Sec. 2.2-2.

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The limit of a function;
Calculating limits using the
limit laws
x2 1
Example 1 Let f (x) = : Evaluate
x 1
1. f (0) = 00 11 = 1
2. f (2) = 42 11 = 3
3. f (1) = 11 11 = 00 undefined
(0:9)2 1
4. f (0:9) = 0:9 1 = 1:9
(0:99)2 1
5. f (0:99) = 0:99 1 = 1:99
(1:1)2 1
6. f (1:1) = 1:1 1 = 2:1
(1:01)2 1
7. f (1:01) = 1:01 1 = 2:01
Based on the above calculations, we see
that f (x) is approaching 2 when x approaches
1: We say that the limit of f (x) equals 2 when
x2 1
x approaches 1 and we write this as lim =
x!1 x 1
2

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Definition 1 Suppose that f (x) is a function
defined on an interval about a except possibly
at x = a: If f (x) gets very close to L for all
x sufficiently close to a; we say that the limit
of f (x) as x approaches a is equal to L: We
write this as lim f (x) = L: Otherwise, we say
x!a
the limit doesn’t exist (DNE)
Remarks about lim f (x) = L
x!a
1. x gets close to a but x 6= a:
2. 0 < jx aj < any positive number (") :
3. If x > a; then we say the limit from right
and denote this by lim+ f (x) = L
x!a
4. If x < a; then we say the limit from left
and denote this by lim f (x) = L
x!a
5. lim f (x) = L , lim+ f (x) =
x!a x!a
lim f (x) = L: Otherwise, the limit
x!a
DNE.
6. lim f (x) is unique.
x!a

Definition 2 A polynomial P (x) in the vari-

2
able x is a function where all the powers of
x are nonnegative integers. i.e., A polynomial
P (x) is a function in the form
P (x) = a0 + a1x + a2x2 + : : : + anxn;
where a0; a1; a2; : : : ; an are real numbers with
an 6= 0; and n is a nonnegative integer called
the degree of P (x) :
Remarks:
1) If P (x) is a polynomial, then
lim P (x) = P (a) :
x!a
g (x)
2) If f (x) = is a rational function
h (x)
and f (a) = L; then lim f (x) = L:
x!a

Example 2 Find
1. lim 6x2 3x + 2 = 24 + 6 + 2 = 32
x! 2
3x + 2 3(2) + 2
2. lim+ 2
= = 8=11
x!2 x +7 4+7

Theorem 1 Limit Laws: Suppose that lim f (x) =

x!a
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L; lim g (x) = M and c is any constant. Then
x!a

1. lim c = c
x!a
2. lim [f (x) g (x)] = lim f (x) lim g (x) =
x!a x!a x!a
L M:
3. lim [f (x) g (x)] = lim f (x) lim g (x) =
x!a x!a x!a
LM:
f (x) x!a lim f (x) L
4. lim = = provided that
x!a g (x) lim g (x) M
x!a
M 6= 0
p p
5. lim x = n a for any positive even integer
n
x!a
n and any nonnegative number a:
p p
6. lim x = n a for any positive odd integer
n
x!a
n and any real number number a:

How to evaluate lim f (x) ; lim+ f (x) ; lim f (x)

x!a x!a x!a
g (x)
for f (x) = :
h (x)
1. If f (a) is defined then lim f (x) =
x!a
lim+ f (x) = lim f (x) = f (a) :
x!a x!a
4
 M
2. If f (a) = 0 with M 6= 0; then lim f (x) =
x!a
1 or 1 or DNE, lim+ f (x) = 1
x!a
or 1 lim f (x) = 1 or 1 . To
x!a
determine lim f (x) we must first find
x!a
lim f (x) and lim f (x) and then decide
x!a+ x!a
lim f (x) : In this case, to determine
x!a
lim+ f (x) or lim f (x) take a test point.
x!a x!a
3. If f (a) = 00 ; then simplify and substitute
again to get case 1 or case 2.

