where the denominator approaches 0, resulting in the limit being positive or negative infinity.

Uploaded by

Krystin Diamos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Limits of Polynomial,

Rational, and Radical


Functions
Evaluating Limits
Theorem 1.
Let 𝑐, 𝑘, 𝐿 and 𝑀 be real numbers, and let 𝑓(𝑥) and 𝑔(𝑥) be functions defined on
some open interval containing 𝑐, except possibly at 𝑐.

1. If lim 𝑓(𝑥) exists, then it is unique. That is, if lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝐿 and lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑀 , then 𝐿 = 𝑀.
𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐

2. lim 𝑐 = 𝑐
𝑥→𝑐

3. lim 𝑥 = 𝑐
𝑥→𝑐

4. Suppose lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝐿 and lim 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑀


𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐
𝑓(𝑥) 𝐿
i. (Constant Multiple) lim [k · g(x)] = k · M. iv. (Division) lim = , provided 𝑀 ≠ 0.
𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐 𝑔(𝑥) 𝑀

ii. (Addition) lim [𝑓(𝑥) ± 𝑔(𝑥)] = 𝐿 ± 𝑀 v. (Power) lim [𝑓 𝑥 ]𝑝 = 𝐿𝑝 for p, a positive integer.
𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐
𝑛
iii. (Multiplication) lim [𝑓(𝑥)𝑔(𝑥)] = 𝐿𝑀 vi. (Root/Radical) lim 𝑛 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝐿 for positive integers
𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐
𝑛, and provided that 𝐿 > 0 when 𝑛 is even.
LIMITS OF ALGEBRAIC FUNCTIONS
Determine lim (2𝑥 + 1)
𝑥→1

Solution. From the theorems,

lim (2𝑥 + 1) = lim 2𝑥 + lim 1 (Addition)


𝑥→1 𝑥→1 𝑥→1

= 2 lim 𝑥 + 1 (Constant Multiple)


𝑥→1

=2 1 +1 lim 𝑥 = 𝑐
𝑥→𝑐

= 2 + 1

= 3
LIMITS OF ALGEBRAIC FUNCTIONS
Determine lim (2𝑥 3 − 4𝑥 2 + 1)
𝑥→−1

Solution. From the theorems,

lim (2𝑥 3 − 4𝑥 2 + 1) = lim 2𝑥 3 − lim 4𝑥 2 + lim 1 (Addition)


𝑥→−1 𝑥→−1 𝑥→−1 𝑥→−1

= 2 lim 𝑥 3 − 4 lim 𝑥 2 + 1 (Constant Multiple)


𝑥→−1 𝑥→−1

= 2 −1 − 4 1 + 1 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟

= −2 − 4 + 1

= −5
LIMITS OF ALGEBRAIC FUNCTIONS
Evaluate lim (3𝑥 4 − 2𝑥 − 1)
𝑥→0

Solution. From the theorems,

lim (2𝑥 3 − 4𝑥 2 + 1) = lim 3𝑥 4 − lim 2𝑥 − lim 1 (Addition)


𝑥→0 𝑥→0 𝑥→0 𝑥→0

= 3 lim 𝑥 4 − 2lim 𝑥 − 1 (Constant Multiple)


𝑥→0 𝑥→0

= 3(0)4 −2 0 − 1 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟

=0 −0− 1

= −1
LIMITS OF RATIONAL FUNCTIONS
1
Evaluate lim
𝑥→1 𝑥

Solution. First, note that lim x = 1. Since the limit of the denominator is nonzero,
𝑥→1
we can apply the Division Rule. Thus,

