Illustration. Consider the function f (x ) = x1 .

We now observe the values of

f as x approaches to a = 0. First, we consider the values of f when x
approaches to a = 0 from the right.
x 1 0.1 0.01 0.001 0.0001 0.00001
1
f (x ) = x 1 10 100 1000 10000 100000

As x approaches to 0 from the right, values of f (x ) = x1 increase without

bound. In this case, we say that f (x ) goes to positive infinity as x
approaches 0 from the right, and we write
1
lim+ = +∞.
x →0 x
Now, we take a look on the behavior of f (x ) as x approaches 0 from the left:

x −1 −0.1 −0.01 −0.001 −0.0001 −0.00001

1
f (x ) = x −1 −10 −100 −10000 −10000 −100000

As x approaches to 0 from the left, values of f (x ) = x1 decrease without

bound. In this case, we say that f (x ) goes to negative infinity as x
approaches 0 from the left, and we write
1
lim = −∞.
x →0− x
 y

1
lim = +∞
x →0+ x

x
0

1
lim = −∞
x →0− x
Infinite Limits From the Right

Let f (x ) be a function defined at all values in an open interval (a, c ).

i. If the values of f (x ) increase without bound as the values of x (where
x > a) approach the number a , then we say that the limit as x
approaches a from the right is positive infinity and we write

lim f (x ) = +∞.
x →a +
Infinite Limits From the Right

ii. If the values of f (x ) decrease without bound as the values of x (where

x > a) approach the number a , then we say that the limit as x
approaches a from the right is negative infinity and we write

lim f (x ) = −∞.
x →a +
Infinite Limits From the Left

Let f (x ) be a function defined at all values in an open interval (b, a).

i. If the values of f (x ) increase without bound as the values of x (where
x < a) approach the number a , then we say that the limit as x
approaches a from the left is positive infinity and we write

lim f (x ) = +∞.
x →a −
Infinite Limits From the Left

ii. If the values of f (x ) decrease without bound as the values of x (where

x < a) approach the number a , then we say that the limit as x
approaches a from the left is negative infinity and we write

lim f (x ) = −∞.
x →a −
 x =a
y

lim f3 (x ) = +∞ lim f1 (x ) = +∞
x →a − x →a+

f3 (x ) f1 (x )
x
a
f4 (x ) f2 (x )

lim f4 (x ) = −∞ lim f2 (x ) = −∞
x →a − x →a+
Two-sided Infinite Limit

Let f (x ) be defined for all x 6= a in an open interval containing a.

i. If the values of f (x ) increase without bound as the values of x (where
x 6= a) approach the number a , then we say that the limit as x
approaches a is positive infinity and we write

lim f (x ) = +∞.
x →a
y
x =a

lim f (x ) = +∞
x →a

x
a
Two-sided Infinite Limit

Let f (x ) be defined for all x 6= a in an open interval containing a.

ii. If the values of f (x ) decrease without bound as the values of x (where
x 6= a) approach the number a , then we say that the limit as x
approaches a is negative infinity and we write

lim f (x ) = −∞.
x →a
y x =a

x
a

lim f (x ) = −∞
x →a
Remark. Note that when we write statements such as

lim = +∞ or lim = −∞,

x →a x →a

we are describing the behavior of the function, as we have just defined it. We
are not asserting that a limit exists. Rather, what we mean is that the limit
of f does not exist at x = a because f becomes arbitrarily large (or large
negative) as x approaches a. For the limit of a function f (x ) to exist at a, it
must approach a real number L as x approaches aThat said, if, for example,
lim f (x ) = +∞ , we always write lim f (x ) = +∞ rather than lim f (x )
x →a x →a x →a
DNE.
 1
Example. Let f (x ) = . Find lim f (x ), if it exists.
x x→ 0

Solution:
1
Graph: y = f (x ) = x
Observe that y

1
lim + = +∞
x→ 0 x
and 0
x
1 1
lim = −∞. Thus, lim DNE as an infinite limit.
x →0 x
x → 0− x
 1
Example. Let f (x ) = . Find lim f (x ), if it exists.
x −3 x→ 3

