CHAPTER 1

LIMITS AND CONTINUITY

LEARNING OBJECTIVES :
At the end of the module , you should be able to :

Calculate limit of the function based on definition

Identify the differences between limits, one-sided limits and
infinite limits

Calculate limits using rules and theorems (including Squeeze
Theorem)

Study the continuity of a function
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Sketch the function f(x) using the following table of values.
2
You are given a function
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Example 1
What happen to f(x) as x gets closer and closer to 2?
The following table gives values of f(x) for values of x close to 2 but
not equal to 2.
x f(x)
1.0
1.5
1.8
1.9
1.95
1.99
1.995
1.999
2.000000
2.750000
3.440000
3.710000
3.852500
3.970100
3.985025
3.997001
x f(x)
3.0
2.5
2.2
2.1
2.05
2.01
2.005
2.001
8.000000
5.750000
4.640000
4.310000
4.152500
4.030100
4.015025
4.003001
Similarly,
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DEFINITION
In other words, the values of f(x) tend to get closer and closer to
number L as x gets closer and closer to the number a (from either
side of a) BUT not EQUAL to a
Notice the phrase, this means that in finding the limit of
f(x) as x approaches a we never consider x=a.
In fact f(x) need not even defined when x =a we never consider
x=a.
The only thing that matters is how f is defined near a .
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Given the graphs of three functions.
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Example 2
x f(x)
1.9
1.99
1.999
1.9999
2.8
2.98
2.998
2.9998
x f(x)
2.01
2.001
2.0001
2.00001
0.4975
0.4996
0.49997
0.49998
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2 -1
x
y
3
0.5
and
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Note :
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Conclusion
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When limits does not exists?
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Example 3
SOLUTION
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Evaluate limits of the function using algebraic technique
There are three ways to evaluate limit.
1. Substitution method.
2. Factorization + Substitution.
3. Conjugate + Substitution.
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Example 1
SOLUTION
Theorem
For any polynomial
and any real number a
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Example 2
SOLUTION
Factorization Method
2
x
f
0
3
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Theorem
Let
be a rational function, and let a be any real number
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Example 3
CONJUGATE METHOD
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Example 4
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CONTINUITY
A function f is continuous at a number a if
Three properties to make the function continuous
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DEFINITION OF CONTINUITY
From Right
A function f is continuous from the right at a number a if
From Left
A function f is continuous from the left at a number a if
A function f is continuous on an interval if it is continuous at
every number in the interval.
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Example 1
The function
is continuous at every point of its
domain [-2, 2].
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LIMITS AT INFINITY
As x grows larger and larger, we can see the values of
f(x) get closer and closer to 1
For numerically large negative values of x, we can
see the values of f(x) are close to 1
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DEFINITION 1. Let f be a function defined on some interval
Then means that the values of f(x) can be made
arbitrarily close to L by taking x sufficiently large.
DEFINITION 2. Let f be a function defined on some interval
Then means that the values of f(x) can be made
arbitrarily close to L by taking x sufficiently large negative.
DEFINITION 3. The line y=L is called a horizontal asymptote of the
curve y=f(x) if either
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Horizontal asymptote
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Example 1
SOLUTION
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Example 2
SOLUTION
To evaluate the limit at infinity of any rational functions, we first divide
both numerator and denominator with the highest power of x that
occurs in the denominator.
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1
st
Method
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SOLUTION 2nd Method
Since the end behavior of a rational function matches the end behavior of
its highest degree term, we can conclude that :
The end behavior of a rational function matches the end behavior of the
quotient of the highest degree term in the numerator divided by the
highest degree term in the denominator.
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Exercises
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Example 3
SOLUTION
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THE SQUEEZING THEOREM
The next two theorems gives two additional properties of
limits
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The Squeeze Theorem (Sandwich Theorem or Pinching
Theorem) is as illustrated by the figure
If g(x) is squeezed between f(x) and h(x) near a
and if f and h have the same limit L at a
then g is forced to have the same limit L at a
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Remember this
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The function is not defined when x = 0
SOLUTION
Construct the table of values
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Example :
SOLUTION
We cannot use
because
however, since
we now have
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By Squeeze Theorem
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Example :
SOLUTION