3

Limits of a function:
The limit of a function is the value towards which a function tends.
Remember that value of a function and limit of a function are different concepts.
To explore more, have a look at the following function:
x −1
f (x) =
x −1
This function can be simplified to f (x) = 1.
Does it mean that value of f (x) is always 1 ?
We can clearly see that the function is not defined at x = 1 .
What happens when we go infinitely close to x = 1 ?
The function is defined at all the values except x = 1 .
When you are infinitely close to x = 1 , we call it
approaching 1 or tends to 1.

While approaching to 1, x can take a value infinitely close to

1 but less than 1 or infinitely close to 1 but more than 1.

When it is less then 1, it approaches from left hand side and

called left hand limit.

When it is more than 1, it approaches from right hand side

and it is called right hand limit.

Notation:

Left Hand Limit

lim f (x)
x→1−

Right Hand Limit

lim f (x)
x→1+

Important:
• Left hand limit and right hand limit may or may not exist.
• If they exist, they may or may not be equal.
• When left hand limit and right hand limit, both exist and are equal, we say that limit of a
function exists with that value.

Hence,
For a ∈!, lim f (x) exists iff both lim− f (x) and lim+ f (x) exist and equal.
x→a x→a x→a
In this case we say that

lim f (x) = lim− f (x) = lim+ f (x)

x→a x→a x→a
Also note that
lim f (x) = lim f (a − h) and lim+ f (x) = lim f (x + h)
x→a − h→0 x→a h→0
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Have a look at the following examples to further discuss limit of a function:

Example 1:

Example 2:

Example 3:

Calculating the value of limit (If it exists) of a function.

Following are some popular methods to find the value of limit of a function:
• Factorization
• Rationalization
• Substitution.
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Practice:
Evaluate the following limits, where possible:
1. lim f (x) where 2. lim f (x) where
π x→3
x→
2
⎧x2 x>3
⎧ π ⎪
⎪⎪sin x x≥ f (x) = ⎨5, x=3
f (x) = ⎨ 2
π ⎪3x x<3
⎪ 2x x< ⎩
⎪⎩ π 2

x+5 10x 2 − 5
3. lim 4. lim
x→∞ −2x 2 + x + 1 x→∞ 3x 2 + x + 2

x2 + x + 1 x +1
5. lim 6. lim
x→∞ x−2 x→−1 x − 2x − 3
2

x 2 + 3x − 4 1
7. lim 8. ,1, 1, 0, 2, 1, ½, 1, 1, 2, 0
x→1 x −1 2

⎛ ln x ⎞ tan x
9. lim− ⎜ 10. lim
x→2 ⎝
⎟ sec x
2− x ⎠
−
π
x→
2

4x 2 − 5x + 1 12. lim x 2 + x − x
11. lim x→∞
x→∞ x 2 + x + 1

x 2 − 3x + 2 x3 + x2 + x + 1
lim 14. lim
13. x→2 x − 2 x→∞ x 3 + 3x 2 + 5x + 2

15. lim ⎡⎢ x 2 + 1 − x 2 − 1 ⎤⎥ 16. lim ⎡⎢ x 2 + x + 1 − x 2 − x − 1 ⎤⎥

x→∞ ⎣ ⎦ x→∞ ⎣ ⎦

⎡ 2x ⎤ sin3x
17. lim ⎢ ⎥ 18. lim
x→0 6x
⎣ 2x + x + 1 − x − 3x + 1 ⎦
x→0 2 2

19. lim
sin ( sin x )
20. lim
( )
sin x 2
x→0 x x→0 x sin x

21. lim
x + 2sin x ( )
22. lim+ etan x
π
x→0
x + 2sin x + 1 − sin x − x + 1
2 2 x→
2

Answer:
⎡ ⎤ 10 1 1 1
⎢Yes, lim f (x) = 1⎥ , ⎡Yes, lim f (x) = 9 ⎤ , 0, , Does not exist, − , 5, − , Does not exist, 1, 4,
⎢⎣ x→
π
2
⎥⎦ ⎣ x→3 ⎦ 3 4 25 2
, 1,1, 0, 2, 1, ½, 1, 1, 2, 0
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Squeeze Theorem:
In calculus, the squeeze theorem, also known as the pinching theorem, the sandwich theorem, the
sandwich rule, and sometimes the squeeze lemma, is a theorem regarding the limit of a function.
The squeeze theorem is used in calculus and mathematical analysis.

