Indeterminate Forms
Indeterminate Forms
UNIT-1 : DIFFERENTIATION
Chapter 2
Indeterminate Forms
L’ Hôpital’s Rule
Let f and g be two differentiable functions on I − {a}, where I is an open interval containing a.
If
lim f (x) = lim g(x) = 0 or ± ∞,
x→a x→a
then
f (x) f 0 (x)
lim = lim 0 ,
x→a g(x) x→a g (x)
ex − 1 − x
0
lim form
x→0 x2 0
2
Sec 1.1 Indeterminate Forms 3
ex − 1
0
= lim still form
x→0 2x 0
x
e
= lim
x→0 2
1
= .
2
x − xx
Example 2.0.2. Evaluate lim .
x→1 1 + log x − x
1 − (1 + log x)xx
= lim 1
x→1
x
−1
1
−(1 + log x)(1 + log x)xx − xx x
= lim
x→1 − x12
(1 + log x)2 xx + xx x1
= 1
x2
2
(1 + 0) · 1 + 1(1)
=
1
= 2.
1 + sin x − cos x + log(1 − x)
Example 2.0.3. Evaluate lim .
x→0 x tan2 x
Solution. The given form is 0/0. Applying L’ Hôpital’s Rule, we have
1 + sin x − cos x + log(1 − x)
lim
x→0 x tan2 x
1 + sin x − cos x + log(1 − x) x 2
= lim ·
x→0 x3 tan x
1 + sin x − cos x + log(1 − x)
= lim · (1)
x→0 x3
cos x + sin x − 1/(1 − x)
= lim
x→0 3x2
− sin x + cos x − 1/(1 − x)2
= lim
x→0 6x
− cos x − sin x − 2/(1 − x)3
= lim
x→0 6
1
= − .
2
sin 3x + ax + bx3
Example 2.0.4. Find the values of a and b such that lim = 0.
x→0 x3
Solution. The given form is 0/0. Applying L’ Hôpital’s Rule, we have
sin 3x + ax + bx3
lim =0
x→0 x3
4 Chapter 1 Indeterminate Forms
3 cos 3x + a + 3bx2
⇒ lim =0
x→0 3x2
3+a
⇒ lim =0
x→0 0
which gives
a+3=0 ⇒ a = −3.
Thus
3 cos 3x − 3 + 3bx2
lim =0
x→0 3x2
−9 sin 3x − 3 + 6bx
⇒ lim =0
x→0
6x
9 sin 3x
⇒ lim − +b =0
x→0 2 3x
9
⇒ − +b=0
2
9
⇒ b= .
2
9
Hence, a = −3, b = .
2
ln x
Example 2.0.5. Evaluate lim √ .
x→∞ 2 x
x
Example 2.0.8. Evaluate lim sin2 · ln x.
x→0 2
Solution. The given form is 0 · ∞. Observe that
x
lim sin2 · ln x
x→0 2
ln x
= lim
x→0 cosec2 x
2
1
x
= lim
2 cosec x2 (− cosec x2 cot x2 ) ·
x→0 1
2
1
= − lim
x→0 x cosec2 x cot x
2 2
sin2 x2 · sin x2
= − lim
x→0 x cos x2
sin3 x2
= − lim
x→0 x cos x
2
x 3
sin3 x2
2
= − lim ·
x→0 x 3 x cos x2
2
2
x
= − lim (1) ·
x→0 8 cos x2
0
= −
8 cos 0
= 0.
1 1
Example 2.0.9. Evaluate lim − .
x→0 x2 sin2 x
Solution. The given form is ∞ − ∞. Observe that
1 1
lim −
x→0 x2 sin2 x
sin2 x − x2
= lim
x→0 x2 sin2 x
sin2 x − x2 x2
= lim
x→0 x4 sin2 x
sin2 x − x2
= lim (1)
x→0 x4
2 sin x cos x − 2x
= lim
x→0 4x3
sin 2x − 2x
= lim
x→0 4x3
2 cos 2x − 2
= lim
x→0 12x2
6 Chapter 1 Indeterminate Forms
cos 2x − 1
= lim
x→0 6x2
−2 sin 2x
= lim
x→0 6(2x)
2 sin 2x
= − lim
6 x→0 2x
1
= − .
3
1
Example 2.0.10. Prove that lim cot x − = 0.
x→0 x
Solution. The given form is ∞ − ∞. Observe that
1
lim cot x −
x→0 x
1 1
= lim −
x→0 tan x x
x − tan x
= lim
x→0 x tan x
x − tan x x
= lim
x→0 x2 tan x
x − tan x
= lim (1)
x→0 x2
1 − sec2 x
= lim
x→0 2x
−2 sec2 x tan x
= lim
x→0 2
= 0.
