BASIC CALCULUS
Lesson 1:Limits of the Function
Objectives:
1. Illustrate the limit of a function using a table of
values of the function
2. distinguish between lim 𝑓 𝑥 and f(c)
𝑥→𝑐
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
a. What happened to f(x) and g(x) if x increases in value
approaching 0? What value is the function approaching
then?
______________________
b. What happened to the function as the value of x
decreases approaching 0? What value is it approaching
then?
______________________
c. Are the two values similar? So, what do you call this
value of f(x)?
______________________
WHAT’S NEW?
▪Have you experienced walking on a street
and noticed an image of a small billboard
from afar? Because of the distance, the
message on that billboard is not readable.
What action would you take to be able to
see clearly and understand the message
on that billboard?
constant
“The limit of f(x) as x approaches to c is L.”
With the given function 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 3, solve for its limit
when 𝑥 approaches 2.
lim (𝑥 + 3)
𝑥→2
Solution:
Step 1: Create two tables of value, one for the inputs that
approaches 2 from the left and the other is for the inputs that gets
closer to 2 from the right side.
Solution:
Step 1: Create two tables of value, one for the inputs that
approaches 2 from the left and the other is for the inputs that gets
closer to 2 from the right side.
From the left From the right
𝑥<2 𝑓 𝑥 𝑜𝑟 𝑦 𝑥<2 𝑓 𝑥 𝑜𝑟 𝑦
Solution:
Step 2: Choose 𝑥 − 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑠 that approach 2 from the left side and
also from the right side. Remember that values to be chosen
should be close to 2
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
From the left From the right
𝑥<2 𝑓 𝑥 𝑜𝑟 𝑦 𝑥<2 𝑓 𝑥 𝑜𝑟 𝑦
0 3 4 7
1 4 3 6
1.5 4.5 2.5 5.5
1.9 4.9 2.1 5.1
1.99 4.99 2.01 5.01
1.999 4.999 2.001 5.001
1.9999 4.9999 2.0001 5.0001
Step 3: Now that the output values on both tables are solved, notice that it
approach 5 as the inputs gets closer and closer to 2. We can illustrate both
tables as one sided limits from the left lim− 𝑥 + 3 = 5 and lim+ 𝑥 + 3 = 5
𝑥→2 𝑥→2
from the right.
Step 4: Since both one sided limits from the left and right side is equivalent to
5, therefore the limit of the function 𝑥 + 3 as 𝑥 gets closer and closer to 2 is 5.
In symbols,
𝐥𝐢𝐦(𝒙 + 𝟑) = 𝟓
𝒙→𝟐
lim (1 + 3𝑥)
𝑥→2
From the left From the right
𝑥 𝑓 𝑥 𝑥 𝑓 𝑥
1 4 3 10
1.4 5.2 2.5 8.5
1.7 6.1 2.2 7.6
1.9 6.7 2.1 7.3
1.95 6.85 2.03 7.09
1.997 6.991 2.009 7.027
1.9999 6.9997 2.0005 7.0015
1.9999999 6.9999997 2.0000001 7.0000003
lim (1 + 3𝑥)
𝑥→2
From the left From the right
𝑥 𝑓 𝑥 𝑥 𝑓 𝑥
1 4 3 10
1.4 5.2 2.5 8.5
1.7 6.1 2.2 7.6
𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝟏 + 𝟑𝒙 = 𝟕
1.9 6.7 2.1 7.3 𝒙→𝟐
1.95 6.85 2.03 7.09
1.997 6.991 2.009 7.027
1.9999 6.9997 2.0005 7.0015
1.9999999 6.9999997 2.0000001 7.0000003
lim (𝑥 2 + 1)
𝑥→−1
From the left From the right
𝑥 𝑓 𝑥 𝑥 𝑓 𝑥
-1.5 3.25 -0.5 1.25
-1.2 2.44 -0.8 1.64
-1.01 2.0201 -0.99 1.9801
-1.0001 2.00020001 -0.9999 1.99980001
2
lim 𝑥 + 1 = 2
𝑥→−1
𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 + 4
lim
From the left 𝑥→1 𝑥 − 1 From the right
𝑥 𝑓 𝑥 𝑥 𝑓 𝑥
0.5 -3.5 1.5 -2.5
0.88 -3.12 1.17 -2.83
0.996 -3.004 1.003 -2.997
0.9999 -3.0001 1.0001 -2.9999
𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 + 4
lim = −3
𝑥→1 𝑥−1
lim 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑥→4
𝑖𝑓,
𝑥+1 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 < 4
𝑓 𝑥 =ቊ
(𝑥 − 4)2 +3 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≥ 4
From the left From the right
𝑥 𝑓 𝑥 𝑥 𝑓 𝑥
3.7 4.7 4.3 3.09
3.85 4.85 4.1 3.01
3.995 4.995 4.001 3.000001
3.99999 4.99999 4.00001 3.0000000001
lim 𝑓(𝑥) 𝐷𝑁𝐸
𝑥→4
DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN lim 𝑓 𝑥 AND 𝒇(𝒄)
𝑥→𝑐
Difference between lim 𝑓 𝑥 and 𝒇(𝒄)
𝑥→𝑐
• lim 𝑓 𝑥 is where the function is heading as x gets
𝑥→𝑐
close to c.
• 𝒇(𝒄) is the actual value of the function at c.
• Sometimes, the limit exists but 𝒇(𝒄) might be
different or undefined.
Example:
𝑥 2 −5𝑥+4
𝑓 𝑥 = , the
limit as x→1 is −3,
𝑥−1
but note the function is undefined
at x=1 because it causes division by
zero.
QUIZ
Answer the following
questions.
1. What observations do you get
from the result?
2. Given the table of values.
What does this show base on
their limit values?
3. Describe the values of x in
the two tables.
Evaluate the following functions. You can refer
to figure 1 above for the graph of the functions
f(x) and g(x).
1. 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝟏 + 𝟑𝒙, 𝑎𝑡 𝑥=2
2. 𝒈(𝒙) = 𝒙 𝟐 − 𝟏, 𝑎𝑡 𝑥=2
𝒇 𝒙 =𝒙+𝟑
2
𝑓 𝑥 =𝑥 +1
𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 + 4
𝑓 𝑥 =
𝑥−1
𝑥+1 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 < 4
𝑓 𝑥 =ቊ
(𝑥 − 4)2 +3 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≥ 4