The squeeze theorem states that the inequalities between functions are preserved when we tale limits:
Let f (x), g(x), and h(x) be real functions and let a,l ∈!
If
f (x) ≤ g(x) ≤ h(x) , lim f (x) ≤ lim g(x) ≤ lim h(x)
x→a x→a x→a

If lim f (x) = lim h(x) = l , then lim g(x) = l

x→a x→a x→a
So, a function g(x) is forced to have the same limit as f (x) and h(x) if g(x) is squeezed between
them.
Squeeze theorem is a good tool to calculate the limit of functions which lie between two functions.

Example:
⎡ ⎛ 9⎞ ⎤
Use squeeze theorem to evaluate lim ⎢ x 2 cos ⎜ ⎟ ⎥ .
x→0
⎣ ⎝ x⎠ ⎦
Solution:
We know that −1 ≤ cosθ ≤ 1, for all x ∈!
⎛ 9⎞
⇒− 1 ≤cos ⎜ ⎟ ≤ 1, for all x ≠ 0
⎝ x⎠
⎛ 9⎞
⇒− x 2 ≤ x 2 cos ⎜ ⎟ ≤ x 2 , for all x ≠ 0
⎝ x⎠
⎡ ⎛ 9⎞ ⎤
⇒lim ⎡⎣ −x 2 ⎤⎦ ≤ lim ⎢ x 2 cos ⎜ ⎟ ⎥ ≤ lim ⎡⎣ x 2 ⎤⎦
x→0 x→0
⎣ ⎝ x ⎠ ⎦ x→0
Since lim ⎡⎣ −x 2 ⎤⎦ = lim ⎡⎣ x 2 ⎤⎦ = 0
x→0 x→0

⎡ ⎛ 9⎞ ⎤
Hence lim ⎢ x 2 cos ⎜ ⎟ ⎥ =0
x→0
⎣ ⎝ x⎠ ⎦

In examples like above, it is very important to observe inequality direction when multiplying with a
function. You may have to consider
Following example will give a deeper idea of how the sign of inequality changes.
Example:
⎛ 1 ⎞
Let f (x) = x 3 sin ⎜ , use the squeeze theorem to find lim f (x).
⎝ 3 x ⎟⎠ x→0

Solution:
We know that −1 ≤ sin θ ≤ 1, for all x ∈!
⎛ 1 ⎞
⇒− 1 ≤sin ⎜ 3 ⎟ ≤ 1, for all x ≠ 0
⎝ x⎠

Here x can take positive or negative values. As a result x 3 can be positive or negative.
Hence, we need to discuss this situation for the positive and negative values of x, separately.
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Case I: When x > 0

Since −1 ≤ sin θ ≤ 1, for all x > 0
⎛ 1 ⎞
⇒ − 1 ≤sin ⎜ 3 ⎟ ≤ 1, for all x > 0
⎝ x⎠

⎛ 1 ⎞
⇒ − x 3 ≤ x 3 sin ⎜ 3 ⎟ ≤ x 3 , for all x > 0
⎝ x⎠
Since we are considering only x > 0 , we can calculate only one sided limit.
⎡ ⎛ 1 ⎞⎤
( )
⇒ lim+ −x 3 ≤ lim+ ⎢ x 3 sin ⎜ 3 ⎟ ⎥ ≤ lim+ ⎡⎣ x 3 ⎤⎦ , for all x > 0
⎝ x ⎠ ⎦ x→0
x→0 x→0
⎣

x→0+
( )
Since lim −x 3 = lim ⎡⎣ x 3 ⎤⎦ = 0
x→0+

⎡ ⎛ 1 ⎞⎤
⇒ lim+ ⎢ x 3 sin ⎜ 3 ⎟ ⎥ = 0
x→0
⎣ ⎝ x⎠⎦

Case II: When x < 0

Since −1 ≤ sin θ ≤ 1, for all x < 0
⎛ 1 ⎞
⇒ − 1 ≤sin ⎜ 3 ⎟ ≤ 1, for all x < 0
⎝ x⎠