1 x 1
Example 2.0.11. Prove that lim − =− .
x→1 log x x − 1 2
Solution. The given form is ∞ − ∞. Observe that
1 x
lim −
x→1 log x x − 1
x − 1 − x log x
= lim
x→1 log x(x − 1)
1 − x x1 − log x
= lim
x→1 log x + (x − 1) 1
x
Sec 1.1 Indeterminate Forms 7
− log x
= lim 1
x→1 log x + 1 −
x
− x1
= lim 1
x→1
x
+ x12
1
= − .
2
Example 2.0.12. Evaluate lim (sin x)tan x .
x→π/2
Thus
log L = 0 ⇒ L = e0 = 1.
1−cos x
1
Example 2.0.13. Evaluate lim .
x→0 x
Solution. The given form is ∞0 . Let
1−cos x
1
L = lim
x→0 x
1
⇒ log L = lim (1 − cos x) log
x→0 x
x
= lim 2 sin2 (− log x)
x→0 2
sin2 x2 x 2
= 2 lim ·
x 2
(− log x)
x→0 2
2
2
= lim x2 (− log x)
4 x→0
8 Chapter 1 Indeterminate Forms
1 (− log x)
= lim 1
2 x→0 x2
1 −1
= lim x2
2 x→0 − x3
1 x2
= lim = 0.
2 x→0 2
Thus
log L = 0 ⇒ L = e0 = 1.
1
Example 2.0.14. Evaluate lim (1 − x2 ) log(1−x) .
x→1
1
log 1 − x2
⇒ log L = lim
x→1 log(1 − x)
2x
− 1−x 2
= lim 1
x→1 − 1−x
2x(1 − x)
= lim
x→1 (1 − x)(1 + x)
2x
= lim = 1.
x→1 1 + x
Thus
log L = 1 ⇒ L = e1 = e.
1
⇒ log L = lim log(ax + x)
x→0 x
log(ax + x)
= lim
x→0 x
1
ax +x
(ax log a + 1)
= lim
x→0 1
ax log a + 1
= lim
x→0 ax + x
Sec 1.1 Indeterminate Forms 9
a0 log a + 1
= lim
x→0 a0 + 0
log a + log e
= lim
x→0 1
= log ae.
Thus
log L = log ae ⇒ L = ae.
Exercise
log (x − π2 )
(16) lim a1/x − 1 x
(7) lim x→∞
x→π/2 tan x
1/log(1−x)
(8) lim logtan x tan 2x (17) lim (1 − x2 )
x→1
x→0
x
πx ax + 1
(9) lim (x2 − 1) tan (18) lim
x→1 2 x→∞ ax − 1
sin 2x + a sin x
Exercise 2.0.2. If lim is finite, find the value of a and hence limit.
x→0 x3
x(1 + a cos x) − b sin x
Exercise 2.0.3. If lim = 1, find the value of a and b.
x→0 x3
sin x3 − x3
Exercise 2.0.4. Use Taylor’s series to conjecture lim
x→0 x9
sin x sin−1 x − x3
Exercise 2.0.5. Use Taylor’s series to conjecture lim
x→0 x6
10 Chapter 1 Indeterminate Forms
Answers
1 1 1 − log a 2 4 1
2.0.1 (1) − (2) 2 (3) (4) 1 (5) (6) − (7) 0 (8) 1 (9) − (10) −
4 2 1 + log a 3 π 2
π 2 2 1/3 2/a
(11) (12) (13) e (14) e (15) 1 (16) log a (17) e (18) e
4 3
5 3 1 1
2.0.2 a = −2, −1 2.0.3 a = − , b = − 2.0.4 − 2.0.5
2 2 6 18
Viva Questions
sin x
(1) What is the value of lim ? (1)
x→0 x
tan x
(2) What is the value of lim ? (1)
x→0 x
(3) Which are the different indeterminate forms?
(4) Which rule you apply to find the limit of a function having an indeterminate form?
1
(5) What is the value of lim sin ? (does not exist)
x→0 x
1
(6) What is the value of lim x sin ? (0)
x→0 x
x+2 if x 6= 0 x+1 if x 6= 0
(7) Let f (x) = and g(x) =
0 if x = 0 0 if x = 0
f 0(x)
(a) What is lim ? (1)
x→0g0(x)
f (x)
(b) What is lim ? (2)
x→0 g(x)