Mathematics for Engineering: Calculus

Chapter 2: LIMITS
Department of Mathematics, FPT University
LIMITS

2.1
A Preview of Calculus
 THE TANGENT PROBLEM Example 1
We know that the slope of the secant line PQ is

How to find an equation of the tangent line to the parabola

y = x2 at the point P(1,1)?
THE VELOCITY PROBLEM Example 2

Investigate the example of a

falling ball.
 Suppose that a ball is dropped
from the upper observation
deck of the CN Tower in
Toronto, 450 m above the
ground.

 Find the velocity of the ball

after 5 seconds.
THE VELOCITY PROBLEM

If the distance fallen after t seconds is denoted by s(t) and

measured in meters, then Galileo’s law is expressed by
the following equation.

s(t) = 4.9t2
 THE VELOCITY PROBLEM

change in position
average velocity =
time elapsed
s 5.1  s 5 
  49.49 m/s
0.1

Thus, the (instantaneous)

velocity after 5 s is:

v = 49 m/s
 THE AREA PROBLEM Example 3
We begin by attempting to solve the area problem:
Find the area of the region S that lies under the
curve y = f(x) from a to b.
LIMITS

2.2
The Limit of a Function
THE LIMIT OF A FUNCTION

In general, we write

if we can make the values

of f(x) arbitrarily close to L
by taking x to be
sufficiently close to a
but not equal to a.
ONE-SIDED LIMITS

We write

if we can make the values of f(x) arbitrarily close to L by

taking x to be sufficiently close to a and x less than a.
ONE-SIDED LIMITS

Similarly, “the right-hand limit of f(x) as x approaches a is

equal to L” and we write
 INFINITE LIMITS

Let f be a function defined on both sides of a, except

possibly at a itself. Then,

means that the values of f(x)

can be made arbitrarily large
by taking x sufficiently
close to a, but not equal to a.
INFINITE LIMITS

Let f be defined on both sides of a, except possibly at a

itself. Then,

means that the values of f(x)

can be made arbitrarily
large negative by taking x
sufficiently close to a,
but not equal to a.
INFINITE LIMITS

Similar definitions can be given for the one-sided limits:

 DEFINITIONS

• x=a is called the vertical asymptote of f(x)

if we have one of the following:
LIMITS

2.3
The Limit Laws

In this section, we will:

Use the Limit Laws to calculate limits.
THE LIMIT LAWS
Suppose that c is a constant and the limits
and exist. Then

1.lim  f ( x)  g ( x)   lim f ( x)  lim g ( x)

x a x a x a

f ( x) lim f ( x)
5.lim  xa
if lim g ( x)  0
x a g ( x) lim g ( x) x a
xa
USING THE LIMIT LAWS

where n is a positive integer.

USING THE LIMIT LAWS

if and only if
USING THE LIMIT LAWS Example 4

Prove that does not exist.

 PROPERTIES OF LIMITS

If when x is near a (except possibly at

a) and the limits of f and g both exist as x approaches
a, then
SQUEEZE THEOREM
The Squeeze Theorem (the Sandwich Theorem or the Pinching Theorem)

states that, if
when x is near a (except possibly at
a) and .Then
USING THE LIMIT LAWS Example 5

1
Show that lim x sin  0.
2
x 0 x
 Note that we cannot use

 This is because does not exist.

 USING THE LIMIT LAWS Example 5

 However, since ,
we have:

 Taking f(x) = -x2, and h(x) = x2

in the Squeeze Theorem,
we obtain:
 QUIZ QUESTIONS

1) If lim f ( x)  0, lim g ( x)  0
x 3 x 3

f ( x)
then lim does not exist
x 3 g ( x )

a. True b. False
 QUIZ QUESTIONS

If lim f ( x) g ( x) exists, then the limit must be f (3) g (3)

x 3

a. True b. False
LIMITS

2.4
Continuity

In this section, we will:

See that the mathematical definition of continuity
corresponds closely with the meaning of the word
continuity in everyday language.
 CONTINUITY

A function f is continuous at a number a if:

Notice that :
 f(a) is defined - that is,
a is in the domain of f
 exists.

