Solved Problems on

Limits and Continuity

Main Methods of Limit
Computations
1 The following undefined quantities cause problems:
0 
00 , , ,   , 0 , 0.
0 
2 In the evaluation of expressions, use the rules
a 
 0, ,  negativenumber    .
 positive number
If the function, for which the limit needs to be computed, is
3
defined by an algebraic expression, which takes a finite value
at the limit point, then this finite value is the limit value.

If the function, for which the limit needs to be computed,

4
cannot be evaluated at the limit point (i.e. the value is an
undefined expression like in (1)), then find a rewriting of the
function to a form which can be evaluated at the limit point.

Calculators
Main Computation Methods
1 Frequently needed rule a  b a  b   a2  b2.

Cancel out common factors of rational functions.

2
x 2  1  x  1 x  1
  x  1  x 1 
 2.
x 1 x 1
3 If a square root appears in the expression, then multiply and
divide by the conjugate of the square root expression.

x 1  x 2 
 x 1  x 2  x 1  x  2 
x 1  x  2


x  1  x  2  3
0
 x  
x 1  x  2 x 1  x 2

sin  x 
4 Use the fact that lim 1.
x 0 x

Calculators
Continuity of Functions
Functions defined by algebraic or elementary expressions
1
involving polynomials, rational functions, trigonometric
functions, exponential functions or their inverses are
continuous at points where they take a finite well defined
value.
A function f is continuous at a point x = a if
2
lim ff x   a.
x a
Used to show
that equations
The following are not continuous x = 0: have solutions.
3 1 1 x
f  x   , g  x   sin   , h  x   .
x x x

4 Intermediate Value Theorem for Continuous Functions

If f is continuous, f(a) < 0 and f(b) > 0, then there is a point c
between a and b so that f(c) = 0.

Calculators
Limits by Rewriting
x 2  3x  2
Problem 1 lim
x 2 x 2

x 2  3 x  2  x  1 x  2 
Solution Rewrite   x  1.
x 2 x 2
x 2  3x  2
Hence lim lim  x  1 1.
x 2 x 2 x 2

Calculators
Limits by Rewriting
Problem 2
x3  x2  x  1
lim 3
x  x  3x 2  5x  2

Solution

1 1 1
1 
x3  x2  x  1 x x 2
x 3
   1.
x  3x  5x  2 1 3  5  2
3 2 x 

x x2 x3

Calculators
Limits by Rewriting
Problem 3 lim x 2  1  x2  1
x 

Solution Rewrite

2
x 1  x 2
 1
 x2 1  
x2  1 x2 1  x2  1 
x2 1  x2  1

   
2 2


2
x 1  2
x 1

 x 2
 
1  x2  1  2
x2 1  x2  1 x2 1  x2  1 x2 1  x2  1

2 2 2
Hence lim x  1  x  1  lim 0.
x  x  2 2
x 1  x  1

Calculators
Limits by Rewriting
Problem 4 lim x 2  x  1  x2  x  1
x 

Solution Rewrite

x2  x 1  x2  x  1 

 2
x  x 1  2
x  x1  x2  x 1  x2  x  1
x2  x 1  x2  x  1


 x 2
 x  1   x 2  x  1

2x  2
x2  x 1  x2  x  1 x2  x 1  x2  x  1
2
2 Next divide by x.
 x   2
x 
1 1 1 1
1  2  1  2
x x x x

Calculators
Limits by Rewriting
2x
Problem 5 lim
x 0
2x 2  x  1  x 2  3x  1
Solution Rewrite
2x

2 2
2x  x  1  x  3x  1
2x  2x 2  x  1  x 2  3 x  1 
 2x  x  1  x  3x  1 2x  x  1  x  3x  1
2 2 2 2

2 x  2 x  x  1  x  3 x  1 2 x  2 x  x  1  x  3 x  1
2 2 2 2

 
   
2 2 2
2 x  x 2
 1  x  3 x  1 2 x  4x


2  2x 2  x  1  x 2  3 x  1     1 Next divide by x.

x 0
x 4

Calculators
Limits by Rewriting
sin 3 x 
Problem 6 lim
x 0 6x
sin  
Solution Use the fact that lim 1.
0 
sin 3 x  1 sin 3 x 
Rewrite 
6x 2 3x

sin 3 x  sin 3 x  1
Since lim 1, we conclude that lim  .
x 0 3x x 0 6x 2

Calculators
Limits by Rewriting
sin sin  x 
Problem 7 lim
x 0 x

Solution Rewrite:

sin sin  x  sin sin  x  sin  x 

   1
x sin  x  x x 0

sin  
since lim 1. In the above, that fact
0 
was applied first by substituting  sin  x .
sin sin  x 
Hence lim 1.
x 0 sin  x 

