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Limits of Functions

The document discusses limits in calculus. It defines limits, one-sided limits, two-sided limits, and infinite limits. It provides examples to illustrate these concepts. It also states an algebra of limits theorem about how limits of sums, products, and quotients can be determined from the individual limits.

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85 views

Limits of Functions

The document discusses limits in calculus. It defines limits, one-sided limits, two-sided limits, and infinite limits. It provides examples to illustrate these concepts. It also states an algebra of limits theorem about how limits of sums, products, and quotients can be determined from the individual limits.

Uploaded by

freudianslipjr
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2 LIMITS

14

Limits

The traditional divisions of calculus in mathematics are dierential calculus and integral calculus. The two subjects are based on the concept of a limit. We will rst approach this concept by considering various examples and by introducing the notation.
a) b)
f(x) = 2x 1

f(x) = x 2

f(x) = 1 x 1 1

Figure 10: (a) f (x) = x2 . (b) f (x) = 1 x for x 1 , 2x 1 for x > 1 . Example 1: Consider f (x) = x2 (see gure 10a). What happens to the value of f (x) as x takes values closer and closer to 1 (the values of x considered being both larger and smaller than one)? In this example we see that f (x) approaches 1 as x approaches 1 from either side. The number 1 is the (two-sided) limit of f (x) and x approaches 1. Example 2: Consider { 1x , x1 , f (x) = 2x 1 , x > 1 , (see gure 10b). In this example we see that f (x) approaches 0 as x approaches 1 from the left-hand side, but it approaches 1 if coming from the right-hand side. The value of the function at x = 1 is 0. Thus, the limit from the left coincides with the value of the function f (x) as x approaches 1. But it is dierent from the limit taken from the right-hand side!

2.1

One-sided limits

The last example shows that taking limits from either the left or right hand side may not lead to the same result. Likewise, it may not always be possible to approach a point from both sides; consider, for example, the function x 2 which is dened for x 2 only. To cope with this sort of problem we introduce the concept of a one-sided limit rst.

2 LIMITS For taking the limit from the right-hand side, we write:
x x + 0

15

lim f (x) = c ,

which means that f (x) tends to c as x tends to x0 from the right (i.e. from values greater than x0 ). Similarly, we write
x x 0

lim f (x) = c ,

which means that f (x) tends to c as x tends to x0 from the left (i.e. from values less than x0 ). The point x0 is called the limit point. In both cases, taking the limit x x0 is understood as coming closer and closer to the point x0 without actually reaching x0 . Considering the examples stated above, we may say Example 1: limx1+ f (x) = limx1 f (x) = 1 Example 2: limx1+ f (x) = 1 = limx1 f (x) = 0

2.2

Two-sided limits

If limxx+ f (x) = limxx f (x), we may drop the sign, and write 0 0
x x 0

lim f (x) = c ,

which is spoken The limit of f (x) as x tends to x0 is c. Alternatively, one uses the notation f (x) c as x x0 , which is spoken f (x) tends to c as x tends to x0 . Hence, for example 1, we may write lim f (x) = 1.
x 1

2.3

Innite limits
lim f (x) = ;

If a function f gets arbitrarily large and positive as we approach x0 then we may write
x x 0

similarly if it gets arbitrarily large and negative we write


x x 0

lim f (x) = .

For example, as x 0, 1/x2 , see gure 11a.

2 LIMITS
20

16
f(x)
18 16

f(x) -> + oo

14

12

10

f(x) -> -oo


2

1 x

Figure 11: (a) Graph of 1/x2 . (b) f (x) =

1 for x = 1. x1

1 for x = 1, see gure 11b. x1 The function is not dened at x = 1, but it clearly tends to as x approaches the value 1 from below, and + as x approaches the value 1 from above. Example: Consider the function f (x) = We write:
x1

lim f (x) = ,

x1+

lim f (x) = +.

2.4

The algebra of limits

Using the denition above, we can prove the following mathematical statement, also called a theorem: Theorem 1. Suppose f (x) c1 and g (x) c2 as x x0 . Suppose furthermore that and are real numbers. Then 1. lim (f (x) + g (x)) = c1 + c2 ,
x x 0

2. lim (f (x)g (x)) = c1 c2 ,


x x 0

3. lim

x x 0

f (x) c1 = ; g (x) c2

c2 = 0.

Example: 5 x2 + 4 = , 2 x 1 x 4 3 lim using the rule 3 above.

2 LIMITS Example: (1 + x)2 1 1 + 2x + x2 1 = lim = lim (2 + x) = 2 . x 0 x0 x 0 x x lim

17

Note that there is no problem here with the x in the denominator, as the limit denition does not involve the value at x = 0.

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