 CONTINUITY Definition

If f is defined near a - that is, f is defined on an open interval

containing a, except perhaps at a - we say that f is
discontinuous at a if f is not continuous at a.

The figure shows the graph of a

function f.
At which numbers is f
discontinuous?
Why?
CONTINUITY
CONTINUITY Definition

A function f is continuous from the right

at a number a if

and f is continuous from the left at a if

 CONTINUITY Definition

A function f is continuous on an interval if it is

continuous at every number in the interval.
 If f is defined only on one side of an endpoint of the interval,
we understand ‘continuous at the endpoint’ to mean
‘continuous from the right’ or ‘continuous from the left.’
CONTINUITY Theorem

If f and g are continuous at a; and c is a constant, then the

following functions are also continuous at a:

1. f + g

2. f - g

3. cf

4. fg

5.
 CONTINUITY Theorem

The following types of functions are continuous at

every number in their domains:
 Polynomials

 Rational functions

 Root functions

 Trigonometric functions
 CONTINUITY Theorem

If f is continuous at b and then

In other words,

 If x is close to a, then g(x) is close to b; and, since f

is continuous at b, if g(x) is close to b, then f(g(x))
is close to f(b).
 CONTINUITY Theorem

If g is continuous at a and f is continuous at g(a),

then the composite function
is continuous at a.
 This theorem is often expressed informally by saying
“a continuous function of a continuous function is
a continuous function.”
INTERMEDIATE VALUE THEOREM Theorem

Suppose that f is continuous on the closed interval

[a, b] and let N be any number between f(a) and f(b),
where

Then, there exists a number c in (a, b) such that f(c) = N.

 INTERMEDIATE VALUE THEOREM Example 6

Show that there is a root of the equation

between 1 and 2.

 Let .

 We are looking for a solution of the given equation—

that is, a number c between 1 and 2 such that f(c) = 0.

 Therefore, we take a = 1, b = 2, and N = 0 in the theorem.

 We have
and
 QUIZ QUESTIONS

1) If f(1)>0 and f(3)<0 then there exists a number c between 1 and 3

such that f(c)=0

a. True b. False

2) Which is the equation expressing the fact that “ f is continuous at 2”?

a. lim f ( x)  2 b. lim f ( x)  f (2)

x2 x 

c. lim f ( x)  0 d. lim f ( x)  
x2 x 2

e. lim f ( x)  f (2)
x2
 LIMITS AT INFINITY

Let f be a function defined for every x>a. Then

lim f ( x)  L means that   0, M  0

x 

if x  M then f ( x)  L  
 DEFINITION
The line y=L is called the horizontal asymptote
of f(x) if we have one of the following:

lim f  x   L lim f  x   L
x  x 
 Example
Find the asymptotes of the function
x3  1
f ( x)  3
x  x2  2
Solution
1
1 3
x3  1 x
lim 3  lim 1 y=1 is horizontal asymptote
x  x  x 2  2 x  1 2
1  3
x x
x3  1  x  1  x 2  x  1

x  x  2 ( x  1)( x 2  2 x  2)
3 2

x3  1 3
lim 3 
x 1 x  x 2  2 5
 Example

Compute
1
a. lim sin 0
x  x
b.
lim( x 2  1  x) 0
x 

c. lim sin x Does not exist

x 

d. lim( x  x 3 )
x 
 QUIZ QUESTIONS

1) Find lim cos x

x 

a. 0 b. infinity c. 1 d. Does not exist

1
2) Find lim cos x
x  x

a. 0 b. infinity c. 1 d. Dose not exist

 QUIZ QUESTIONS

3) If lim f ( x)  , lim g ( x)  
x 0 x 0

Then lim[ f ( x)  g ( x)]  0

x 0

a. True b. False

4) A function can have two different horizontal asymptotes

a. True b. False
Thanks