• understand the L’Hospital’s Rule.

• determine the limits of indeterminate forms.

Chapter 8
8.3 L’Hospital’s Rule:
L’Hospital’s Rule 8.3.1 0/0 form:

The quotient fg(x)

(x)
of two functions f (x) and g(x) is undefined at x = a if g(a) = 0.
But if f (a) = 0 = g(a), then the ratio is of the indeterminate form 0/0 and we
8.1 Introduction can determine the limit of the ratio fg(x)
(x)
at x = a by the conception of derivatives.
8.2 Objectives In this connection we state a basic theorem known as L’Hospital’s Rule.

8.3 L’Hospital’s Rule

8.4 Summary ? L’Hospital’s rule: If the two functions f (x) and g(x) are
8.5 Exercises (i) continuous in the closed interval [a, a + h],
8.6 References (ii) derivable in the open interval (a, a + h) and
(iii) lim f (x) = 0 = lim g(x), where h > 0 is a suitably small number,
x→a+0 x→a+0

then,
f (x) f 0 (x)
lim = lim ,
8.1 Introduction: x→a+0 g(x) x→a+0 g 0 (x)

In this unit we investigated a very important application of mean value theorem. provided the limit of the right hand side exists.
φ(x) lim φ(x)
Proof: From the mean value theorem of Cauchy, we obtain
In the case lim = x→a , if both the limits lim φ(x) and lim ψ(x) are
x→a ψ(x) lim ψ(x) x→a x→a
x→a f (x) − f (a) f 0 (c)
zero then we face with the problem like 0/0 which is meaningless. Such a case is = 0 , a < c < x < a + h.
g(x) − g(a) g (c)
known as Indeterminate form.
f (x) f 0 (c)
Other indeterminate forms are ∞/∞, 0 × ∞, ∞ − ∞, 00 , 1∞ and ∞0 . For evalu- i.e., = 0 as f (a) = 0 = g(a).
g(x) g (c)
ation of indeterminate forms ∞/∞ or 0/0 we shall use a particular device known
as L’Hospital’s Rule. f (x) f 0 (c)
Therefore lim = lim .
x→a+0 g(x) x→a+0 g 0 (c)
Again since a < c < x, c → a + 0 when x → a + 0, we get
f (x) f 0 (c) f 0 (x)
lim = lim 0 = lim 0 .
x→a+0 g(x) x→a+0 g (c) x→a+0 g (x)
8.2 Objectives:
After going through this chapter, you will be able to:

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Note 8.3.1 It can be similarly shown that Thus by L’Hospital’s Rule
f (x) f 0 (x) f (x) f 0 (x)
lim = lim 0 lim = lim 0
x→a−0 g(x) x→a−0 g (x) x→0 g(x) x→0 g (x)
f (x) f 0 (x) sec2 x − 1 0
 
lim = lim 0 . = lim form
x→a g(x) x→a g (x) x→0 1 − cos x 0
f 00 (x)
= lim 00
x→0 g (x)
f 0 (x)
Note 8.3.2 If lim does not exist, then we should not conclude that 2 sec2 x tan x
x→a+0 g 0 (x) = lim
f (x) x→0 sin x
lim does not exist. = lim 2 sec3 x
x→a+0 g(x) x→0
= 2.
Note 8.3.3 L’Hospital’s Rule also holds when a = ∞.

? Generalization of L’Hospital’s Rule: If also lim f 0 (x) = 0 = lim g 0 (x), 8.3.2 ∞/∞ form:
x→a x→a
then If the two functions f (x) and g(x) are
f (x) f 0 (x) f 00 (x) (i) continuous in the closed interval [a, a + h],
lim = lim 0 = lim 00
x→a g(x) x→a g (x) x→a g (x)
(ii) derivable in the open interval (a, a + h) and
provided the last limit exists. (iii) lim f (x) = ∞ = lim g(x), where h > 0 is a suitably small number,
x→a x→a
We continue in this manner until one of the derivative g (r) (a) 6= 0.
then,

f (x) f 0 (x)
log(1 + x) lim = lim 0 ,
Example 8.3.1 Evaluate the limit lim . x→a g(x) x→a g (x)
x→0 x
Solution: Here provided the limit of the right hand side exists.
 
f (x) log(1 + x) 0
lim = lim form .
x→0 g(x) x→0 x 0 log x2
Example 8.3.3 Evaluate the limit lim .
Thus by L’Hospital’s Rule x→0 log cot2 x

f (x) f 0 (x) Solution: Here

lim = lim 0
g(x)
x→0 x→0 g (x) f (x) log x2 h∞ i
1 lim = lim form .
= lim x→0 g(x) x→0 log cot2 x ∞
x→0 1 + x
= 1.
tan x − x
Example 8.3.2 Evaluate the limit lim .
x→0 x − sin x