Example 3 Evaluate the limit, if it exists.

x2 9
1. lim
x! 3 2x2 + 7x + 3
2x + 1
2. lim
x!3 3 x
2
x 2x
3. lim 2
x!2 2x + x 10
t4 1
4. lim+ 3
t!1 t 1
5
 p
4x + 1 3
5. lim
x!2 x 2
1 1
6. lim x 3
x!3 x 3
j2 xj
7. lim 2
x!2 x 4
6x + 2
8. lim
x!2 2 x

Solution:
1. If we substitute x = 3; we get 00 : Hence,
we must simplify and substitute again
x2 9 (x 3) (x + 3)
lim = lim
x! 3 2x2 + 7x + 3 x! 3 (2x + 1) (x + 3)
(x 3)
= lim
x! 3 (2x + 1)
6
= = 6=5:
5
2. If we substitute x = 3; we get 70 which
2x + 1
is case (2) above. Hence, lim+ =
x!3 3 x
6
 + 2x + 1 +
= 1 and lim = + = 1:
x!3 3 x
2x + 1
Therefore, lim DNE.
x!3 3 x
3.
x2 2x x (x 2)
lim = lim
x!2 2x2 + x 10 x!2 (2x + 5) (x 2)
x
= lim
x!2 (2x + 5)
2
= :
9
4.
t4 1 t2 1 t2 + 1
lim = lim+
t!1+ t3 1 t!1 (t 1) (t2 + t + 1)
(t 1) (t + 1) t2 + 1
= lim+
t!1 (t 1) (t2 + t + 1)
(t + 1) t2 + 1
= lim+
t!1 (t2 + t + 1)
4
= :
3
5. If we substitute x = 2; then we get 00 :
We must simplify. To simplify this type
of problems, we multiply the numerator
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 and
p denominator by thep conjugate of
p4x + 1 3 which is p4x + 1 + 3: p
4x + 1 3 4x + 1 3 4x + 1 + 3
lim = lim p
x!2 x 2 x!2 x 2 4x + 1 + 3
4x + 1 9
= lim p
x!2 (x 2) 4x + 1 + 3
4x 8
= lim p
x!2 (x 2) 4x + 1 + 3
4 (x 2)
= lim p
x!2 (x 2) 4x + 1 + 3
4
= lim p
x!2 4x + 1 + 3
4 2
= = :
3+3 3
6.
1 1
3 x
lim x 3 = lim 3x
x!3 x 3 x!3 x 3
3 x
= lim
x!3 3x (x 3)
1 1
= lim = :
x!3 3x 9
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7. To solve questions that include the absolute
value sign, we must first remove the
absolute value sign by taking test points
and then evaluating the limit from right and
left
j2 xj (2 x)
lim+ 2 = lim+ 2
x!2 x 4 x!2 x 4
x 2 x 2
= lim+ 2 = lim+
x!2 x 4 x!2 (x 2) (x + 2)
1 1
= lim+ = ; and
x!2 (x + 2) 4
j2 xj (2 x)
lim = lim 2
x!2 x2 4 x!2 x 4
2 x 2 x
= lim 2 = lim
x!2 x 4 x!2 (x 2) (x + 2)
1 1
= lim = :
x!2 (x + 2) 4
j2 xj
Therefore, lim 2 DNE.
x!2 x 4
14
8. Note that if we substitute x = 2; we get :
0
Hence, and based on the above cases the
limit should be 1 or 1: To determine
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 the limit, we need to take a test point
6x + 2 +
lim = = 1:
x!2 2 x +
Remarks:
1. x2 y 2 = (x y) (x + y)
2. x2 + y 2 cannot be factored.
3. x3 y 3 = (x y) x2 + xy + y 2
4. x3 + y 3 = (x + y) x2 xy + y 2

Theorem 2 The Squeeze Theorem: If f (x)

g (x) h (x) when x is near a; and lim f (x) =
x!a
lim h (x) = L; then lim g (x) = L:
x!a x!a

1
Example 4 Find lim x2 sin x :
x!0

Solution: Note that

1 sin (1=x) 1:
Multiply by x2 (which is positive) and then
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apply limit.
lim x2 lim x2 sin (1=x) lim x2
x!0 x!0 x!0
0 lim x2 sin (1=x) 0:
x!0
2
Therefore, lim x sin (1=x) = 0:
x!0

Example 5 If 4x 9 f (x) x2 4x + 7
for x 0; find lim f (x) :
x!4

Solution: Apply the limit in the inequality

lim (4x 9) lim f (x) lim x2 4x + 7
x!4 x!4 x!4
7 lim f (x) 7: Therefore, lim f (x) = 7
x!4 x!4

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