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2.6 Limits at Infinity

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20 views5 pages

2.6 Limits at Infinity

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CRAZY FIZZY
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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2.

6 Limits at Infinity

Let us investigate the values of f (x) = tan−1 x when x gets larger and larger.

2 As x → ∞ the values of tan−1 x is approaching to


As x → −∞ the values of tan−1 x is approaching to

−8 −6 −4 −2 2 4 6 8

−1

−2

Definition. Let f be a function defined on (a, ∞). If the values of f (x) can be made arbitrarily close to L by
requiring x to be sufficiently large, then we say that the limit of f , as x approaches ∞, is L. We denote this by

lim f (x) = L
x→∞

Definition. The line y = L is called a horizontal asymptote of f (x) if either :

lim f (x) = L or lim f (x) = L


x→∞ x→−∞

1 1
Ex 1. Find the limits lim and lim .
x→∞ x x→−∞ x

Ex 2. Find the limits lim ex and lim ex .


x→∞ x→−∞
Note that the limits laws from section 2.3 holds for limits at infinity as well. So, if both limits exist
lim f (x) + g(x) = lim f (x) + lim g(x),
x→∞ x→∞ x→∞
lim f (x)g(x) = lim f (x) · lim g(x), etc.
x→∞ x→∞ x→∞

Theorem. If r > is a rational number, then


1
lim =0
x→∞ xr
If r > is a rational number where xr is defined for all x, then
1
lim =0
x→−∞ xr

3x2 − x − 2
Ex 3. Evaluate lim .
x→∞ 5x2 + 4x + 1

x2 + x
Ex 4. Evaluate lim .
x→∞ 2x5 + x2 + 1
2x5 + x2 + 1
Ex 5. Evaluate lim .
x→∞ x2 + x

Ex 6. Summarize a rule for limits of rational functions at infinity. (In the exams, we still need to show our work
with the algebraic calculations like we have done above for free response problems.)

√
2x2 + 1
Ex 7. Evaluate lim .
x→∞ 3x − 5

√
2x2 + 1
Ex 8. Evaluate lim .
x→−∞ 3x − 5
p p
Ex 9. Evaluate lim x2 + 5x − x2 + x.
x→∞

 x2 + 3x 
Ex 10. Evaluate lim arctan .
x→∞ 5x − 1

Infinite Limits at Infinity

Sometimes we are going to deal with examples where f (x) values will get larger and larger as x approaches to infinity.
In that case we use the notation,
lim f (x) = ∞
x→∞

Ex 11. Evaluate
(a) lim x3
x→∞

(b) lim ex
x→∞

(c) lim x2 − x
x→∞
Exercises

Here are some extra problems. I will put the answers on blackboard under Lecture Note-Solutions tab.

8x3 − x2 + 10
1. Evaluate lim .
x→∞ 2x3 + 5x

√
9x4 + 2x
2. Evaluate lim .
x→∞ 2x2 + 1

3. Evaluate lim sin x.


x→∞

4. Evaluate lim 4x3 − x2 .


x→−∞

1
5. Evaluate lim e( 2−x ) .
x→2+

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