1

1.2. LIMITS y = f(x)

y=x
L

x
𝑥 → 𝑎− 𝑎 𝑎+ ← 𝑥
𝑥 → 𝑎− ∶ 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡
𝑥 → 𝑎+ ∶ 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡
Theorem:
𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝑳 𝒊𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒇 𝐥𝐢𝐦− 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝐥𝐢𝐦+ 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝑳
𝒙→𝒂 𝒙→𝒂 𝒙→𝒂

Example 9: Determine the limit (if any) for the following graph.

a) lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 3 3
𝑥→−3−

𝑥 → −3− −3

b) lim+ 𝑓(𝑥) = 0
𝑥→0

0 0+ ← 𝑥

2
 c) lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 3
𝑥→−3

Since lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 3 𝑎𝑛𝑑 lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 3

𝑥→−3− 𝑥→−3+

d) lim − 𝑓(𝑥) = 2
𝑥→−2

4
2

𝑥 → 2− 2 2+ ← 𝑥
e) lim 𝑓(𝑥) 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏′ 𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕
𝑥→2

Since lim− 𝑓(𝑥) = 2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 4

𝑥→2 𝑥→2+

Tutorial 2 (page 9, #1)

3
1.2.1. Basic Theorems on Limits

4
1.2.2. Limits of Polynomial Functions
Theorem : If 𝒇(𝒙) is a polynomial, then 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝒇(𝒄).
𝒙→𝒄

Example 10: Evaluate

a) lim(2𝑥 2 + 𝑥)
𝑥→2

= 2(2)2 + 2 = 𝟏𝟎

b) lim (𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 − 5)
𝑥→−1

= [(−1)3 − 2(−1)2 + 4(−1) − 5] = −𝟏𝟐

Let try!

Find lim(𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 + 3)
𝑥→5

Example 11: Determine

a)
𝑥+1
lim
𝑥→−1 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 − 3

**
−1 + 1 0
= 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑
(−1)2 − 2(−1) − 3 0
(𝑥 + 1)
= lim
𝑥→−1 (𝑥 − 3)(𝑥 + 1)

1 1 𝟏
= lim = =
𝑥→−1 𝑥 − 3 −1 − 3 −𝟒

b)
9 − 3𝑥
lim
𝑥→3 𝑥 2 − 3𝑥

3(3 − 𝑥) −3(𝑥 − 3) −3
= lim = lim = lim = −𝟏
𝑥→3 𝑥(𝑥 − 3) 𝑥→3 𝑥(𝑥 − 3) 𝑥→3 𝑥

5
c)
𝑒 𝑥 − 𝑒 2𝑥
lim
𝑥→0 1 − 𝑒 𝑥

𝑒 𝑥 (1 − 𝑒 𝑥 )
= lim = lim 𝑒 𝑥 = 𝟏
𝑥→0 1 − 𝑒𝑥 𝑥→0

Let try!
Tutorial 2 (page 9 #4)
Evaluate:
16 − 4𝑥
lim
𝑥→4 𝑥 2 − 𝑥 − 12

Example 12: Evaluate lim 𝑓(𝑥) if

𝑥→4

√𝑥 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≤ 4
2
𝑓(𝑥) = {𝑥 − 6𝑥 + 8
𝑖𝑓 𝑥 > 4
𝑥−4
Solution:

lim 𝑓(𝑥) = lim− √𝑥 = √4 = 2

𝑥→4− 𝑥→4

𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 + 8 (𝑥 − 4)(𝑥 − 2)
lim+ 𝑓(𝑥) = lim+ = lim+ = lim+ (𝑥 − 2) = 2
𝑥→4 𝑥→4 𝑥−4 𝑥→4 (𝑥 − 4) 𝑥→4

Therefore 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝟐.

𝒙→𝟒

Let try!
Tutorial 2 (page 9 #2)
Evaluate lim 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒
𝑥→2

3𝑥 − 1 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 < 2
𝑓(𝑥) = {
𝑥 2 − 1 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≥ 2

6
1.2.3. Infinite Limits
1
Find lim 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 f(x) = lim
𝑥→0 𝑥2
𝑥→0

lim 𝑓(𝑥) = +∞
𝑥→0−

lim 𝑓(𝑥) = +∞
𝑥→0+

∴ 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒇(𝒙) = +∞
𝒙→𝟎

𝑥 → 0− 0 0+ ← 𝑥
1
Find lim 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑖𝑓 f(x) = lim
𝑥→0 𝑥
𝑥→0

lim 𝑓(𝑥) = −∞
𝑥→0−

lim 𝑓(𝑥) = +∞ 0
𝑥→0+

∴ 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒇(𝒙) 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕

𝒙→𝟎

1.2.4. Limits at infinity

Limit Laws
1
1. lim =0
𝑥→±∞ 𝑥
1
2. lim =0 , n positive integer
𝑥→±∞ 𝑥 𝑛
𝑛
3. lim [𝑓(𝑥)]𝑛 = [ lim 𝑓(𝑥)]
𝑥→±∞ 𝑥→±∞

4. lim 𝑘𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑘 lim 𝑓(𝑥) , 𝑘 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡

𝑥→±∞ 𝑥→±∞

5. lim 𝑘 = 𝑘
𝑥→±∞

1.2.5. Limits at Infinity of Rational Functions

** As 𝒙 → ±∞, divide the numerator and denominator by the highest degree of x in
denominator
Example 13: Determine
3𝑥 + 4
lim
𝑥→∞ 𝑥 − 1

7
Solution:
3𝑥 4
+
lim 𝑥 𝑥
𝑥→∞ 𝑥 1
𝑥−𝑥
4
3+𝑥 3+0
= lim = lim = lim 3 = 𝟑
𝑥→∞ 1 𝑥→∞ 1 − 0 𝑥→∞
1−𝑥

Example 14: Evaluate

4𝑥 2 − 5
lim
𝑥→−∞ 3𝑥 3 + 𝑥 − 7

Solution:
4𝑥 2 5
− 3
lim 𝑥3 𝑥
𝑥→−∞ 3𝑥 3 𝑥 7
+ 3− 3
𝑥3 𝑥 𝑥
4 5
𝑥 − 𝑥3
= lim
𝑥→−∞ 1 7
3+ 2− 3
𝑥 𝑥
0−0 0
= lim = =𝟎
𝑥→−∞ 3 + 0 − 0 3

Example 15: Evaluate

𝑥3 + 2
lim
𝑥→∞ 6𝑥 2 − 5

Solution:
𝑥3 2
2+ 2
lim 𝑥 2 𝑥
𝑥→∞ 6𝑥 5
2 − 2
𝑥 𝑥
𝑥+0
= lim
𝑥→∞ 6 − 0

∞
= =∞
6

8
Tutorial 3 (page 12)
1. Evaluate
2 + 9𝑥 3
lim
𝑥→∞ (1 + 𝑥)(3 + 𝑥 2 )
(Answer: 9)

2. Evaluate
𝑥 2 − 2𝑥
lim
𝑥→+∞ 2𝑥 + 1
(Answer: ∞)