1 1
Solution: The graph of y = is the graph of y = shifted 3 units to the
x −3 x
1 1
right. Therefore, y = behaves near x = 3 in exactly the same way y =
x −3 x
behave near x = 0. We have
1 1
lim + = +∞, and lim = −∞.
x→ 3 x −3 x→ 3− x −3
Therefore,
1
lim does not exist.
x→ 3 x −3
 y
x =a

1
lim = +∞
x →3+ x −3

x
1 2 3 4 5 6

1
lim = −∞
x →3− x −3
 1
Example. Let f (x ) = . Find lim f (x ), if it exists.
x2 x→ 0

Solution:
1
Observe that Graph: y = f (x ) = x2
y
1
lim + = +∞
x→ 0 x2
1
and Thus, lim = +∞.
x →0 x2
1
lim = +∞. x
x→ 0− x2 0
Theorem. If r is a positive integer, then
1
a. lim+ r = +∞
x →0 x

1 −∞, if r is odd
b. lim r =
x →0 x
− +∞, if r is even
Theorem. If a ∈ R, lim g (x ) = 0 and lim f (x ) = c, where c is a constant
x →a x →a
not equal to zero, then
i. if c > 0 and if g (x ) → 0 through positive values of g (x ), then

f (x )
lim = +∞
x →a g ( x )

ii. if c > 0 and if g (x ) → 0 through negative values of g (x ), then

f (x )
lim = −∞
x →a g (x )
iii. if c < 0 and if g (x ) → 0 through positive values of g (x ), then

f (x )
lim = −∞
x →a g (x )

iv. if c < 0 and if g (x ) → 0 through negative values of g (x ), then

f (x )
lim = +∞
x →a g ( x )
For convenience, we will use the following notations:
If h(x ) approaches 0 through positive values as x → a, we write

lim h(x ) = 0+ .
x →a

If h(x ) approaches 0 through negative values as x → a, we write

lim h(x ) = 0− .
x →a
Thus, for convenience, limits in the previous Theorem can be viewed as
follows:
c
For c > 0, = +∞.
0+
c
For c > 0, = −∞.
0−
c
For c < 0, = −∞.
0+
c
For c < 0, = +∞.
0−
Theorem.
i. If lim f (x ) = +∞ and lim g (x ) = c, where c is a real number , then
x →a x →a

lim [f (x ) + g (x )] = +∞.
x →a

ii. If lim f (x ) = −∞ and lim g (x ) = c, where c is a real number , then

x →a x →a

lim [f (x ) + g (x )] = −∞.
x →a
Theorem. If lim f (x ) = +∞ and lim g (x ) = c, where c is a nonzero real
x →a x →a
number , then
i. if c > 0, the lim [f (x ) · g (x )] = +∞
x →a
ii. if c < 0, the lim [f (x ) · g (x )] = −∞
x →a
Theorem. If lim f (x ) = −∞ and lim g (x ) = c, where c is a nonzero real
x →a x →a
number , then
i. if c > 0, the lim [f (x ) · g (x )] = −∞
x →a
ii. if c < 0, the lim [f (x ) · g (x )] = +∞
x →a
Example. Find the limits of the following.
x
1. lim +
x →−4 x + 4
x −4
Solution: lim + = + = −∞.
x →−4 x + 4 0
x
2. lim
x →−4− x + 4
x −4
Solution: lim = − = +∞.
x →−4 x + 4
− 0
 
2x
3. lim 2
+ 5x
x →1− x − 1
 
2x
Solution: lim + 5x = −∞.
x →1− x 2 − 1
Exercise. Find the limits of the following.

5x 2
 
−3x
1. lim 4. lim − 4x
x →−3− x + 3 x →−2− x 2 − 4
x 2 − 3x
   
x −3 2+x
2. lim+ √ 5. lim + ·
x →1 x −1 x →−3 3+x x2 − 4
     
x x −1 x −3 2+x
3. lim + · 6. lim +
x →−1 x + 4 x2 − 1 x → 2− 3−x x2 − 4
 ASSESSMENT TEST

NAME: SIGNATURE:
SECTION: DATE:
SCORE:
Evaluate each limit:
9 − x2
1. lim+ √
x →3 3x − 3
9 − x2
 
−3
2. lim+ √ + 5
x →0 3x − 3 x
 
9 2x
3. lim 7
·
x →0− x 2x − 3