PREVIEW

TOPICS IN CHAPTER 1: FUNCTIONS, LIMIT AND CONTINUITY

BIL TOPICS

1. FUNCTIONS

2. LIMITS

One-sided limits

Limits at infinity

3. COMPUTING LIMITS

Some Basic Limits

Limits of Polynomial and Rational Functions as x a

Limits of Polynomial and Rational Functions as x  
Limits Involving Radicals as x a
Limits Involving Radicals as x  
Limits of Piecewise Functions

4. CONTINUITY

Definition of Continuity

5. CONTINUITY OF TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS

Squeezing Theorem
 CHAPTER 1

FUNCTIONS, LIMIT AND CONTINUITY

1.1 FUNCTIONS

Definition of a Function:

A function is a relation that associates each element in the set A (domain) to exactly one and
only one element in the set B (codomain). Different elements in A can have the same output
in B. Element(s) in set B that can be mapped is called a range. Not every element in B has to
be mapped.

SET A SET B

.a .1
.b .2 Range
.c .3
.d .4
.e
.5
.6
Domain Codomain
Operations on Functions

Given two functions f(x) and g(x) , the operations of t

he functions are defines as follows:

 Addition : (f  g)(x)  f(x)  g(x)

 Subtraction : (f  g)(x)  f(x)  g(x)
 Multiplication : (f.g)(x)  f(x).g(x)
 Division : (f / g)(x)  f(x) / g(x) provided g(x)  0 .

Composite Function

Given two functions f(x) and g(x), composite of the functions is defined as (f g)(x)  f(g(x))

Inverse Function

Inverse function are functions that reverse each other. If f(a)  b , then f 1(b)  a
Types of Graph of a Function

Linear functions: Quadratic functions:

y  mx  b ; y  x y  ax2  bx  c ; y  x2

Domain : Real Number (  )

Domain : Real Number (  )
Range : Real Number (  )
Range : [0, )

Cubic functions: Radical functions: y  x

y  ax  bx  cx  d ; y  x
3 2 3

Domain : Real Number (  ) Domain :  0,  

Range : Real Number (  ) Range :  0,  

Rational functions:
ax  b 1
y y  ;x  0
cx  d ; x

Domain : x0

Range : y0
1.2 LIMIT
If the values of f ( x ) can be made as close as we like to L by taking values of x
sufficiently closely to a (but not equal to a), then we write
lim f(x)  L
x a or f(x)  L as x a
which is read “the limit of f ( x ) as x approaches a is” or “ f ( x ) approaches L as x
approaches a.”
This is called as two sided limits.

f(x)  x2  4x  3

x x

(2, 1)
x 1.0 1.5 1.9 1.95 1.99 2 2.01 2.05 2.1 2.5 3
f(x) 0 -0.75 -0.99 -0.9975 -0.9999 -1 -0.9999 -0.9975 -0.99 -0.75 0

Example: Find the limit from its given graph.

1. sinx
lim
x0 x

2. x 1
lim
x 1 x 1
1.2.1 ONE-SIDED-LIMITS
In some cases, a function may have different value on the two sides of its limit. It is
important to distinguish whether the limit approaches from the left or from the right.

If the values of f ( x ) can be made as close as we like to L by taking values of x

sufficiently closely to a (but greater than a), then we write
lim f(x)  L or f(x)  L as x  a
xa
and if the values of f ( x ) can be made as close as we like to L by taking values of x
sufficiently closely to a (but less than a), then we write
lim f(x)  L or f(x)  L as x  a
xa

x
f(x) 
x

x   0  x

x x
lim  1 lim 1
x 0 x x 0 x

The relationship between one-sided and two-sided limits.

The two-sided limit of a function f ( x ) exists at a if and only if both of the one-sided
limits exist at a and have the same value; that is

lim f ( x)  L if and only if lim f ( x)  L  lim f ( x)

xa x a  x a 

Based on example above:

x x x
lim does not exist because lim  lim
x 0 x x 0 x x 0 x

Example: Find the limit from its given graph.

1. lim f(x)
x 1

lim f(x)
x 1
 2. lim f(x)
x1

lim f(x)
x1

3. lim f(x)
x 2

lim f(x)
x 2

1.2.2 Limits and Infinity

Infinite Limits

The expressions
lim f(x)   lim f(x)  
xa xa
denote that f ( x ) increases without bound as x approaches from the left and from the
right respectively. If both are true, then we write
lim f(x)  
x a
Similarly, the expressions
lim f(x)   lim f(x)  
xa xa
denote that f ( x ) decreases without bound as x approaches from the left and from the
right respectively. If both are true, then we write
lim f(x)  
x a
 
Increases
withoutbound
x 0

1
f(x) 
x
x   0  x

x  0
Decreases
without bound


1 1
lim   lim  
x 0 x x 0 x

x  0 is called the vertical asymptote of the function.

End behavior of a function.

1
lim 0
x  x
Example: Find the limit from its given graph.
1. 1
lim
x 2 (x 2)

1
lim
x 2 (x  2)

Vertical asymptote:

2. 1
lim
x 1 (x  1)
2

1
lim
x 1 (x  1)
2

Vertical asymptote:

1.3 COMPUTING LIMITS

1.3.1 Some Basic Limits

Theorem
Let a be a real number; and suppose that
lim f(x)  L1 and lim g(x)  L2
x a x a
That is, the limits exist and have values L1 and L 2 , respectively. Then:
a. lim [ f(x)  g(x)]  lim f(x)  lim g(x)  L1 L2
x a x a x a
b. lim [ f(x)  g(x)]  lim f(x)  lim g(x)  L1 L2
x a x a x a

c.
x a
 x a

lim [ f(x)g(x)]  lim f(x) lim g(x)  L1L2
x a

f(x) xlim
f(x) L
d. lim  a  1 , provided L2  0
x a g(x) lim g(x) L2
x a
e. lim n f(x)  n lim f(x)  n L1 provided L1  0 if n is even.
x a x a
f. lim (kf(x))  k lim f(x)  k(L1)
x a x a

These statements are also true for the one-sided limits as x  a or x  a .

