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Proving That The Limit Does Not Exist

This document discusses how to prove that a limit does not exist using one-sided limits. It explains that a limit does not exist at a point c if the left-hand limit and right-hand limit are not equal there. The document provides an example of a function where the left-hand limit is -∞ and the right-hand limit is ∞ as x approaches 2, proving the overall limit does not exist at that point. It also discusses using a graph to show that a limit does not exist when the left and right-hand limits are different.

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Hades Lucian
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115 views6 pages

Proving That The Limit Does Not Exist

This document discusses how to prove that a limit does not exist using one-sided limits. It explains that a limit does not exist at a point c if the left-hand limit and right-hand limit are not equal there. The document provides an example of a function where the left-hand limit is -∞ and the right-hand limit is ∞ as x approaches 2, proving the overall limit does not exist at that point. It also discusses using a graph to show that a limit does not exist when the left and right-hand limits are different.

Uploaded by

Hades Lucian
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Proving that the limit does not exist

Given what we now know about how the existence of the one-sided limits
dictates the existence of the general limit, we can use this relationship as a
test for showing whether or not the general limit exists.

Remember we said before that the general limit exists at a point x = c if

1. the left-hand limit exists at x = c,

2. the right-hand limit exists at x = c, and

3. those left- and right-hand limits are equal to one another.

Therefore, the general limit does not exist (DNE) at x = c if

1. the left-hand limit does not exist at x = c, and/or

2. the right-hand limit does not exist at x = c, and/or

3. the left- and right-hand limits both exist, but aren’t equal to one
another.

Let’s do an example where we show algebraically that the limit does not
exist.

Example

Prove that the limit does not exist.

1
lim
x→2 x − 2

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If we try substitution, we get an undefined value, because the denominator
of the fraction becomes 0.

1
2−2

1
0

Because we can’t use substitution, we’ll instead use values on either side
of x = 2, very close to x = 2, to determine how the function is behaving as
x → 2.

1 1
f (1.9999) = = = − 10,000
1.9999 − 2 −0.0001

1 1
f (2.0001) = = = 10,000
2.0001 − 2 0.0001

From the function’s values around x = 2, we can tell that the function is
tending toward −∞ to the left of x = 2, and toward ∞ to the right of x = 2.

1
lim− =−∞
x→2 x−2

1
lim+ =∞
x→2 x−2

Because the left- and right-hand limits aren’t equal, we’ve proven that the
general limit of this function does not exist at x = 2.

12
We can also determine graphically that the limit does not exist.

Example

Use the graph to determine whether or not the limit exists at x = 0.

At x = 0, the function is approaching 3/2 from the left side. But from the
right side, the function is approaching 1/2. So if we say that the graph
represents the function f (x), then the one-sided limits are

3
lim− f (x) =
x→0 2

1
lim+ f (x) =
x→0 2

13
Because the left- and right-hand limits aren’t equal, we’ve proven that the
general limit of this function does not exist at x = 0.

Infinite one-sided limits

We also want to look at what happens to the general limit when both one-
sided limits are infinite.

1. If both one-sided limits are ∞, then the general limit exists and is
equal to ∞.

2. If both one-sided limits are −∞, then the general limit exists and
is equal to −∞.

3. If one of the one-sided limits is ∞ while the other one-sided limit


at the same point is −∞, then the general limit doesn’t exist.

Let’s do an example where the limit is infinite.

Example

Find the limit.

1
lim
x→3 | x − 3 |

14
We can get a sense of the one-sided limits if we evaluate the function at
values close to x = 3.

1 1 1
lim ≈ ≈ ≈ 1,000,000
x→3− | x − 3 | | 2.999999 − 3 | 0.000001

1 1 1
lim+ ≈ ≈ ≈ 1,000,000
x→3 |x − 3| | 3.000001 − 3 | 0.000001

When we evaluate the function at values close to x = 3, we get a sense of


the fact that both one-sided limits are headed toward ∞. If we use the
graph to confirm this hunch,

we see that at x = 3, the function is approaching ∞ from the left side and ∞
from the right side.

15
1
lim− =∞
x→3 |x − 3|

1
lim+ =∞
x→3 |x − 3|

Because the one-sided limits are equal, the general limit exists and is equal
to that same value.

1
lim =∞
x→3 |x − 3|

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