The Limit of a Function

Definitions:
1) The left-hand limit of f(x) as x approaches a is equal to L if the values
of f(x) are taken arbitrarily close to L by taking x values to be
sufficiently close to a and x less than a:
lim f ( x) L
x a

2) The right-hand limit of f(x) as x approaches a is equal to L if the values

of f(x) are taken arbitrarily close to L by taking x values to be
sufficiently close to a and x greater than a:
lim f ( x) L
x a
3) The limit of f(x) as x approaches a is equal to L if and only if the left-limit
and the right-limit are equal to L:
lim f ( x) L if and only if lim f ( x) L and lim f ( x) L
x a x a x a

Example

Determine the following from the given sketch:

(a) lim f ( x) (b) lim f ( x)

x 2 x 2

(c) lim f ( x) (d) lim f ( x)

x 2 x 5

(e) lim f ( x) (f) lim f ( x)

x 5 x 5
Definition:

The line x = a is called the vertical asymptote of the curve y = f(x) if at

least one of the following statements is true:
lim f ( x)  lim f ( x)  lim f ( x) 
x a x a x a

lim f ( x)   lim f ( x)   lim f ( x)  

x a x a x a

Example:
Find the limits lim 2 x and lim 2 x . State the vertical asymptote.
x  3 x 3 x  3 x 3
Solution
2x 2x
lim  and lim
x 3 x  3
  thus, the vertical asymptote is
x 3 x  3

the line x 3.

Example: Find the vertical asymptote for:
a) f ( x) tan x
sin x
Since tan x  then potential vertical asymptotes are when cos x 0 .
cos x

This implies that the line x  2 is a possible answer because:

 
cos x  0 as x  2 and sin x is positive when x nears 
2 ,
sin x
 lim   and
x  2 cos x


 
cos x  0 as x  2 and sin x is positive when x nears 
2 ,
sin x
 lim .
x  2 cos x


Then x  2 is a vertical asymptote of f ( x) tan x as well as the lines x  

2 n 1
2 .
 b) f ( x) ln x
From the graph of f ( x) ln x the vertical asymptote is the y – axis i.e. .
the line x 0 even for y log a x (a  1).

Exercises

1. Make use of the given graph to

state the value of the following if
it exists, given reason if the value
doesn’t exist.
(a) lim y (b) lim y
x 1 x 1

(c) lim y (d) lim y

x 1 x 5

(e) y x 5
Laws of Limits

If the limits lim

x a
f ( x) and lim
x a
g ( x) exist, and c is a constant, then:
1. lim  f ( x)  g ( x)  lim f ( x)  lim g ( x)
x a x a x a

2. lim  f ( x)  g ( x)  lim f ( x)  lim g ( x)

x a x a x a

3. lim  cf ( x)  c lim  f ( x)  and 4. lim c c

x a x a x a

5. lim  f ( x) g ( x)  lim f ( x) lim g ( x)

x a x a x a

 f ( x)  lim f ( x)
6. lim    x a
if lim g ( x) 0
x  a g ( x) lim g ( x) x a
  x a
n
lim  f ( x)   lim f ( x) 
n
7. and 8. lim n f ( x )  n lim f ( x )
x a  x a  x a x a

9. lim f ( x)  f (a)
x a
Examples
Evaluate:
1. lim
x 5
 2 x 2  3x  4 
lim 2 x 2  3 x  4  lim 2 x 2   lim 3 x   lim 4 
x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5

2 lim  x 2   3lim  x   lim 4 

x 5 x 5 x 5

2 52   3 5   (4) 39

x3  2 x 2  1
2. lim
x  2 5  3x
3 2 lim  x 3  2 x 2  1
x  2 x  1 x  2
lim 
x  2 5  3x lim 5  3 x 
x  2

lim x 3  2 lim x 2  lim (1) 1

 x  2 x  2 x  2

lim 5   3 lim  x  11
x  2 x  2
 x2  1
3. lim
x 1 x  1

lim
x2  1
lim
 x  1 x 1
x 1 x  1 x 1 x 1
lim  x  1 2
x 1

t2  9  3
4. lim
t 0 t2
t2  9  3 t2  9  3 t2  9  3
lim 2
lim 2

t 0 t t  0 t t2  9  3
t2  9  9 1
lim lim
t 0 2
t  2
t 9 3  t 0
t2  9  3

1 1
 
0 9 3 6
2
Continuity

A function is continuous at a number a if lim f ( x)  f (a).

x a

Precisely, there are three requirements for f to be continuous at a:

(a) f(a) is defined, i.e. a is in the domain of f.

(b) lim
x a
f ( x) exists, and

(c) lim f ( x)  f (a)

x a

Recall: lim
x a
f ( x)  f (a ) if both left limit and right limit are equal to f(a).
Examples

1. Where are the following functions continuous?

x2  x  2
(a) f ( x) 
x 2
f (2) is not defined, thus f is discontinuous at 2.

1
 , x 0
(b) g ( x)  x
1, x 0
1
g (0) 1 is defined, but the limit lim g ( x) lim does not exist.
x 0 x 0 x

Thus g ( x) is discontinuous at 0.
  x2  x  2
 , x 2
(c) h( x)  x  2
1, x 2

x2  x  2 ( x  2)( x  1)
h(2) 1 and lim h( x) lim lim 3  lim h( x) h(2),
x 2 x 2 x 2 x  2 x 2 x 2

therefore h is not continuous at 2.

2. Show that the function f ( x) 1  1  x 2 is continuous on [ 1,1].

Note:
1) Any polynomial is continuous everywhere on the real line.
2) Any rational function is continuous wherever it is defined,
i.e. it is continuous in its domain.
3) The composite function f  g is continuous at a if both functions
are continuous at a.
Limits at Infinity: Horizontal Asymptotes

The line y L is called a horizontal asymptote of the curve y  f ( x)

if either lim
x 
f ( x) L or lim f ( x) L .
x  

Note:
1
1) lim r 0 for r  0 a rational number.
x  x

1
2) lim r 0 for r  0 a rational number and x r is defined for all x.
x   x
 Examples

Evaluate:
3x 2  x  2 1 2
2 3  2
3x  x  2 2
1. lim 2 lim 2 x lim x x
x  5 x  4 x 1 x  5 x  4 x 1 x  4 1
5   2
x 2
x x
3 0 0 3
 
500 5

3
Therefore the horizontal asymptote is the line y  .
5
 2 x2 1
2 x2 1 x
2. lim lim
x  3x  5 x  3x  5

x
2 x2 1 1
2
2 2
lim x lim x
x  5 x  5
3 3
x x
20 2
 
3 0 3
2
Therefore the horizontal asymptote is the line y  .
3
3. lim x 2  1  x lim
x  x 
 x 2 1  x  x2 1  x
x2 1  x

lim
 
x 2
 1  x 2

lim
1
x 
x 2  1  x x   x 2 1  x
1 1
lim x lim x
x 
x 2  1 x x   x 2 1 x
 2

x x x x
1
x 0
lim  0
x  1 1  0 1
1  2 1
x
Therefore the horizontal asymptote is the line y 0.
The Squeeze (Sandwich) Theorem

If p  x  q  x  r  x  and lim  p  x  lim  r  x  L then

x a x a

lim  q  x  L
x a

Example
1
Show that the lim x sin   0
2
x 0
 x
1 1
Solution:  1 sin   1 then  x  x sin    x 2
2 2

 x  x
Since lim   x 2  0 and lim  x 2  0
x 0 x 0

  1 
 lim sin    0
x 0
  x 
Worksheet 8