Limits and Continuity
LESSON 1 Introduction to Limits
OBJECTIVES
Illustrate the limit of a function using
a table of values and the graph of the
function
Differentiate between and f(c)
The concept of “limit” is the building block
on which all the underlying concepts of
calculus are based.
The Idea of Limits
The behavior of a function close to a certain
point.
Example: f(x)= x2 as x approaches 2
The value of the function when x=2 is
f(x)=4.
Let x take values near 2.
From the Left of 2 From the right of 2
f(1.99)= 3.9601 f(2.01)= 4.0401
f(1.999)= 3.996001 f(2.001)= 4.004001
3.99960001 f(2.0001)= 4.00040001
f(1.9999)=
f(2.00001)=
f(1.99999)=
3.9999600001 4.0000400001
… …
Using the previous computation we can
see that when the value of x approaches 2
( written as x2),
from the left or the right, the value of f(x)
gets closer and closer to the value 4.
This value 4 is said to be the limit , or limiting value
of the function when x approaches the value 2, and
written as
‘‘The limit of f(x) as x approaches 2 is 4.”
If , the height of the graph of f(x)
approaches 4 as x approaches 2.
Let f(x) be a given function of x. If the function
f(x) approaches the real number L as x
approaches a particular value of c, then we
say that L is the limit of f as x approaches c.
The notation for this definition is
‘‘The limit of f(x) as x approaches c is L.”
The limit , may or may not exist
When the limit f(x) exist , it must be a
single number
Examples
From the Right of 2
From the Left of 2
The tables show that as x
approaches 2, f(x)
approaches 7
Examples
From the Left of -1 From the Right of -1
The tables show
that as x
approaches 1, f(x)
approaches 2
Examples
x 5x 4
2
The function f ( x) x 1 is not defined
at which value of x?
Why?
What happens to the values of f(x) when x is very
close to 1?
Examples
The straight substitution of x=1 fails since
12 5(1) 4 0
f (1)
11 0
Does the limit of the function exist?
Examples
From the Left of 1 From the Right of 1
The tables show that as x
approaches 1, f(x)
approaches -3
x 2 5 x 4 x 4x 1
f ( x) x4
x 1 x 1
provided that x≠ 1
Hence the graph of f(x) is also the
graph of y=x-4 excluding the point x=1
f(x)= x-4
x 0 1 2
F(x) -4 -3 -2
Examples
The function
does not exist at which value of x?
Undefined at x=3.
The straight substitution of x=3 fails since
Evaluate f at several numbers that are very
close to 3.
x3 from left
x 2.9 2.99 2.999 2.9999 3
f(x) 5.9 5.99 5.999 5.9999
x3 from right
x 3.0001 3.001 3.01 3.1
f(x) 6.0001 6.001 6.01 6.1
Sketch the graph of showing
its limits as x approaches 3.
Examples
x0 from left x0 from right
In this case, when x approaches 4 from the left, the
values taken should be substituted in f(x) = x + 1.
This is the part of the function which accepts
values less than 4
When x approaches 4 from the right, the values
taken should be substituted in f(x)=(x-4)2 + 3
Observe that the values that f(x) approaches are not equal, namely,
f(x) approaches 5 from the left while it approaches 3 from the
right.
The limit of the given function does not exist (DNE)
We do not say that “equals DNE”, nor
do we write = DNE”, because “DNE” is not
a value.
“DNE” indicated that the function moves in
different directions as its variable approaches c
from the left and from the right.
In other cases, the limit fails to exist because it is
undefined, such as for
which leads to division of 1 by zero.
Limit Notations
• If x approaches c from the left, or through
values less than c, then we write
• If x approaches c from the right, or through
values greater than c, then we write
We say,
if and only if
For a limit L to exist, the limits from the left
and from the right must both exist and be
equal to L.
are also referred to as one-sided limits,
since you only consider values on one
side of c.
In the example because
and
In the example
because
and
In the example
because
and
In the example
because
1.) Without a table of values and without graphing
f(x), give the values of the following limits and
explain how you arrived at your evaluation.
2. Consider the function
whose graph is shown below.
What can be said about
?
Does it exist or not? Why?
Answer:
The limit does not exist.
From the graph itself, as x-values
approach 0, the arrows move in
opposite directions.
Construct a table of values to prove that
the limit does not exist.
3. Consider the function
whose graph is shown below.
What can be said
about
?
Does it exist or not?
Why?
Answer:
The limit does not exist. Although as x-values
approach 0, the arrows seem to move in the same
direction, they will not “stop” at a limiting value.
In the absence of such a definite limiting value,
we still say the limit does not exist.
TOPIC 1.2: The Limit of a Function at
c versus the Value of the Function at c
LIMIT THEOREMS
C is a constant, and f and g are functions which may
or may not have c in their domains.
1. The limit of a constant is itself. If k is any
constant, then
Examples:
LIMIT THEOREMS
2. The limit of x as x approaches c is equal to
c. This may be thought of as the substitution
law, because x is simply substituted by c.
Examples:
LIMIT THEOREMS
Assume that the limits of f and g both exist
as x approaches c and that they are L and
M, respectively. In other words,
LIMIT THEOREMS
3. The Constant Multiple
Theorem:
This says that the limit of a multiple of a
function is simply that multiple of the
limit of the function.
LIMIT THEOREMS
3. The Constant Multiple Theorem
Example:
LIMIT THEOREMS
4. The Addition Theorem:
The limit of a sum of functions is the sum of the limits
of the individual functions.
(includes Subtraction)
The limit of a difference of functions is the difference
of their limits.
LIMIT THEOREMS
4. The Addition Theorem:
Example:
LIMIT THEOREMS
5. The Multiplication Theorem:
The limit of a product of functions is
equal to the product of their limits.
LIMIT THEOREMS
Remark 1:
The Addition and Multiplication
Theorems may be applied to sums,
differences, and products of more
than two functions.
LIMIT THEOREMS
Remark 2:
The Constant Multiple Theorem is a
special case of the Multiplication
Theorem. Indeed, in the Multiplication
Theorem, if the first function f(x) is
replaced by a constant k, the result is
the Constant Multiple Theorem.
LIMIT THEOREMS
6. The Division Theorem:
The limit of a quotient of functions is equal to
the quotient of the limits of the individual
functions, provided the denominator limit is not
equal to 0.
LIMIT THEOREMS
6. The Division Theorem
Examples:
LIMIT THEOREMS
6. The Division Theorem
Examples:
LIMIT THEOREMS
6. The Division Theorem
Examples:
LIMIT THEOREMS
7. The Power Theorem:
The limit of an integer power p of a
function is just that power of the limit of
the function.
LIMIT THEOREMS
LIMIT THEOREMS
8. The Radical/Root Theorem:
If n is a positive integer, the limit of the nth root of
a function is just the nth root of the limit of the
function, provided the nth root of the limit is a real
number. Thus, it is important to keep in mind that if
n is even, the limit of the function must be positive
LIMIT THEOREMS
