11/2/2010

MATH 1401

APPLICATION OF
DERIVATIVES

L’HOSPITAL’S
L HOSPITAL S RULE

SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

CALCULUS 1

• L’Hospital’s Rule is a method for calculating limits of an

indeterminate ratio such as 0/0 or ∞/∞.
• During our study of limits, we observed that anytime we
do direct substitution and the result is 0/0 or ∞/∞ it
indicates that there is something more we could do.
• We learnt that we can use techniques such as the
factorization, rationalization and conjugate methods to
solve such limit problems.
• Note that at that time we have not yet introduced the
conceptp of the derivative of a function. Also the
problems were carefully selected so that it can be
factored or rationalized.
• However, not all problems that leads to 0/0 can be
factored or rationalized. That where the L’Hospital’s
Rule comes in.
PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 2 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

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CALCULUS 1

• L’Hospital’s Rule is a method for calculating limits of

indeterminate ratios of the form 0 or   .
0 

• That is, both the numerator and denominator of the ratio

go to zero or both go to ± ∞ as x approaches some
number a or as x increases or decreases without bounds
(i.e., as x approaches ± ∞).

• Suppose f(x) and g(x) both go to zero or both go to ± ∞

as x  a . f ( x) f ( x)
Then lim  lim
x a x a
g( x) g ( x)
provided the limit on the right exist or is ± ∞.

•
PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 3 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

CALCULUS 1

L’Hospital’s Rule:
f ( x)
If lim is indeterminate,
x a g( x)
f ( x) f ( x)
then: lim  lim
x a g ( x) x a g ( x)

xa f ( x)
If lim is still indeterminate,
x a g ( x)

f ( x) f  ( x )
then: lim  lim
x a g  ( x) x  a g  ( x )

• In general, we can apply the L’Hospital’s rule as many times

as necessary as long as the ratio is still indeterminate.

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 4 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

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CALCULUS 1

cos x  1
Calculate lim
x 0 x
•

Therefore: cos x  1  sin x 0

lim  lim  0
x 0 x x 0 1 1
PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 5 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

CALCULUS 1

ex
Calculate lim 2
x  x

ex ex ex 
Therefore: lim 2
 lim  lim  
x  x x  2 x x  2 2
PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 6 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

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CALCULUS 1

• L’Hospital’s rule can be used to evaluate other

indeterminate forms besides 0/0 and ∞/∞.
• The following are also considered indeterminate:
0  1 00 0
• For the indeterminate form   0 (called the
indeterminate product) we turn the indeterminate
product f(x)g(x) into an indeterminate quotient
quotient, and
we can apply L’Hospital’s Rule.

f ( x) g( x)
• That is: f ( x )  g ( x )  1 / g ( x ) or 1 / f ( x ) Eg. x ln x  ln x
1  x
PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 7 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

CALCULUS 1

Calculate lim x ln x
x  0

Therefore: lim x ln x  lim ln x  lim  1 x  lim

( x) 0
 0
x 0 
x 0 

 x
x 0
1 

 1 x 
2
x  0 1 1

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 8 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

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CALCULUS 1

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 9 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

CALCULUS 1

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 10 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

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CALCULUS 1

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 11 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

CALCULUS 1

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 12 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

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CALCULUS 1

ln(sin x ) ln(sin x )
We are now trying to find lim 
 lim 
x 0 1 / tan x x 0 cot x
• f ( x) Direct f ( x) Simplified Direct
Subst. expression
p Subst.
g( x) g ( x)
cos x sin x 
2

ln(sin x ) ln(sin 0) cos x

Num.  0
  sin x sin x 1
  cos x sin x
cot 0
Denom. cot x  csc 2 x 1 1

Remarks Apply Simplify Num STOP !
L'Hospital's & Demon.
rule (same base)

Therefore: lim(sin x ) tan x  lim e ln y  e 0  1

x  0 x  0

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 13 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

CALCULUS 1

QUESTION 1

• f ( x) f ( x)
g( x) g ( x)

QUESTION 2

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 14 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

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CALCULUS 1

QUESTION 3

• f ( x) f ( x)
g( x) g ( x)

QUESTION 4

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 15 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

CALCULUS 1

QUESTION 5

• f ( x) f ( x)
g( x) g ( x)

QUESTION 6

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 16 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

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CALCULUS 1

QUESTION 7

• f ( x) f ( x)
g( x) g ( x)

QUESTION 8

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 17 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

CALCULUS 1

QUESTION 9

• f ( x) f ( x)
g( x) g ( x)

QUESTION 10

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 18 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

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CALCULUS 1

QUESTION 11

• f ( x) f ( x)
g( x) g ( x)

QUESTION 12

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 19 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

CALCULUS 1

QUESTION 13

• f ( x) f ( x)
g( x) g ( x)

QUESTION 14

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 20 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

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CALCULUS 1

QUESTION 15

• f ( x) f ( x)
g( x) g ( x)

QUESTION 16

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 21 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

CALCULUS 1

QUESTION 17

• f ( x) f ( x)
g( x) g ( x)

QUESTION 18

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 22 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

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CALCULUS 1

QUESTION 19

• f ( x) f ( x)
g( x) g ( x)

QUESTION 20

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 23 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

CALCULUS 1

QUESTION 21

• f ( x) f ( x)
g( x) g ( x)

QUESTION 22

PROF. MICHAEL ARYEE 24 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

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