Calculus WIs

Lecture 3 Limits of Functions, Asymptotes, Continuity

∞ 𝑝>0
𝑝 ∞ 𝑝>1 0 𝑝>1
1. lim 𝑥 = { 1 𝑝=0 2. lim 𝑝 𝑥 = { lim 𝑝 𝑥 = {
𝑥→∞ 𝑥→∞ 0 0<𝑝<1 𝑥→−∞ ∞ 0<𝑝<1
0 𝑝<0

1 𝑥 𝐶 𝑥
3. lim (1 + ) = 𝑒 lim (1 + ) = 𝑒 𝐶
𝑥→±∞ 𝑥 𝑥→±∞ 𝑥

sin 𝑥 5. lim+ ln 𝑥 = −∞, lim ln 𝑥 = ∞

4. lim =1 𝑥→0 𝑥→∞
𝑥→0 𝑥

𝜋 𝜋
6. lim arc tg 𝑥 = − , lim arc tg 𝑥 = , lim arc ctg 𝑥 = 𝜋, lim arc ctg 𝑥 = 0
𝑥→−∞ 2 𝑥→∞ 2 𝑥→−∞ 𝑥→∞

A function f is continuous * If there exist two different sequences 𝑎𝑛 , 𝑏𝑛 such that if

at point 𝑥0 iff 𝑎𝑛 → 𝑥0 ⇒ 𝑓(𝑎𝑛 ) → ℎ, but 𝑏𝑛 → 𝑥0 ⇒ 𝑓(𝑏𝑛 ) → 𝑔 and
𝑔 ≠ ℎ , then the limit of 𝑓 at 𝑎 does not exist.
lim 𝑓(𝑥) = lim− 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑓(𝑥0 )
𝑥→𝑥0+ 𝑥→𝑥0

Asymptotes

The line 𝑦 = 𝐴 is a horizontal asymptote for f if

lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝐴 or lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝐴
𝑥→+∞ 𝑥→−∞

The line x = a is a vertical asymptote of f if either of the following conditions hold:

lim 𝑓(𝑥) = ±∞ (𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 − ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑) or lim 𝑓(𝑥) = ±∞ (𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 − ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑)
𝑥→𝑎+ 𝑥→𝑎−
ADD-on Slant asymptote
Let y = m x + b, be any non-vertical line, then the function f (x) is asymptotic to it at
+∞ or − ∞ if the following limits exist and are finite
𝑓(𝑥) 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑚 = lim , 𝑜𝑟 𝑚 = lim
𝑥→+∞ 𝑥 𝑥→−∞ 𝑥

𝑘 = lim [𝑓(𝑥) − 𝑚𝑥] 𝑜𝑟 𝑘 = lim [𝑓(𝑥) − 𝑚𝑥]

𝑥→+∞ 𝑥→−∞

1. If lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 0, lim 𝑔(𝑥) = ∞, what, if anything, can be said about

𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
𝑓(𝑥)
𝑎) lim [𝑓(𝑥) + 𝑔(𝑥)] 𝑏) lim 𝑐)lim 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑔(𝑥)
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎 𝑔(𝑥) 𝑥→𝑎

𝑔(𝑥)
𝑑) lim (2 + 𝑓(𝑥)) 𝑒) lim 𝑓(𝑥)𝑔(𝑥) 𝑓) lim 𝑔(𝑥) 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
1 1
𝑔) lim ℎ) lim
𝑥→𝑎 𝑔(𝑥) 𝑥→𝑎 𝑓(𝑥)

1
 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑖) Suppose that 𝑥 = 3 jis in the domain of 𝑓 and lim = 𝑎, 𝑎 ∈ 𝑅. Find 𝑓(3).
𝑥→3 𝑥−3
𝑓(𝑥)−4
j) If lim = 3, find lim 𝑓(𝑥).
𝑥→3 𝑥−2 𝑥→3

2. Calculate the limits at infinity:

𝑎) lim (𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 + 3) 𝑏) lim (𝑥 4 − 3𝑥 3 + 3) 𝑐) lim (𝑥 5 + 𝑥 4 − 2𝑥 3 + 1)

𝑥→∞ 𝑥→−∞ 𝑥→−∞

𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 + 2 −𝑥 5 32𝑥 − 1
𝑑) lim 𝑒) lim 𝑓) lim
𝑥→−∞ 2 + 2𝑥 − 4𝑥 2 𝑥→−∞ 1 + 4𝑥 2 𝑥→∞ 6𝑥 − 1

𝑔) lim (√𝑥 2 + 𝑥) ℎ) lim (√𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 + 1 − 𝑥) 𝑖) lim (√𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 + 5 + 𝑥)