⎛ 1 ⎞
⇒ − x 3 ≥ x 3 sin ⎜ 3 ⎟ ≥ x 3 , for all x < 0
⎝ x⎠
⎛ 1 ⎞
⇒ x 3 ≤ x 3 sin ⎜ 3 ⎟ ≤ −x 3 , for all x < 0
⎝ x⎠

Since we are considering only x < 0 , we can calculate only one sided limit.
⎡ ⎛ 1 ⎞⎤
( )
⇒ lim− x 3 ≤ lim− ⎢ x 3 sin ⎜ 3 ⎟ ⎥ ≤ lim− ⎡⎣ −x 3 ⎤⎦ , for all x > 0
⎝ x ⎠ ⎦ x→0
x→0 x→0
⎣

x→0
( )
Since lim− −x 3 = lim− ⎡⎣ x 3 ⎤⎦ = 0
x→0

⎡ ⎛ 1 ⎞⎤
⇒ lim− ⎢ x 3 sin ⎜ 3 ⎟ ⎥ = 0
x→0
⎣ ⎝ x⎠⎦

⎡ ⎛ 1 ⎞⎤ ⎡ ⎛ 1 ⎞⎤
Since lim− ⎢ x 3 sin ⎜ 3 ⎟ ⎥ = lim+ ⎢ x 3 sin ⎜ ⎟⎥=0
x→0
⎣ ⎝ x ⎠ ⎦ x→0 ⎣ ⎝ 3
x⎠⎦
⎡ ⎛ 1 ⎞⎤
By the definition of limits, lim ⎢ x 3 sin ⎜
⎝ ⎟ ⎥ exists and = 0
x→0
⎣
3
x⎠⎦
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Practice Questions:
Use the squeeze theorem or otherwise to evaluate the following limits:
⎡ sin x ⎤
1. lim ⎢ ⎥
x→0
⎣ x ⎦
⎡ ⎛ 1⎞ ⎤
2. lim ⎢ x 2 cos ⎜ ⎟ ⎥
x→0
⎣ ⎝ x⎠ ⎦
⎡ sin x ⎤
3. lim ⎢ ⎥
x→∞
⎣ x ⎦
⎡ 2 − cos x ⎤
4. lim ⎢ ⎥
x→∞
⎣ x+3 ⎦
⎡ cos 2 2x ⎤
5. lim ⎢ ⎥
x→∞
⎣ 3− 2x ⎦

6. lim ⎢
( )
⎡ x 2 2 + sin 2 x ⎤
⎥
x→∞
⎢⎣ x + 100 ⎥⎦

(
⎡ x 2 sin x + cos3 x
7. lim ⎢
) ⎤⎥
x→∞
( )
⎢⎣ x 2 + 1 ( x − 3) ⎥⎦
θ 2 + θ − 2 f (θ ) θ 2 + 2θ − 1
8. Assume that lim− ⎡⎣ f (θ ) ⎤⎦ exists and ≤ 2 ≤ , find lim− ⎡⎣ f (θ ) ⎤⎦ .
θ →−1 θ +3 θ θ +3 θ →−1

⎡ − 1
⎤
9. lim ⎢ e x sin x ⎥ .
x→0
⎣ ⎦
⎡ x ⎤
10. lim ⎢ ⎥
x→0 1+ x 4
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦

Answer:
1) – [1]
6) – Does not exist,
8) – [ – 1].
Others are all 0.