1 lim 1
𝑥→1
lim = (Division)
𝑥→1 𝑥 lim 𝑥
𝑥→1

1
=
1

= 1
LIMITS OF RATIONAL FUNCTIONS
𝑥
Evaluate lim
𝑥→2 𝑥+1

Solution. We start by checking the limit of the polynomial function in the


denominator.
lim 𝑥 + 1 = lim 𝑥 + lim 1 = 2 + 1
𝑥→2 𝑥→2 𝑥→1
= 3

Since the limit of the denominator is not zero, it follows that

𝑥 lim 𝑥 2
𝑥→2
lim = =
𝑥→2 𝑥 + 1 lim (𝑥 + 1) 3
𝑥→2
LIMITS OF RATIONAL FUNCTIONS
𝑥−3 (𝑥 2 −2)
Evaluate lim
𝑥→1 𝑥 2 +1
Theorem 2.
Let f be a polynomial of the form
𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑎𝑛 𝑥 𝑛 + 𝑎𝑛−1 𝑥 𝑛−1 + 𝑎𝑛−2 𝑥 𝑛−2 + … + 𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑎0 .
If c is a real number, then lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑓(𝑐).
𝑥→𝑐
Evaluate: lim (2𝑥 3 − 4𝑥 2 + 1)
𝑥→−1

Solution.
Note first that our function
𝑓 𝑥 = 2𝑥 3 − 4𝑥 2 + 1, is a polynomial.

Computing for the value of 𝑓 at 𝑥 = 1, we get

3 2
𝑓 −1 = 2 −1 − 4 −1 + 1 = 2 −1 − 4 1 + 1 = −5.

Therefore, from Theorem 2,

lim (2𝑥 3 − 4𝑥 2 + 1) = f −1 = −5
𝑥→−1
Theorem 3.
𝑓(𝑥)
Let h be a rational function of the form ℎ(𝑥) = where 𝑓 and 𝑔 are polynomial
𝑔(𝑥)
functions. If 𝑐 is a real number and 𝑔(𝑐) ≠ 0, then
𝑓(𝑥) 𝑓(𝑐)
lim ℎ 𝑥 = lim =
𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐 𝑔(𝑥) 𝑔(𝑐)
1 −5𝑥
Evaluate: lim 2 +4𝑥 4
𝑥→1 1+3𝑥

Solution. Since the denominator is not zero when evaluated at 𝑥 = 1, we may apply
Theorem 3:

1 − 5𝑥 1 − 5(1)
lim =
𝑥→1 1 + 3𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 4 1 + 3(1)2 +4(1)4

−4
=
8

−1
=
2
You Try!
Evaluate
Evaluate lim 1. 3
𝑥→1 lim 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 + 6.
𝑥→−2

Evaluate lim 𝑥 + 4.
𝑥→0
INTUITIVE NOTIONS OF
INFINITE LIMITS
• We investigate the limit at a point c of a
𝑓(𝑥)
rational function of the form where 𝑓 and
𝑔(𝑥)
𝑔 are polynomial functions with 𝑓 𝑐 ≠
0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔(𝑐) ≠ 0. Note that Theorem 3 does
not cover this because it assumes that the
denominator is nonzero at 𝑐.

Now, consider the function


1
𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 . Note that the
function is not defined at 𝑥 =
0 but we can check the behavior
of the function as x approaches 0
intuitively. We first consider
approaching 0 from the left.
Observe that as x approaches 0 from the left, the value of the
function increases without bound. When this happens, we say that
the limit of 𝑓(𝑥) as 𝑥 approaches 0 from the left is positive infinity,
that is,

lim 𝑓 𝑥 = +∞
𝑥→0

Again, as x approaches 0 from the right, the value of the function


increases without bound, so, lim+ 𝑓 𝑥 = +∞. Since
𝑥→0
lim 𝑓 𝑥 = +∞ and lim+ 𝑓 𝑥 = +∞, we may conclude that
𝑥→0− 𝑥→0
lim 𝑓 𝑥 = +∞.
𝑥→0
Remark 1:
Remember that 1 is NOT a number. It holds no specific value. So, lim 𝑓 𝑥 = +∞ or
𝑥→𝑐
lim 𝑓 𝑥 = −∞ describes the behavior of the function near 𝑥 = 𝑐, but it does not
𝑥→0
exist as a real number

Remark 2:
Whenever lim+ 𝑓 𝑥 = ±∞ or lim− 𝑓 𝑥 = ±∞, we normally see the dashed
𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐
vertical line 𝑥 = 𝑐. This is to indicate that the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) is asymptotic to
𝑥 = 𝑐, meaning, the graphs of 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) and 𝑥 = 𝑐 are very close to each other
near c. In this case, we call 𝑥 = 𝑐 a 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑠𝑦𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑒 of the graph of 𝑦 =
𝑓(𝑥)
THANK YOU! ☺

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