Calculus 1

Limits of
Functions
Engr. Aure Flo Oraya, MSCE
 Calculus 1

Definition of the Limit

of a Function
 Calculus 1

Considering the function

2𝑥 2 +𝑥−3
𝑓 𝑥 =
𝑥−1

By now, you should

already know how to
graph functions.

We can get the values of

f(x) except for x=1.
 Calculus 1

We can determine the value of f(x) by denoting values of x

close to 1.
Values of x less than 1 Values of x greater than 1

𝒙 𝟐𝒙𝟐 + 𝒙 − 𝟑 𝒙 𝟐𝒙𝟐 + 𝒙 − 𝟑
𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝒙−𝟏 𝒙−𝟏
0 3 2 7
0.25 3.5 1.75 6.5
0.5 4 1.5 6.0
0.75 4.5 1.25 5.5
0.9 4.8 1.1 5.2
0.99 4.98 1.01 5.02
0.999 4.998 1.001 5.002
0.9999 4.9998 1.0001 5.0002
0.99999 4.99998 1.00001 5.00002
 Calculus 1

We can determine the value of f(x) by denoting values of x

close to 1.
Values of x less than 1 Values of x greater than 1

𝒙 𝟐𝒙𝟐 + 𝒙 − 𝟑 𝒙 𝟐𝒙𝟐 + 𝒙 − 𝟑
𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒇 𝒙 =
𝒙−𝟏 𝒙−𝟏
0 3 2 7
As the value of x approaches 1.0,
0.25 3.5 1.75 6.5
the values of f(x) also approach 5.
0.5 4 1.5 6.0
0.75 4.5 1.25 5.5
0.9 4.8 1.1 5.2
0.99 4.98 1.01 5.02
0.999 4.998 1.001 5.002
0.9999 4.9998 1.0001 5.0002
0.99999 4.99998 1.00001 5.00002
 Calculus 1

For every ±0.1 difference in x, there is a ±0.2 difference in y or f(x).

For every ±0.01 difference in x, there is a ±0.02 difference in y or
f(x).

Given any positive number 𝜖,

we can make 𝑓 𝑥 − 5 < 𝜖
by taking 𝑥 − 1 small enough;
that is there is more sufficiently small positive number 𝛿 such
that 𝑖𝑓 0 < 𝑥 − 1 < 𝛿 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑓 𝑥 − 5 < 𝜖.

We can make the difference between x and 1 as small as we

can (say 0.000001) and the difference between f(x) and 5 will
also be small (say 0.00002).

lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 5
𝑥→1
 Calculus 1
Definition
of the Limit of a Function
Let 𝑓 be a function defined at every number in some
open interval containing 𝑎, except possibly at the
number 𝑎 itself. The limit of 𝑓(𝑥) as 𝑥 approaches 𝑎 is 𝐿,
written as,
lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝐿
𝑥→𝑎
If the following statement is true:
Given any 𝜖 > 0, however small, there exists a 𝛿 > 0
such that if
0 < 𝑥 − 𝑎 < 𝛿 then 𝑓 𝑥 − 𝐿 < 𝜖
 Calculus 1

Limit Theorems
 Calculus 1

Limit Theorems
• Limit Theorem 1: Limit of a Linear Function
lim 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑏 = 𝑚𝑎 + 𝑏
𝑥→𝑎

Example:
lim 3𝑥 − 1 = 3 2 − 1
𝑥→2
lim 3𝑥 − 1 = 5
𝑥→2

• Limit Theorem 2: Limit of a Constant

If c is a constant, then for any number a,
lim 𝑐 = 𝑐
𝑥→𝑎
Example:
lim 9 = 9
𝑥→1
 Calculus 1

Limit Theorems
• Limit Theorem 3: Limit of the Identity Function
lim 𝑥 = 𝑎
𝑥→𝑎

Example:
lim 𝑥 = 1
𝑥→1
 Calculus 1

Limit Theorems
• Limit Theorem 4: Limit of the Sum and
Difference of Two Functions
If lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝐿 and lim 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑀 , then
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
lim 𝑓 𝑥 ± 𝑔 𝑥 =𝐿±𝑀
𝑥→𝑎
Example:
Determine lim 𝑓 𝑥 − 𝑔 𝑥 if 𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 + 7 and 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥
𝑥→3
lim 𝑓 𝑥 − 𝑔 𝑥 = lim 𝑓(𝑥) − lim 𝑔(𝑥)
𝑥→3 𝑥→3 𝑥→3
lim 𝑓 𝑥 = lim (3𝑥 + 7) lim 𝑔 𝑥 = lim (𝑥)
𝑥→3 𝑥→3 𝑥→3 𝑥→3
lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 3 3 + 7 = 16 lim 𝑔 𝑥 = 3
𝑥→3 𝑥→3
lim 𝑓 𝑥 − 𝑔 𝑥 = 16 − 3
𝑥→3
lim 𝑓 𝑥 − 𝑔 𝑥 = 13
𝑥→3
 Calculus 1

