L’Hôpital’s Rule

In this note we will evaluate the limits of some indeterminate forms using L’Hôpital’s
Rule.

∞ 0
Indeterminate Forms and
∞ 0

f (x)
Suppose x→a
lim f (x) = 0 and x→a
lim g(x) = 0. Then x→a
lim may or may not exist and it is called
g(x)
0
the indeterminate form of type .
0
f (x)
Suppose lim f (x) = ∞ and lim g(x) = ∞. Then lim may or may not exist and it is called
x→a x→a x→a g(x)
∞
the indeterminate form of type .
∞
Note that a can represent a finite real number or +∞ or−∞.

L’Hôpital’s Rule: Suppose f and g are differentiable on an open interval containing a

f (x)
and g 0 (x) 6= 0 on that interval except possibly for a. Also suppose that lim is
x→a g(x)
0 ∞
an indeterminate form or . Then
0 ∞
f (x) f 0 (x)
lim = lim 0
x→a g(x) x→a g (x)

provided that the limit on the right side exists or is ±∞.

5x3 − 13x2 + 6x
Example 1. Evaluate lim .
x→2 4x2 − 13x + 10

Solution. Since lim 5x3 − 13x2 + 6x = 0 and lim 42 − 13x + 10 = 0 we can apply L’Hôpital’s
x→2 x→2
Rule. So

5x3 − 13x2 + 6x 15x2 − 26x + 6 14

lim 2
= lim =
x→2 4x − 13x + 10 x→2 8x − 13 3

10x + 5
Example 2. Evaluate x→∞
lim .
3x2
− 7x + 4
lim 10x + 5 = ∞ and lim 3x2 − 7x + 4 = ∞ we can apply L’Hôpital’s Rule.
Solution. Since x→∞
x→2
So
10x + 5 10
lim = x→∞
lim =0
x→∞ 3x2− 7x + 4 6x − 7
 ex
Example 3. Evaluate lim .
x→0 1 − cos x

Solution. We can NOT apply L’Hôpital’s Rule because lim ex = 1 and lim 1 − cos x = 0.
x→0 x→0
Therefore
ex
lim =∞
x→0 1 − cos x

cos x − 1
Example 4. Find lim .
ex − 1
x→0

Solution. Since lim cos x − 1 = 0 and lim ex − 1 = 0 we can apply L’Hôpital’s Rule. So
x→0 x→0

cos x − 1 − sin x
lim x
= lim =0
x→0 e −1 x→0 ex

√
7 x−1
Example 5. Evaluate lim+ .
x→1 sin(x − 1)
√
Solution. Since lim+ 7 x − 1 = 0 and lim+ sin(x − 1) = 0 we can apply L’Hôpital’s Rule. So
x→1 x→1
√ √7
7 x−1 7
lim+ = lim+ 2 x−1 = lim+ √ =∞
x→1 sin(x − 1) x→1 cos(x − 1) x→1 2 cos(x − 1) x − 1

3 ln(5x + 3)
Example 6. Find x→∞
lim .
2 ln(x + 4)
Solution. Since lim 3 ln(5x + 3) = ∞ and lim 2 ln(x + 4) = ∞ we can apply L’Hôpital’s Rule.
x→∞ x→∞
So
15
3 ln(5x + 3) (5x+3) 15x + 60 15 3
lim
x→∞ 2 ln(x + 4)
= x→∞
lim 2 = x→∞
lim = =
(x+4)
10x + 6 10 2

ex − 1 − x
Example 7. Find lim+ .
x→0 x sin x
Solution. Since lim+ ex − 1 − x = 0 and lim+ x sin x = 0 we can apply L’Hôpital’s Rule. So
x→0 x→0

ex − 1 − x ex − 1
lim+ = lim+
x→0 x sin x x→0 sin x + x cos x

As you see lim+ ex − 1 = 0 and lim+ sin x + x cos x = 0, so we need to reapply L’Hôpital’s Rule:
x→0 x→0
x
e −1−x ex − 1 ex 1
lim+ = lim+ = lim+ =
x→0 x sin x x→0 sin x + x cos x x→0 cos x + cos x − x sin x 2
 Indeterminate Form 0 · ∞

If x→a lim g(x) = ∞(or−∞) then it is not clear what the value of x→a
lim f (x) = 0 and x→a lim f (x)g(x),
if any, will be. This is called the indeterminate form of type 0 · ∞.
0 ∞
We can convert this type into an indeterminate form of or by writing the product f g as
0 ∞
a quotient
f g
fg = 1 or fg = 1
g f

Example 8. Evaluate lim+ x ln x.

x→0

Solution. Since lim+ x = 0 and lim+ ln x = −∞, the limit is an indeterminate form of type
x→0 x→0
0 · ∞. First we convert this product into the following quotient
ln x
lim+ x ln x = lim+ 1
x→0 x→0
x
∞
where the right side is an indeterminate form of . Then using L’Hôpital’s Rule we have:
∞
1
ln x x
lim+ x ln x = lim+ 1 = lim+ −1 = lim+ −x = 0
x→0 x→0 x→0 x→0
x x2

