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We are going to now determine limits without benefit of looking at a graph, that is lim f ! x" . x !a There are three steps to remember: 1) plug in a 2) FactorAcancel and go back to step 1 3) !, -!, or CDE 2x " 6 Example 1) find lim x 2 " 4 x + 1 Example 2) find lim x !"2 x !"2 x " 2 Gou can do this by plugging in. Gou can also do this by plugging in.
x2 " 2x + 1 x !1 x3 " 1 0 Plug in and you get 0 - no good So attempt to factor and cancel
If steps 1 and 2 do not work (you have a zero in the denominator, your answer is one of the following:
-!
To determine which, you must split your limit into two separate limits.: lim f ! x " and lim f ! x " . Make a sign " chart by plugging in a number close to a on the left side and determining its sign. Gou will also plug in a number close to a on the right side and determine its sign. Each of these will be some form of !, either positive or negative. Rnly if they are the same will the limit be ! or -!. What this says is that in this case, lim" f ! x" = some form of # and lim f ! x" = some form of # Gou need to check whether they are the same. 2x + 5 Example 5) find lim x !2 x " 2 9 Step 1) Plug in - 0 - no good Step 2) - Do factoringAcancel
x !a x !a +
MasterMathMentor.com
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Stu Schwartz
Example 6)
find lim
x !0
4 x2
Step 2) - Do factoringAcancel
x2 + 2x " 3 x !"3 x 2 + 6 x + 9
% x 2 " 4, x $ 1 ' find lim f ! x" Example 9) f ! x" = & x !1 '"2 x " 1, x % 1 (
% x ' 'x "2 ,x $ 2 Example 10) f ! x" = & find lim f ! x" x !2 'x "3 'x "2 ,x % 2 (
x+2 " 2 x
x !&#
Finally, we are interested also in problems of the type: lim f ! x" . Were are the rules: Write f(x) as a fraction. 1) If the highest power of x appears in the denominator (bottom heavy), lim f ! x" = 0
x !&#
2) If the highest power of x appears in the numerator (top heavy), lim f ! x" = &# x !&# plug in very large or small numbers and determine the sign of the answer 3) If the highest power of x appears both in the numerator and denominator coefficient"of"numeratorYs"highest"power (powers equal), lim f ! x" = "coefficient"of"denominatorYs"highest"power x !&# Example 12) lim 4 x 2 + 50 x !# x 3 " 85 Example 13) lim 4 x 3 " 5x 2 + 3x " 1 x !# 5x 3 " 7 x " 25 Example 14) lim 3x 3 " 23 x !# 4 x " 1
Example 15)
x !#
x 2 " 3x 2x + 1
x !"#
x 2 " 3x 2x + 1
MasterMathMentor.com
- 29 -
Stu Schwartz
2) lim )
x !0
3)
lim 4 x
x !2
4)
5)
x !0
x2 + 4x + 4 8) lim x !"2 x2
9) lim
x !1
2x " 2 x "1
10) lim
x !4
x 2 " 16 x"4
11) lim
t3 + 8 t !"2 t + 2
12) lim
x !2
x2 " 4x + 4 x2 + x " 6
13) lim
14) lim
x !1
x 3 + x 2 " 5x + 3 x 3 " 3x + 2
15) lim
x !3
x x "3
16)
lim
x !5
x x " 25
2
17) lim
y !6
y+6 y 2 " 36
18) lim
x !4
19) lim
x !1
4 2 x " 2x + 1
20) lim
x !5
x x "5
21) lim
x !3
"x2 x2 " 6 x + 9
MasterMathMentor.com
- 30 -
Stu Schwartz
% x 3 " 1, x $ "1 ' find lim f ! x" 23) f ! x" = & x !"1 '2 x , x % "1 (
%x "2 ' ' x "1 , x $ 1 24) f ! x" = & find lim f ! x" x !1 ' x ' x "1, x % 1 (
25) lim
x !0
x+4 "2 x
% x 2 " 2 x " 3, x * 2 ' 26) Let f ! x" = & 'k " 3, x = 2 ( find k such that lim f ! x" = f !2"
x !2
% x 2 " 49 ' ,x * 7 27) f ! x" = & x " 7 ' 2 (k " 2, x = 7 find k such that lim f ! x" = f !7"
x !7
28) lim 6
x !#
30)
x !"#
"
33) lim
x !#
2 5x " 3
35) lim
4x4 x !# 6 x 3 " 19
37) lim
x x2 + 4
x !#
38)
x !"#
lim
x x2 + 4
39)
x !"#
lim
3x 2 + x x2 " 1
MasterMathMentor.com
- 31 -
Stu Schwartz