1.

5 Limits at Infinity
(MAT051 - Calculus 1)

Mathematics Department
Mindanao State University Main Campus
Marawi City
[email protected]
 1
Illustration 1. Consider the function f (x ) =. We now observe the
x
behavior of f as x → ±∞. First, we consider the values of f when x
approach to arbitrarily large numbers.
x 1 10 100 1000 10000 100000
1
f (x ) = 1 0.1 0.01 0.001 0.0001 0.00001
x
1
Observe that as x increases without bound, values of f (x ) = tend to zero.
x
In this case, we say that f (x ) goes to zero as x approaches to positive
infinity, and we write
1
lim = 0.
x →∞ x
Now, we take a look on the behavior of f (x ) as x approaches negative infinity.

x −1 −10 −100 −10000 −10000 −100000

1
f (x ) = −1 −0.1 −0.01 −0.001 −0.0001 −0.00001
x
1
Observe that as x decreases without bound, values of f (x ) = tend to zero.
x
In this case, we say that f (x ) goes to zero as x approaches to negative
infinity, and we write
1
lim = 0.
x →−∞ x
 y

1
lim =0
x →∞ x

x
0

1
lim =0
x →−∞ x
 1
Illustration 2. Consider the function f (x ) = 3 + . We now observe
x −2
the behavior of f as x → ±∞.
x 10 100 1000 10000 100000
1
f (x ) = 3 + 3.125 3.0102 3.001 3.0001 3.00001
x −2

x −10 −100 −1000 −10000 −100000

1
f (x ) = 3 + 2.9167 2.9902 2.9990 2.9999 2.99999
x −2
Observe that as the values of x get larger, the values of f (x ) approach 3. In
this case, we say the limit of f (x ) as x approaches ∞ is 3 and write

lim f (x ) = 3.
x →∞

Similarly, for x < 0, as the values |x | get larger, the values of f (x ) approaches
3. In this case, we say the limit of f (x ) as x approaches −∞ is 3 and write

lim f (x ) = 3.
x →−∞
 y
x =2

1
 
lim 3+ =3
x→∞ x −2

y =3
1 1
 
lim 3+ =3 f (x) = 3 +
x→−∞ x −2 x −2

x
0
Limits at Infinity
In general, we write
lim f (x ) = L
x →∞

if f (x ) can be made arbitrarily close to L by taking x large enough. If this

limit exists, we say that the function f has the limit L as x increases without
bound.
Similarly, we write
lim f (x ) = M
x →−∞

if f (x ) can be made arbitrarily close to M by taking x to be negative and

sufficiently large in absolute value. If this limit exists, we say that the
function f has the limit M as x decreases without bound.
Remark. If, as x → ±∞, f (x ) approaches L, that is,

lim f (x ) = L = lim f (x ),
x →−∞ x →∞

we may write
lim f (x ) = L.
x →±∞
Theorem. If r is a positive integer, then
1
i. lim r = 0,
x →+∞ x
1
ii. lim r = 0.
x →−∞ x
 3x 2 − x
Example 1. Evaluate lim .
x →∞ 5x 2 + 4x

Solution: If the numerator and the denominator have the same degree, divide
both by the dominant literal coefficient (literal cofficent of the term with highest
degree). In this example, we have x 2 . Thus,

3x 2 x 1
2
3x − x − 3−
lim
2
= lim x 2 x
2
= lim x = 3 − 0 = 3.
2
x →∞ 5x + 4x x →∞ 5x 4x x →∞ 4 5+0 5
+ 2 5+
x 2 x x
 5x 3
Example 2. Evaluate lim .
x →∞ 3 + x 2

Solution: To utilize the previous theorem, we first divide both the numerator and
the denominator by the literal coefficient of the leading term (or term with
highest degree) of the denominator, in this example, we have x 2 . Hence,

5x 3
5x 3 x2 5x
lim = lim 2 = lim = ∞.
x →∞ 3 + x 2 x →∞ x 3 x →∞ 3
+ 2 1+
x 2 x x2
 2x 4 − 3x + 1
Example 3. Evaluate lim .
x →−∞ 2x − 4

Solution: First, we divide both the numerator and the denominator by literal
coefficient of the leading term of the denominator, which is x. Thus,

2x 4 3x 1 1
4
2x − 3x + 1 − + 2x 3 − 3 +
lim . = lim x x x = lim x = −∞.
x →−∞ 2x − 4 x →−∞ 2x 4 x →−∞ 4
− 2−
x x x
 −3x 7 − 5x 2 + x
Example 4. Evaluate lim .
x →−∞ 4x 4 − 4x 3 + 3

