Scribd
Upload
705 views9 pages

Basic Calculus Reviewer

The document provides an introduction to limits and continuity in calculus. It defines a limit as the unique real value a function approaches as its variable nears a constant, without equaling the constant. To evaluate limits, tables of values are constructed showing the behavior of the function as the variable approaches the constant from the left and right. Examples demonstrate evaluating limits by investigating tables of values for different functions as the variable approaches various constants.

Uploaded by

Gelo Vee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
705 views9 pages

Basic Calculus Reviewer

The document provides an introduction to limits and continuity in calculus. It defines a limit as the unique real value a function approaches as its variable nears a constant, without equaling the constant. To evaluate limits, tables of values are constructed showing the behavior of the function as the variable approaches the constant from the left and right. Examples demonstrate evaluating limits by investigating tables of values for different functions as the variable approaches various constants.

Uploaded by

Gelo Vee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

Basic Calculus

I. Limits and Continuity

Introduction:
Limits are the backbone of calculus, and calculus is called the Mathematics of Change. The study
of limits is necessary in studying change in great detail. The evaluation of a particular limit is
what underlies the formulation of the derivative and the integral of a function. We will consider
functions of a single variable and study the behavior of the function as its variable approaches a
particular value (a constant). The variable can only take values very, very close to the constant,
but it cannot equal the constant itself. However, the limit will be able to describe clearly what is
happening to the function near that constant.

Consider a function f of a single variable x. Consider a constant c which the variable x will
approach (c may or may not be in the domain of f). The limit, to be denoted by L,is the unique
real value that f(x) will approach as x approaches c. In symbols, we write this process as
‘‘The limit of f(x) as x approaches c is L.”

Looking at a Table of Values

To illustrate, let’s go back to this again and consider:

Here, f(x)=1+3x and the constant c, which x will approach, is 2. To evaluate the given limit, we
will make use of a table to help us keep track of the effect that the approach of x toward 2 will
have on f(x). Of course, on the number line, x may approach 2 in two ways: through values on
its left and through values on its right. We first consider approaching 2 from its left or through
values less than 2. Remember that the values to be chosen should be close to 2.

Now we consider approaching 2 from its right or through values greater than but close to 2.

Observe that as the values of x get closer and closer to 2, the values of f(x) get closer and closer
to 7. This behavior can be shown no matter what set of values, or what direction, is taken in
approaching 2. In symbols, it is:

EXAMPLE 2: Investigate
by constructing tables of values. Here, c = 1 and f(x)=x2 +1.

Example no. 2: Investigate

Investigate lim x!0 |x| through a table of values.


Approaching 0 from the left and from the right, we get the following tables:

Hence,

EXAMPLE 3: Investigate

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy