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Understanding Limits in Basic Calculus

The document introduces limits of functions, which are essential to calculus. Limits describe the behavior of a function as its variable approaches a constant value, getting very close but never exactly equaling it. To evaluate a limit, we find the unique real value a function approaches as its variable nears a constant, denoted symbolically as the limit of f(x) as x approaches c.

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Gleynne Millorada
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12 views14 pages

Understanding Limits in Basic Calculus

The document introduces limits of functions, which are essential to calculus. Limits describe the behavior of a function as its variable approaches a constant value, getting very close but never exactly equaling it. To evaluate a limit, we find the unique real value a function approaches as its variable nears a constant, denoted symbolically as the limit of f(x) as x approaches c.

Uploaded by

Gleynne Millorada
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Basic Calculus

TOPIC 1.1: The Limit of a Function

INTRODUCTION
Limits are the backbone of calculus, and calculus is called the Mathematics of Change.
The study of limits is necessary in studying change in great detail. The evaluation of a
particular limit is what underlies the formulation of the derivative and the integral of a
function.
For starters, imagine that you are going to watch a basketball game. When you choose
seats, you would want to be as close to the action as possible. You would want to be as
close to the players as possible and have the best view of the game, as if you were in
the basketball court yourself. Take note that you cannot actually be in the court and join
the players, but you will be close enough to describe clearly what is happening in the
game.
This is how it is with limits of functions. We will consider functions of a single variable
and study the behaviour of the function as its variable approaches a particular value (a
constant). The variable can only take values very, very close to the constant, but it
cannot equal the constant itself. However, the limit will be able to describe clearly what
is happening to the function near that constant.

LESSON PROPER
Consider a function f of a single variable x. Consider a constant c which the variable x
will approach (c may or may not be in the domain of f ). The limit, to be denoted by L, is
the unique real value that f(x) will approach as x approaches c. In symbols, we write this
process as

This is read, ‘‘The limit of f(x) as x approaches c is L.”


LOOKING AT A TABLE OF VALUES

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