Calculators
Limits by Rewriting
lim
 
sin x 2
Problem 8
x 0 x sin  x 

Solution Rewrite:

sin x 2    sin x 2 x
  1
x sin  x  x2 sin  x  x 0

Calculators
Limits by Rewriting
Problem 9 x  2sin  x 
lim
x 0
x 2  2sin  x   1  sin2  x   x  1
Solution Rewrite
x  2sin  x 

x  2sin  x   1 
2
sin  x   x  1
2

x  2sin x  x 2  2sin  x   1  sin2  x   x  1 

 x 2  2sin  x   1  sin2  x   x  1  x 2  2sin  x   1  sin 2  x   x  1 

x  2sin x  x 2  2sin  x   1  sin2  x   x  1 
x 2
 
 2sin  x   1  sin2  x   x  1 

x  2sin x  x 2  2sin  x   1  sin2  x   x  1 
x 2  sin2  x   2sin  x   x

Calculators
Limits by Rewriting
x  2sin  x 
Problem 9 lim
Solution x 0
x 2  2sin  x   1  sin2  x   x  1
(cont’d)
Rewrite
x  2sin  x 
x 2  2sin  x   1  sin2  x   x  1


x  2sin x  x 2  2sin x   1  sin2 x   x  1  Next divide by x.
x  sin  x   2sin  x   x
2 2

sin  x  

 1  2
x
  x 2  2sin  x   1  sin2  x   x  1  3 2
    2.
sin  x  sin  x  x 0
2 1
x  sin  x  2 1
x x

Here we used the fact that all sin(x)/x terms approach 1 as x  0.

Calculators
One-sided Limits
tanx 
Problem 10 lim e

x 
2

Solution


For  x   , tan  x   0 and lim tan  x   .
2 x


2
tanx 
Hence lim e 0.

x 
2

Calculators
Continuity
Problem 11 Where the function y tan  x  is continuous?

Solution

sin  x 
The function y tan  x   is continuous whenever cos  x  0.
cos  x 

Hence y tan  x  is continuous at x   n , n  .
2

Calculators
Continuity
 1 
Problem 12 Where the function f   sin  2  is continuous?
  1

 1 
Solution The function f   sin  2  is continuous at all points
  1
where it takes finite values.

1  1 
If  1, is not finite, and sin  2  is undefined.
 1
2
   1
1  1 
If  1, 2 is finite, and sin  2  is defined and also finite.
 1    1
 1 
Hence sin  2  is continuous for  1.
   1

Calculators
Continuity
Problem 13 How must f 0  be determined so that the function
x2  x
f x   , x 0, is continuous at x 0?
x1

Solution

Condition for continuity of a function f at a point x0 is:

lim f  x  f  x0 . Hence f 0  must satisfy f 0  lim f x .
x  x0 x 0

x2  x x  x  1
Hence f 0  lim lim lim x 0.
x 0 x  1 x 0 x1 x 0

Mika Seppälä: Limits and

Calculators Continuity
Continuity
A number x0 for which an expression f  x  either is undefined or
infinite is called a singularity of the function f . The singularity is
said to be removable, if f  x0  can be defined in such a way that
the function f becomes continous at x  x0 .
Problem 14 Which of the following functions have removable
singularities at the indicated points? Answer

x 2  2x  8
a) f x   , x0  2 Removable
x 2
x1
b) g x   , x0 1 Not removable
x1
 1 Removable
c) h t  t sin   , t0 0
t

Calculators
Continuity
Problem 15 Show that the equation sin  x  e x has
inifinitely many solutions.

Solution sin  x  e x  f  x  sin  x   e x 0.

By the intermediate Value Theorem, a continuous function takes
any value between any two of its values. I.e. it suffices to show
that the function f changes its sign infinitely often.
 
Observe that 0  e x  1 for x  0, and that sin   n   1 , n  .
n

 2 
Hence f  x   0 for x   n if n is an odd negative number
2

and f  x   0 for x   n if n is an even negative number.
2
  
We conclude that every interval   2n ,  2n  1  , n   and n  0, contains
2 2 
a solution of the original equation. Hence there are infinitely many solutions.

Calculators