Basic Calculus
LIMITS AND CONTINUITY
Calculus
Mathematics of motion and change.
Built upon two great ideas,
Derivative – examines slope of a curve and rates of change.
Integral – deals with sums, areas, and volumes.
A latin word for stone and pebble.
Thus, calculus roughly means a method of calculation.
Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm
Leibniz
– an English mathematician and natural philosopher
and a German philosopher and mathematician widely
honored as the inventors of calculus.
Limit
Building block on which all underlying concepts of
calculus are based.
Let f(x) be a given function of x. If the function f(x)
approaches the real number L as x approaches a
particular value of c, then we say that L is the limit of f
as x approaches c. The notation for this definition is
The limit, , may or may not exist. When the limit f(x)
exist, it must be a single number.
Examples of a combined numerical and
graphical approaches to locate limits.
1. The function f (x) = is not defined when x = 3. Why? What
happens to the values of f(x) when x is very close to 3?
x from the left x from the right
x 2.9 2.99 2.999 3 3.0001 3.001 3.01 3.1
2.f (x)
If f (x)5.9
= , what
5.99is ? 5.999 6.0001 6.001 6.01 6.1
+¿ ¿
𝒙→𝟒 −
𝒙→𝟒
x 3.99 3.999 3.9999 4 4.0001 4.001 4.01 4.1
f (x)
Main Limit Theorems
The Limit of a Constant Theorem
The Limit of a Function x
Limit of a Constant and a Function f(x)
Limit of Sum and Difference of Functions
Limit of Product of Functions
Limit of Quotient of Functions
Limit of Power of Functions
Limit of Root of Functions
Limit of a Constant Theorem
Definition.
The limit of a constant as x approaches to any
constant is always equal to the given constant.
Example:
Limit of a Function x
Definition.
The limit of the function x as x approaches to any
constant is always equal to the constant.
Example:
Limit of a Constant and a Function f(x)
Definition. lim
In evaluating the Limit of a Constant and a Function, the
following steps can be followed:
1. Express the limit as a product of a constant and the limit
of a function x.
2. Find the limit of the function x based on the given value
for x.
3. Simplify the resulting numbers.
Example:
4.
5.
Limit of Sum and Difference of Functions
Definition. f(x)
In evaluating the Limit of Sum/Difference of Functions, the
following steps can be followed:
1. Express the limit as sum or difference of functions
depending on the number of terms.
2. Apply the previously discussed limit theorems in finding the
limit of each term.
3. Simplify.
Example
=3
= -22
Limit of Product of Functions
Definition. f(x)
In evaluating the Limit of Products of Functions, the following steps
can be followed:
1. Express the limit in expanded form by applying the Limit of Products
Theorem.
2. Evaluate the limit of each function by applying the previously
discussed limit theorems.
3. Simplify.
Example
= 15
= -9
Limit of Quotient of Functions
Definition. , provided that g(x)
In evaluating the Limit of Products of Functions, the following steps can
be followed:
1. Express the limit in expanded form by applying the Limit of Quotient
Theorem.
2. Evaluate the limit of each function by applying the previously
discussed limit theorems.
3. Simplify.
Example:
Limit of Root of Function
Example:
Limit of Power of Functions
Definition.
Example:
1. =
=
= 16
2. + 2 +1
=
= 64
Other Techniques in Evaluating Limits of
Functions
By Factoring
By Conjugation
Evaluate the following, then graph
❑
1. lim ( 𝑥+ 3 ) 𝑥 2 −8 𝑥+16
𝑥 →2 5 . lim
𝑥 →4 𝑥−4
𝑥 2 −1
2 . lim
𝑥 →1 𝑥 − 1 2 𝑥2− 3 𝑥 − 2
6. lim
𝑥 →− 1/ 2 2 𝑥 +1
𝑥2 −16
3. lim
𝑥 →1 𝑥 − 4
7 . lim 𝑥 4 − 5 𝑥 2 +4 𝑥 +2
𝑥 →− 1
4 . lim √ 2
𝑥 −1
8 . lim 𝑥3 −2 𝑥 2+3 𝑥 +4
𝑥 →1 √ 𝑥 − 1 𝑥 →− 1