1.3.2 Limits of Polynomial and Rational Functions as x a
Example

1. lim 3x  7 Ans: 13

x2


2. lim x 2  2x  4
x0
 Ans: -4

3. lim 5t 2
 2t  3 Ans: 75
t 4

4. lim x 3
 2x  5x 
2
Ans: -174
x 3

x2
5. lim Ans: -1
x2 x  x  6
2

x2
6. lim 2 Ans: 0
x 2 x  3x  6

(1  h)2  1
7. lim Ans: 4
h0 h

0 
Indeterminate form of limit and
0 

x 2  x  12
8. lim Ans: -7
x 3 x3
4x
9. lim Ans: 1/8
x 4 16  x 2

1.3.3 Limits of Polynomial and Rational Functions as x  

Polynomial Functions
The end behavior of a polynomial matches the end behavior of its highest degree
term.
lim (cnxn  cn1xn1  c1x c0 )  lim cnxn
x  x 

lim (cnxn  cn1xn1  c1x c0 )  lim cnxn

x  x 

Example:
1. lim (7 x5  4x3  2x  9) Ans: 
x 

2. lim ( 4 x8  17x3  5x  1) Ans: 

x 
Rational Functions
Method 1: Dividing each term in the numerator and the denominator by the highest
power of x in the denominator.

Method 2: The end behavior of a rational function matches the end behavior of the
quotient of the highest degree term in the numerator divided by the highest
degree term in the denominator.

Example: Find
3x  5
1. lim Ans: ½
x  6x  8

4x2  x
2. lim Ans: 0
x  2x3  5

5x3  2x2  1
3. lim Ans: 
x 1 3x

Example: Find

1. MARCH 2015

Given f x   x 3  2x 2 and f x   2x 2  8. Evaluate

f x 
i) lim
x2 gx 
f x 
ii) lim
x  gx 

2. SEPT 2013
4
2
lim x
x 2 x  2

3. MARCH 2013

x 3
lim
x3 x  x 2  6x
3
1.3.4 Limits Involving Radicals as x a
Example: Find
x 1
1. lim Ans: 2
x 1 x  1
x 9
2. lim Ans: 6
x 9 x  3

x4 2
3. lim Ans: ¼
x0 x

Exercise: Find

1. MARCH 2013

2. SEPT 2013

3. MARCH 2014

4. MARCH 2015

1.3.5 Limits Involving Radicals as x  

Example: Find
x2  2
lim
1. x 3x  6 Ans: 1/3
x2  2
lim
2. x 3x  6 Ans: -1/3

Manipulate the function so that the powers of x are transformed to powers 1/ x . This
can be achieved in both cases by dividing the numerator and denominator by
x and using the fact that x2  x .
Exercise: Find

1. MARCH 2014

2. SEPT 2014

1.3.6 Limits of Piecewise Functions

Example:

 1
 x2 x  2

f ( x)   x 2  5 2 x3
 x2  7 x3


Find :

1. lim f(x)
x 2
2. lim f(x)
x 0
3. lim f(x)
x 3

Exercise:
1. SEPT 2013
1.4 CONTINUITY

A graph can be described as continuous curves if it has no holes/breaks. In sketching, the

graph is continuous if we able to sketch the graph without lifting our hand.

Definition
A function f is said to be continuous at x  c if the following conditions are satisfied:
1. f(c) is defined
2. lim f(x) exists
x c
3. lim f(x)  f(c)
x c

The intermediate Value Theorem

If f is continuous on a closed interval a, b and k is any number between f(a) and f(b) ,
inclusive, then there is at least one number x in the interval a, b such that f(x)  k .

Example:
1. Determine whether the following functions are continuous at x  2.

 x2  4
 x2
h(x)   x  2 Ans: count at x  2
 4 x2


2. Find the value of the constants k that will make the function continuous everywhere.

7x  2 x  1
f(x)   2 Ans: k 5
 kx x 1

3. Find the values of the constants k and m, if possible, that will make the function f
continuous everywhere.
 2x 3  x  7 x  1

f ( x)  m( x  1)  k 1 x  2 Ans: k  4 , m  5 / 3
 x 52
x2


Exercise:

1. MARCH 2013
2. SEPT 2013

3. MARCH 2014

4. SEPT 2014

5. MARCH 2015
1.5 CONTINUITY OF TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS

Theorem
If c is any number in the natural domain of the stated trigonometric function, then
lim sin x  sinc lim csc x  csc c
x c x c

lim cos x  cosc lim sec x  sec c

x c x c

lim tan x  tanc lim cot x  cot c

x c x c

Theorem
The Squeezing Theorem
Let f, g and h be functions satisfying g(x)  f(x)  h(x) for all x in some open interval
containing the number c, with the possible exception that the inequalities need not hold at c.
if g and h have the same limit as x approaches c, say
lim g(x)  lim h(x)  L
x c x c
then f also has this limit as x approaches c, that is,
lim f(x)  L
x c

Theorem
sinx 1 cos x
lim 1 lim 0
x0 x x0 x

Example:
tan x
1. lim Ans: 1
x 0 x

sin2
2. lim Ans: 2
0 

sin3x
3. lim Ans: 3/5
x0 sin5x

x2  3sinx
4. lim Ans: -3
x0 x
tan7x
5. lim Ans: 7/3
x0 sin3x