Example 9. Evaluate x→∞

lim x tan(1/x).
Solution. Since lim x = ∞ and lim tan(1/x) = 0, the limit is an indeterminate form of type
x→∞ x→∞
0 · ∞. First we convert this product into the following quotient

tan(1/x)
lim x tan(1/x) = x→∞
lim
x→∞ 1/x
0
where the right side is an indeterminate form of
. Then L’Hôpital’s Rule implies that:
0
tan(1/x) −1/x2 sec2 (1/x)
lim x tan(1/x) = lim = lim 2
= lim sec2 (1/x) = 1
x→∞ x→∞ 1/x x→∞ −1/x x→∞

2
lim x3 e−x .
Example 10. Evaluate x→∞
Solution. It is not difficult to see that the limit is an indeterminate form of type 0 · ∞. We
x3 ∞
lim x2 that gives an indeterminate form
can easily convert it into the quotient x→∞ and then
e ∞
apply L’Hôpital’s Rule twice we will have:

2 x3 3x2 3x 3
lim x3 e−x = lim 2 = lim = lim x2 = lim =0
x→∞ x→∞ ex x→∞ 2xex2 x→∞ 2e x→∞ 4xex2
 Indeterminate Form ∞ − ∞

lim f (x) = ∞ and x→a

If x→a lim g(x) = ∞ then the limit x→a
lim [f (x) − g(x)] is called the indeterminate
form of type ∞ − ∞.
0 ∞
We can convert this type into an indeterminate form of or by using a common denominator,
0 ∞
or factoring out a common factor or rationalization.

Example 11. Evaluate lim (sec x − tan x).

x→(π/2)−

Solution. Since lim sec x = ∞ and lim tan x = ∞, the given limit is an indeterminate
x→(π/2)− x→(π/2)−
0
form ∞ − ∞. Here we use a common denominator to convert it into and then we apply
0
L’Hôpital’s Rule:

1 sin x 1 − sin x − cos x

lim − (sec x − tan x) = lim − ( − ) = lim − ( ) = lim − ( )=0
x→(π/2) x→(π/2) cos x cos x x→(π/2) cos x x→(π/2) − sin x

√
Example 11. Evaluate lim (x − x2 + 3x).
x→∞

Solution. It’s easily seen that the given limit is of the indeterminate form ∞ − ∞. We can
∞
convert it into an indeterminate form ∞ using rationalization and then we will apply L’Hôpital’s
Rule:

√
√ (x + x2 + 3x) −3x −3 −3
lim (x − x2 + 3x). √ = lim √ = lim 2x+3 =
x→∞ 2
(x + x + 3x) x→∞ 2
(x + x + 3x) x→∞ (1 + 2 x2 +3x )
√ 2

2x + 3
Note that to evaluate the limit lim √ 2 = 1 in the denominator we can also use
x→∞ 2 x + 3x
L’Hôpital’s Rule or an elementary method.
Exercises. Evaluate the following limits. Use L’Hôpital’s Rule where appropriate.

2x2 − 3x − 9 4x3 + x − 3 2x3 − x2 − 4x + 3

1. lim 2. x→∞
lim 3. lim
x→3 x2 − 2x − 3 x2 − 5x + 8 x→1 3x3 − 5x2 + x + 1

6x − 5 1 − ex x2 + x
4. x→∞
lim 2
5. lim 6. lim
4x + 7x + 9 x→0 2x x→0 sin 3x

sin x sin 2x ex − x − 1
7. lim+ 8. lim 9. lim
x→0 1 − cos x x→0 sin x x→0 5x2
√
e3x x−1 x
10. lim 11. lim √ 12. lim+
x→∞ ln x x→1 x−1 x→0 1 − cos x

√
x−1 ln x ln(x2 + 1)
13. x→∞
lim 14. lim 15. lim √
4x + 5 x→1 sin(x − 1) x→∞ x
√
ex−1 − 1 ln(x − 10) x
16. lim 17. x→∞
lim 18. lim+
x→1 (x − 1)3 ln(4x + 1) x→0 ln(x + 1)

e4x e2x − 1 √ (−2x)

19. lim 20. lim 21. lim xe
x→∞ e3x + x x→0 e5x − 1 x→∞

1
22. lim+ sin x ln x 23. lim x csc x 24. lim x2 sin( )
x→0 x→0 x→∞ 4x2
√ 1 1
25. lim (csc x − cot x) 26. lim (x − x2 + 1) 27. lim+ ( − x )
x→0 x→∞ x→0 x e −1

Final Answers.
9 5 −1 1
1. 2. ∞ 3. 4. 0 5. 6.
4 4 2 3
1
7. ∞ 8. 2 9. 10. ∞ 11. 2 12. ∞
10

13. 0 14. 1 15. 0 16. ∞ 17. 1 18. ∞

2 1
19. ∞ 20. 21. 0 22. 0 23. 1 24.
5 4
1
25. 0 26. 0 27.
2