Limit of a Function

Lesson 2

Engr. Cristina A. Vale

Limits
➢Describe how a function behaves near a point, instead of at that point.
➢The value that a function approaches as that function’s inputs get
closer and closer to some number.
➢The value that a function (or sequence) “approaches” as the input (or
index) “approaches” some value.

lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝐿
𝑥→𝑎
The limit of a 𝑓 𝑥 as 𝑥 approaches 𝑎 is 𝐿
 Limits 𝑦

𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 − 12 9
lim =4
𝑥→2 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 8
(1,7)
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑥 = 1 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑥 = 4 7
𝑓(𝑥) = 7 𝑓(𝑥) = 2.5
6

𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑥 = 1.9 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑥 = 2.1 5

(1.9, 4.16)
𝑓(𝑥) = 4.16 𝑓(𝑥) = 3.86 4
(2.1, 3.86)
3 (4, 2.5)

2
Limits are asking what the function is doing
around 𝑥 = 𝑎, and not with what is going on at 1
𝑥 = 𝑎.
0 𝑥
1 2 3 4
Limits
Theorems on Limits
Legend:
1.) lim 𝑘 = 𝑘 𝑛 is a positive integer
𝑥→𝑎 𝑘 is a real number
𝑓 𝑥 & 𝑔(𝑥) have limits as 𝑥 → 𝑎
2.) lim 𝑥 = 𝑎
𝑥→𝑎

3.) lim 𝑘𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑘 lim 𝑓(𝑥)

𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎

4.) lim 𝑓 𝑥 + 𝑔(𝑥) = lim 𝑓 𝑥 + lim 𝑔(𝑥)

𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎

lim 𝑓 𝑥 − 𝑔(𝑥) = lim 𝑓 𝑥 − lim 𝑔(𝑥)

𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
Limits
Theorems on Limits
Legend:
𝑛 is a positive integer
5.) lim 𝑓 𝑥 𝑔(𝑥) = lim 𝑓 𝑥 lim 𝑔(𝑥)
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎 𝑘 is a real number
𝑓 𝑥 & 𝑔(𝑥) have limits as 𝑥 → 𝑎
𝑓(𝑥) lim 𝑓(𝑥)
6.) lim = 𝑥→𝑎 provided the limit of the
𝑥→𝑎 𝑔(𝑥) lim 𝑔(𝑥)
𝑥→𝑎 denominator is not zero!

𝑛
7.) lim 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑛
= lim 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎

𝑛
8.) lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑛 lim 𝑓(𝑥) if lim 𝑓 𝑥 > 0 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
Limits
Theorems on Limits
Legend:
𝑛 is a positive integer
If 𝛼 is measured in radians: 𝑘 is a real number
𝑓 𝑥 & 𝑔(𝑥) have limits as 𝑥 → 𝑎

sin 𝛼
9.) lim =1
𝛼→0 𝛼
𝑅 𝑆

𝛼
𝐵
𝑇 𝑉
 𝒙𝟐 −𝒙−𝟐 (𝒙−𝟐)(𝒙+𝟏)
4. 𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝟐 = 𝒍𝒊𝒎
𝒙→𝟐 𝒙 −𝟒 𝒙→𝟐 (𝒙−𝟐)(𝒙+𝟐)
(𝒙+𝟏)
= 𝒍𝒊𝒎 (𝒙+𝟐)
𝒙→𝟐
1. 𝒍𝒊𝒎(𝒙 + 𝟏) = 𝟑 + 𝟏 2+1
𝒙→𝟑 =
=𝟒 2+2
3
=
2. 𝒍𝒊𝒎 (𝒙𝟑 + 𝟑𝒙𝟐 − 𝟓𝒙 − 𝟏) 4
𝒙→−𝟏
= (−1)3 +3(−1)2 −5 −1 − 1 𝒙𝟐 + 𝒙 − 𝟐 (𝒙 + 𝟐)(𝒙 − 𝟏)
𝟓. 𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝟐 = 𝒍𝒊𝒎
= −1 + 3 + 5 − 1 𝒙→𝟏 𝒙 − 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏 𝒙→𝟏 (𝒙 − 𝟏)(𝒙 − 𝟏)

=6 (𝒙+𝟐)
= 𝒍𝒊𝒎 (𝒙−𝟏)
𝒙→𝟏
𝟑𝒙+𝟓 𝟑 𝟑 +𝟓
3. 𝒍𝒊𝒎 = =
1+2
𝒙→𝟑 𝒙−𝟏 𝟑−𝟏
1−1
14 3
= =
2 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝟐𝒙 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝟐𝒙 𝟐 0
6. 𝒍𝒊𝒎 = 𝒍𝒊𝒎 ∙
=7 𝒙→𝟎 𝒙 𝒙→𝟎 𝒙 𝟐 = ∞ (no limit)
𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝟐𝒙
= 𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝟐 𝒍𝒊𝒎
𝒙→𝟎 𝒙→𝟎 𝟐𝒙
=2∙1
=2
 8. lim 𝑥 csc 4𝑥
𝑥→0
3sin 6𝑥 sin 6𝑥 6
7. lim = lim 3 lim ∙ = lim 𝑥 ∙
1
𝑥→0 𝑥 𝑥→0 𝑥→0 𝑥 6 sin 4𝑥
𝑥→0
sin 6𝑥 𝑥 4
= lim 18 lim = lim ∙
𝑥→0 𝑥→0 6𝑥 𝑥→0 sin 4𝑥 4
= 18 ∙ 1 𝑥 4
= lim ∙
= 18 𝑥→0 sin 4𝑥 4

1 4𝑥
= lim lim
𝑥→0 4 𝑥→0 sin 4𝑥

1
= ∙1
4
1
=
4
Exercises:
1. lim (5𝑥 + 2)
𝑥→−2
2. lim (3 − 4𝑥 − 2𝑥 3 )
𝑥→3
3𝑥+2
3. lim
𝑥→2 𝑥+2
𝑥 2 −2𝑥−3
4. lim
𝑥→−3 𝑥 2 −9
𝑥+5
5. lim 2
𝑥→−1 𝑥 +1
2 sin 3𝜃
6. lim
𝜃→0 𝜃
2
4𝑥 +7𝑥−2
7. lim
𝑥→1 𝑥(3𝑥+1)
8. lim 𝑥 csc 4𝑥
𝑥→0
𝑥 2 −4
9. lim
𝑥→−2 𝑥 2 −𝑥−6