Limit Theorems
• Limit Theorem 5: Limit of the Sum and
Difference of n Functions
If lim 𝑓1 𝑥 = 𝐿1 , lim 𝑓2 𝑥 = 𝐿2 , . . . . , and lim 𝑓𝑛 𝑥 = 𝐿𝑛 ,
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
then
lim 𝑓1 𝑥 ± lim 𝑓2 𝑥 ± . . . ± lim 𝑓𝑛 𝑥 = 𝐿1 ± 𝐿2 ± ⋯ ± 𝐿𝑛 .
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎

(This is related to the Limit Theorem 4, only that you have here
more than 2 functions.)
 Calculus 1

Limit Theorems
• Limit Theorem 6: Limit of the Product of Two
Functions
If lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝐿 and lim 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑀 ,
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
then
lim 𝑓 𝑥 ∙ 𝑔 𝑥 =𝐿∙𝑀
𝑥→𝑎
Example:
Determine lim 𝑓 𝑥 ∗ 𝑔 𝑥 if 𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 + 7 and 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥
𝑥→3
lim 𝑓 𝑥 ∗ 𝑔 𝑥 = [lim 𝑓(𝑥)] ∗ [lim 𝑔(𝑥)]
𝑥→3 𝑥→3 𝑥→3

lim 𝑓 𝑥 = lim (3𝑥 + 7) lim 𝑔 𝑥 = lim (𝑥)

𝑥→3 𝑥→3 𝑥→3 𝑥→3
lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 3 3 + 7 = 16 lim 𝑔 𝑥 = 3
𝑥→3 𝑥→3
lim 𝑓 𝑥 ∗ 𝑔 𝑥 = 16 ∗ 3
𝑥→3
lim 𝑓 𝑥 − 𝑔 𝑥 = 48
𝑥→3
 Calculus 1

Limit Theorems
• Limit Theorem 7: Limit of the Product of n
Functions
If lim 𝑓1 𝑥 = 𝐿1 , lim 𝑓2 𝑥 = 𝐿2 , . . . . , and lim 𝑓𝑛 𝑥 = 𝐿𝑛 ,
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
then
lim [𝑓1 𝑥 𝑓2 𝑥 … 𝑓𝑛 𝑥 = 𝐿1 𝐿2 … 𝐿𝑛
𝑥→𝑎

(This is related to the Limit Theorem 6, only

that you have here more than 2 functions.)
 Calculus 1

Limit Theorems
• Limit Theorem 8: Limit of the nth Power of a
Function
If lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝐿
𝑥→𝑎
and n is any positive integer,
then lim [𝑓 𝑥 ]𝑛 = 𝐿𝑛 .
𝑥→𝑎
Example:
lim 𝑥 2 = 32 = 9
𝑥→3

lim 3𝑥 − 1 2 = (3 2 − 1)2
𝑥→2
lim 3𝑥 − 1 = 52 = 25
𝑥→2
 Calculus 1

Limit Theorems
• Limit Theorem 9: Limit of the Quotient of Two
Functions
If lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝐿 𝑎𝑛𝑑 lim 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑀, then
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
𝑓(𝑥) 𝐿
lim 𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑀
𝑖𝑓 𝑀≠0
𝑥→𝑎
Example:
𝑓 𝑥
Determine lim if 𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 + 7 and 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥
𝑥→3 𝑔 𝑥
[lim 𝑓(𝑥)]
𝑓 𝑥
lim = 𝑥→3
𝑥→3 𝑔 𝑥 [lim 𝑔(𝑥)]
𝑥→3
lim 𝑓 𝑥 = lim (3𝑥 + 7) lim 𝑔 𝑥 = lim (𝑥)
𝑥→3 𝑥→3 𝑥→3 𝑥→3
lim 𝑓 𝑥 = 3 3 + 7 = 16 lim 𝑔 𝑥 = 3
𝑥→3 𝑥→3
𝑓 𝑥 16
lim =
𝑥→3 𝑔 𝑥 3
 Calculus 1

Other Limit Theorems

• Limit Theorem 10:
If 𝑎 is any real number except zero,
1 1
then lim =
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥 𝑎
Example:
1 1
lim =
𝑥→3 𝑥 3

• Limit Theorem 11:

If 𝑎 > 0 and 𝑛 is a positive even integer, or if 𝑎 ≤ 0
and 𝑛 is an odd positive integer,
𝑛 𝑛
thenlim 𝑥= 𝑎.
𝑥→𝑎
Example:
3
lim 3 𝑥 = 8=2
𝑥→8
 Calculus 1

Other Limit Theorems

Example:
Evaluate the lim 6𝑧 2 − 13𝑧 + 12
𝑧→2

 Applying Limit Theorem 4

lim 6𝑧 2 − 13𝑧 + 12 = lim 6𝑧 2 − lim 13𝑧 + lim 12
𝑧→2 𝑧→2 𝑧→2
𝑧→2

 Applying Limit Theorem 1 and 8 on the first term, Limit Theorem 1 on

the second term and Limit Theorem 2 on the last term
lim 6𝑧 2 − 13𝑧 + 12 = 6(2)2 −13 2 + 12
𝑧→2
lim 6𝑧 2 − 13𝑧 + 12 = 10
𝑧→2
 Reference:
The Calculus 7 by Louis Leithold

This notes was prepared for the delivery of the class EM 111.
Do not distribute this without the authority of the instructor.
ACTIVITY - PROBLEM SET