𝑥→−∞ 𝑥→∞ 𝑥→−∞

3. The “e limit”:
3𝑥2 +4
2𝑥 − 1 3𝑥 3𝑥 2 − 1
𝑎) lim ( ) 𝑏) lim ( 2 )
𝑥→∞ 2𝑥 + 5 𝑥→∞ 3𝑥 + 5

4. The "multiply by conjugate limit"

𝑥 𝑥 𝑥−4
𝑎) lim 𝑏) lim− 𝑐) lim
𝑥→0+ √𝑥 2 +9−3 𝑥→0 √𝑥 2 + 9 − 3 𝑥→4 √𝑥 −2

√𝑥 − 5 𝑥 + √𝑥
𝑑) lim 𝑒) lim+
𝑥→25 𝑥 − 25 𝑥→0 𝑥 − √𝑥

5. Calculate the right- or left-hand limits:

2𝑥 5 + 3𝑥 3 − 6𝑥 2𝑥 5 + 3𝑥 3 − 6𝑥
𝑎) lim+ 𝑏) lim−
𝑥→0 𝑥5 + 𝑥2 𝑥→0 𝑥5 + 𝑥2
1 1 1
𝑐) lim+ 2𝑥 𝑑) lim− 2𝑥 𝑒) lim− 2𝑥−3
𝑥→0 𝑥→0 𝑥→3
1 1
𝑓) lim− arctan 𝑔 ) lim− arctan 2
𝑥→0 𝑥 𝑥→0 𝑥

6. The “sinx/x limit“: use the de L’Hospitals Rule – after covering Lecture 5

sin 3𝑥 sin 2𝑥 tan 7𝑥

𝑎) lim 𝑏) lim 𝑐) lim
𝑥→0 5𝑥 𝑥→0 sin 7𝑥 𝑥→0 tan 6𝑥

𝑥−5 sin(3𝑥 2 ) sin 𝑥

𝑑) lim 𝑒) lim+ 𝑓) lim+
𝑥→5 sin(3(𝑥 − 5)) 𝑥→0 sin 5𝑥 𝑥→2 𝑥2

sin(𝑥 2 − 4) sin (2 sin 5𝑥)

𝑔) lim ℎ) lim
𝑥→2 sin(𝑥 − 2) 𝑥→0 sin 5𝑥

7. Show that the following limit does not exist (hint: use two sequences or RH / LH limits):

2
 |𝑥| 1 1 𝜋 1
𝑎) lim 𝑏) lim 2
𝑒) lim 𝑒 𝑥 𝑑) lim ( − arctan )
𝑥→0 𝑥 𝑥→1 𝑥 − 1 𝑥→0 𝑥→0 2 𝑥

8. Determine whether the following functions are continuous

sin 𝑥 𝑥
, 𝑥 ≠ 0 , 𝑥≠0
𝑎) 𝑓(𝑥) = { 𝑥 𝑏) 𝑓(𝑥) = {|𝑥|
2, 𝑥=0 5, 𝑥 = 0
1 1
𝑥 sin 𝑥 , 𝑥 ≠ 0 −
𝑐) 𝑓(𝑥) = { 𝑑) 𝑓(𝑥) = { 𝑒 𝑥 , 𝑥≠0
0, 𝑥=0 0, 𝑥=0

9. Find the values of 𝑎 ∈ 𝑅, for which the following function is continuous in its domain
sin(𝑥 − 2)
𝑎 𝑥<2
𝑥−2
𝑓(𝑥) =
𝑥
arctg ( ) 𝑥≥2
{ 2

10. Find the values of the parameters 𝑎, 𝑏 ∈ 𝑅 for which the following function is
continuous in its domain
𝜋 1
−2 sin 𝑥 𝑥≤− 𝑎 + arctg ( ) 𝑥<1
2 𝑥−1
𝜋 𝜋 𝜋
𝑎) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑎 sin 𝑥 + 𝑏, − < 𝑥 < 𝑏) 𝑓(𝑥) = , 1≤𝑥<2
2 2 2
𝜋 𝑏 + ln(𝑥 − 1) 2≤𝑥
{ cos 𝑥 ≤ 𝑥
2 {

11. Match each function in (a) - ( f ) with its graph (labelled I-IV). Give reasons for your
choices.
1 x 1
( a ) f ( x) = , (b) f ( x) = , (c) f ( x) = ,
x −1 x −1 ( x − 1) 2
1 x x
( d ) f ( x) = 2 , (e) f ( x) = , ( f ) f ( x) = 2 ,
x −1 ( x − 1) 2
x −1

12. Find all the asymptotes of the following functions

3
 1 𝑥2 𝑥3
𝑎) 𝑓(𝑥) = 2
𝑏) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑐) 𝑓(𝑥) =
𝑥 −1 𝑥2 − 1 𝑥2 − 2
𝑥4 𝑥3 1
𝑑 ∗ ) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑒 ∗ ) 𝑓(𝑥) = √ 𝑓) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑒 𝑥 2 −1
(1 + 𝑥)3 𝑥−1
𝑥−3 ln 𝑥 2𝑥 + 3𝑥
𝑔) 𝑓(𝑥) = ℎ) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑖) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥
√𝑥 2 − 4 𝑥−2 2 − 3𝑥

𝑥2
𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑥 < 1
𝑥−1
𝑗) 𝑓(𝑥) =
ln 𝑥
{ 𝑥 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑥 ≥ 1

𝑒𝑥
𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑥 ≤ 2
𝑥−4
𝑘) 𝑓(𝑥) =
3𝑥 2
{𝑥 2 − 4 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑥 > 2

ln(𝑥 − 3)
𝑙) (𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑒 𝐿′ 𝐻𝑜𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙, 𝐿𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 5) 𝑓(𝑥) =
𝑒 𝑥−4 − 1

1
𝑚) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 arctan 𝑥 𝑛) 𝑓(𝑥) = ln ( + 𝑒 )
𝑥