Variables.

Functions, Continuity and

Limits
Contents
• Introduction
• Variables and Constants
• Functions
• Functional Notation
• Division by Zero
• Limit of Variable
• Limit of Function
• Theorems on Limits

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 2

Contents
• Limit at Infinity
• Continuous and Discontinuous Functions
• Asymptote

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 3

Introduction
• Calculus is the branch of Mathematics
that deals with growth, motion, maxima
and minima.
• Calculus is used in the study of the
orbits of planets and the path of man-
made space ships; in the design of
airplanes, rocketships, etc.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 4

Introduction
• The invention and development of
Calculus is credited to Sir Isaac Newton
(1642-1727), an English man, who wrote
his first scientific treatise called
“Fluxions” in 1670.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 5

Variables and Constants
• A variable is a quantity whose value may
change during a given problem.
Variables are usually denoted by the last
letters of the alphabet x, y and z.
• A constant is a quantity whose value is
fixed during a given problem.
• Arbitrary constants are letters which
represent fixed numerical values during a
given discussion.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 6

Variables and Constants
• The numerical or absolute value of a
constant is usually denoted by two
vertical bars.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 7

Functions
• When two variables are so related that
the value of the first variable depends on
the value of the second variable, then
the value of the first variable is said to be
a function of the second. The second
variable is called the independent
variable and the first variable is called
the dependent variable.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 8

Functions
• A function may be single-valued or
multi-valued depending on how many
values the dependent variable will have
for a given value of the dependent
variable.
• The symbol f(x) is used to express a
function of x and is read as f of x.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 9

Sample Problems
1. The area of a rectangle is 6 sq. in.
 

Express the perimeter P of the rectangle

as a function of the length x of one side.
2. If , find .
3. If , find , .
4. If , find x as a function of y.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 10

Answers:
 

1.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 11

Division by Zero
• The quotient of two numbers a and b is a
number q such that a = qb. If b is zero
then q does not exist unless a = 0. But q
must be a number. Therefore division by
zero is excluded and a/0, 0/0 have no
meaning.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 12

Limit
• Let f(x) be any function and let a and L
be numbers. If we can make f(x) as close
to L as we please by choosing x
sufficiently close to a then we say that
the limit of f(x) as x approaches a is L or
symbolically,
 
lim f (x )=𝐿
x→ a

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 13

Theorems on Limits

1. , where c is any constant

2. , where is a is any real number
3.
4.
5.
6.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 14

Theorems on Limits

5. where n is any positive integer and f(x)>0 if

n is even.

6.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 15

Sample Problems

Find the limit of each of the following:

 

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 16

Sample Problems

Find the limit of each of the following:

 

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 17

Answers:

a) 18
b) 169

c) ½
d) 6
e) 1
f) 1
g) 4

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 18

Limit at Infinity
 
A function f(x) may have a finite limit even
when dependent variable x becomes infinite.
This statement “x becomes infinite is
customarily expressed in symbolism by .
Consider again the function . It can be
shown that approaches a finite limit as x
increases without bound. That is
.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 19

Limit at Infinity
 
A function may assume indeterminate
form when x is replaced by . However, the
limit of f(x) as x becomes infinite may be
definite. To find this limit we first divide N(x)
and D(x) by the highest power of x. Then we
evaluate the limit by the use of .

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 20

Sample Problems
 

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 21

Answers:
 

a) No limit,

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 22

Graph of a Function: Continuity
• The graph of a function is continuous if,
for all values of the independent
variable, there is a corresponding value
for the dependent variable.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 23

Continuity
 
A function f(x) is continuous at if
Note that the condition in the definition
actually implies the following conditions:
a) f(a) is defined,
b) exists, and
c) .
If any of these conditions is not
satisfied, then f(x) is discontinuous at x=a.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 24

Continuity
A function f(x) is said to be continuous in
an interval if it is continuous for every value
of x in the interval.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 25

Sample Problems
Find the value of x for which the following
 

functions is discontinuous.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 26

Answers

1. 5
2. None
3. 3

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 27

Asymptote
 
Let , , be a rational function, that is, N(x)
and D(x) are polynomials. A useful aid in
sketching the graph of a function is to find, if
there is any, the asymptote of its graph.
The asymptote may be a vertical line(no
slope), a horizontal line(zero slope) or a non-
vertical line which slants upward to the right
(positive slope) or slants downward to the
right (negative slope).

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 28

Asymptote
Definition 1: The line is a vertical asymptote
 

of the graph of if .
Definition 2: The line is a horizontal
asymptote of the graph of if .

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 29

Asymptote
 
Since N(x) and D(x) are polynomials, we
may let:

where m and n are positive integers and

and .

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 30

Asymptote
From definitions 1 and 2, the following
generalizations can be drawn.
• To find the vertical asymptote of the graph
of f(x), we set D(x)=0 and solve for x. If x=k
where k is any real number, then the
vertical asymptote is the line x=k.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 31

Asymptote
 •
To find the horizontal asymptote of the
graph of f(x), we have the ff. conditions to
observe:
• If m<n, then the horizontal asymptote is
y=0.
• If m=n, then the horizontal asymptote is
.
• If m>n, then there is no horizontal
asymptote.

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 32

Sample Problems
 •
Find the horizontal asymptote of the
following functions:

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 33

Answers
 

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 34

 End!!!

Variables, Functions, Continuity and Limits 35