Solution: First, we divide both the numerator and the denominator by literal
coefficient of the leading term of the denominator, which is x 4 .
Thus,
−3x 7 5x 2 x 5 1
7 2
−3x − 5x + x 4
− 4 + 4 −3x 3 − 2 + 3
lim = lim x x x = lim x x
x →−∞ 4x 4 − 4x 3 + 3 x →−∞ 4x 4 4x 3 x →−∞ 4 3
− 4+ 4 4− 3 + 4
x4 x x x x
= ∞.
 3x 3 + 5x + 2
Example 5. Evaluate lim .
x →∞ 2x 4 − 4

Solution: First, we divide both the numerator and the denominator by literal
coefficient of the leading term of the denominator, which is x 4 . Thus,

3x 3 5x 2 3 5 2
3
3x + 5x + 2 + 4+ 4 + 3+ 4
lim = lim x 4 x x = lim x x x = 0 = 0.
x →∞ 2x 4 − 4 x →∞ 2x 4 4 x →∞ 4 2
− 2− 4
x 4 x 4 x
Remark. If m, n are positive integers and a, b 6= 0, then
 a
n
ax + an−1 x n−1
+ a1 x + a0  , if m = n
lim = b
x →±∞ bx m + bm−1 x m−1 + b1 x + b0
0, if n < m.


Example 6.
−2x 3 + 6x 4 + 2 6x 4 − 2x 3 + 2 6
1. lim = lim = = 3.
x →−∞ 3 + 2x 4 − 4x x →−∞ 2x 4 − 4x + 3 2
−2x 3 + 5x + 2
2. lim = 0.
x →∞ 5x 5 − 4x + 3
 3x + 4
Example 7. Evaluate lim √ .
x →−∞ 5x 2 − 2

Solution: Observe that literal coefficient of√the dominant term in the radicand of
the denominator is x 2 . Also, we note that x 2 = |x | = −x, since we have
x → −∞.
Now,
3x + 4 3x + 4 3x + 4 3x + 4
lim √ = lim q lim √

= x →−∞ q = lim q .
x →−∞ 2
5x − 2 x →−∞ 2 2 x →−∞ 2
x2 5 − x2
x2 · 5 − x2
|x | · 5 − x2

Using the fact that |x | = −x (since x → −∞), we have

3x 4 4
3x + 4 3x + 4
1 + −3 −
lim √ = lim · −x
= lim −x − x = lim q x
1
q q
x →−∞ 2
5x − 2 x →−∞ 2 x →−∞ 2 x →−∞
−x · 5 − x2
−x 5 − x2 5 − x22
−3 + 0
=√
5−0
3
= −√ .
5
 √
3
4x 3 + 3x
Example 7. Evaluate lim .
x →−∞ 2x + 3

Solution: Observe that literal coefficient of√the dominant term in the radicand of
the numerator is x 3 and we also note that x 3 = x. Then we divide both the
3

numerator and the denominator by the leading literal coefficient of the

denominator which is x.
Hence, we have
√
q
3

√
3
q
3
3
4x 3 + 3x
3
x3 4 + x2 x3 · 3
4+ x2
lim = lim = lim
x →−∞ 2x + 3 x →−∞ 2x + 3 x →−∞ 2x + 3
q
x · 3 4 + x32 1
x
= lim · 1
x →−∞ 2x + 3 x
r
3 3
4+
x2
= lim
x →−∞ 3
2+
√ √ x
3 3
4+0 4
= = .
2+0 2
Exercise. Evaluate the following limits:

x 4 − 16
 
1
1. lim 2x − 2 5. lim
x →∞ x x →−∞ 3x 4 + 16
2x − 1 √
2. lim 3
x →−∞ 2 − 3x − 2x 2 2x 3 + 4x − 1
6. lim
2x 2 − 5x + 3 x →∞ 2x 4 − 3
3. lim
x →∞ 2 − 3x − 2x 2
2x − 1 4x 3 − 2x + 1
4. lim 7. lim
x →∞ 2 − 3x − 2x 2 x →−∞ −2x + 5
 ASSESSMENT TEST

NAME: SIGNATURE:
SECTION: DATE:
SCORE:
Evaluate each limit:
5−x 3x 5 + 4x 3 − 3x
1. lim √ 4. lim
x →−∞ 3 + 4 3x 4 − 1 x →∞ −2x 3 + x − 1
2x 3x 4x 3 − 3x 6 + 3
2. lim + 5. lim
x →−∞ x − 1 x +1 x →−∞ 5x 3 − 2x 8 − x 2 + 1
−4 − 2x + 3x 2 − 5x 3 −2x 6 − 5x + 1
3. lim 6. lim
x →−∞ 2x 3 − 1 x →−∞ −2x 3 − 2x − 5