Solution: Here
 
f (x) tan x − x 0
lim = lim form .
x→0 g(x) x→0 x − sin x 0

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Thus by L’Hospital’s Rule 8.3.4 0 × ∞ form:
0 Let f (x) and g(x) be two functions such that lim f (x) = 0 and lim g(x) = ∞.
f (x) f (x)
lim = lim 0 x→a x→a
x→0 g(x) x→0 g (x) To find lim {f (x)g(x)}, we take
x→a
1
x2
.2x
= lim 1 f (x)
x→0
cot2 x
.2 cot x(−cosec2 x) f (x)g(x) = ,
sin x cos x

0
 1/{g(x)}
= − lim form
x→0 x 0 which is of the form 0/0 and can be evaluated by the method discussed in the
f 00 (x) form 8.3.1.
= lim 00
x→0 g (x)

cos2 x − sin2 x πx
= − lim Example 8.3.5 Evaluate the limit lim (1 − x) tan .
x→0 1 x→1 2
= −1.
Solution: Here
πx
lim (1 − x) tan [0 × ∞ form]
x→1
2
8.3.3 ∞ − ∞ form:

1−x 0
= lim πx form
x→1 cot 0
Let f (x) and g(x) be two functions such that lim f (x) = ∞ = lim g(x). To find 2
x→a x→a
−1
lim {f (x) − g(x)}, we take = lim π [by L’Hospital;s Rule]
x→a x→1 − cosec2 πx
2 2

1/g(x) − 1/f (x) 2

f (x) − g(x) = , = .
1/{f (x)g(x)} π

which is of the form 0/0 and can be evaluated by the method discussed in the
form 8.3.1. 8.3.5 00 , ∞0 , 1±∞ forms:

  The three exponential forms 00 , ∞0 , 1±∞ are dealt with by taking their loga-
1 2 rithms and each of the forms is reduced to the form 0 × ∞ already discussed in
Example 8.3.4 Evaluate the limit lim − .
x→0 x x(ex + 1) 8.3.4.
Solution: Here
    12
1 2 tan x x
lim − x
[∞ − ∞ form] Example 8.3.6 Find the limit lim .
x→0 x x(e + 1) x→0 x
x
 
e −1 0 Solution: Here the limit is of the form 1∞ .
= lim form
x→0 x(ex + 1) 0
1
Let y = tanx x x2 . Then log y = x12 log tanx x . Thus


ex
= lim x [using L’Hospital;s Rule]
x→0 e + 1 + xex
log tanx x

 
0
1 lim log y = lim form .
= . x→0 x→0 x 2 0
2

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  tan x  
Using L’Hospital’s Rule we get 1 x − sin x
(v) lim (vi) lim
x→0 x2 x→0 tan3 x
lim log y
e − e−x − 2 log(1 + x)
 x   
x→0 log(1 − x)
x 2 (vii) lim (viii) lim .
. xsec xx−tan x
x − 21 sin 2x
 
tan x 2 0 x→0 x sin x x→1 cos(πx)
= lim = lim form
x→0 2x x→0 x2 sin 2x 0
 
1 − cos 2x 0
= lim form [using L’Hospital’s Rule]
x→0 2x sin 2x + 2x2 cos 2x 0
2 sin 2x
= lim
x→0 2 sin 2x + 4x cos 2x + 4x cos 2x − 4x2 sin 2x
[using L’Hospital’s Rule] 8.6 References:
 
sin 2x 0
= lim form 1. R.K.Ghosh, K.C. Maity, An introduction to analysis: Differential Calculus
x→0 sin 2x + 4x cos 2x − 2x2 sin 2x 0 [Part I], NCBA, India, 1960.
2 cos 2x 2. B. Pal, S. Raychaudhuri, S. Jana, Fundamental Differential Calculus, Santra
= lim
x→0 2 cos 2x + 4 cos 2x − 8x sin 2x − 4x sin 2x − 4x2 cos 2x
Publication Pvt. Ltd., India, 2018.
[using L’Hospital’s Rule]
2 1
= = .
2+4 3
1  
Thus lim log y = . We know that lim log y = log lim y . Therefore log(lim y) =
x→0 3 x→0 x→0 x→0
1
.
3
 1
tan x x2
Hence lim y = e1/3 or, lim = e1/3 .
x→0 x→0 x

8.4 Summary:
In this chapter we have learned a very important technique to evaluate the limits
in the indeterminate forms. We gave some examples to understand the technique.

8.5 Exercises:
8.5.1 Evaluate the following limits:
ex − esin x e2x − 1
(i) lim (ii) lim
x→0 x − sin x x→0 log(1 + x)
 
x + log x 1 1
(iii) lim (iv) lim −
x→∞ x log x x→0 x sin x

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