Calculus I More Notes on Limits.

TheSqueezeTheoremforRealLimits:
The Squeeze Theorem for Real Limits If 1) a, b, c and L are real numbers, 2) a < c < b, 3) g(x) f (x) h(x) for all x in (a, c) (c, b) , and 4) lim g(x) = L = lim h(x)
x c x c

then, lim f (x) = L .

x c

The following graph demonstrates this theorem. In effect, since y = f(x) is bounded by y = g(x) and y = h(x), they funnel y = f(x) to L as x goes to c.

Example#1: If 5 x 3 f (x) 21 12x for all x in (0,5) , find lim f (x) .

x2

lim ( 5 x 3 ) = 5 (2)3 = -3 ; lim ( 21 12x ) = 21 12(2) = -3 . Therefore, lim f (x) = -3

x2

x2

x2

SpecialTrigonometricLimits:
Example#2: Evaluate lim
x 0

sin(x) . x

To find this limit we must look at 3 areas.

sin(x) =

opp h = = h = height hyp 1

1 Area = base * height 2 1 = (1) *sin(x) 2 sin(x) = 2

The area and angle of the sector above are proportional to the area and angle of a full circle. Area x = 2 2 (1) Area x = 2 x Area = 2

tan(x) =

opp h = = h = height adj 1

1 Area = base * height 2 1 = (1) * tan(x) 2 tan(x) = 2

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Now notice the relation between the 3 areas.

Thus,
sin(x) x tan(x) 2 2 2 sin(x) x tan(x) sin(x) x and x tan(x) At this point we need to work the 2 one-sided limits separately. sin(x) . In this case we can restrict x to be between 0 and since we are dealing with the right-hand limit and this limit Case 1: lim+ x 0 2 x is only concerned with what is happening immediately to the right of 0. sin(x) x and x tan(x) | sin(x) sin(x) 1 x | x cos(x) | sin(x) cos(x) x sin(x) cos(x) 1 x sin(x) Case 2: lim . Use only x between - and 0. Thus, x 0 x 2 sin(x) x and x tan(x) | sin(x) sin(x) 1 x | x cos(x) | sin(x) cos(x) x sin(x) 1 cos(x) x Now we just need that lim cos(x) = cos(0) = 1 , and lim1 = 1 .
x 0 x 0

Thus, in either case the squeeze theorem would then conclude that lim+
x 0

sin(x) sin(x) = 1 , and lim = 1 for both cases 1 and 2 x 0 x x

respectively. Therefore, lim

x 0

Example#3: Evaluate lim

x 0

sin(x) = 1 . x

1 cos(x) . x

lim

[1 cos(x)] [1 + cos(x)] = lim 1 cos 2 (x) 1 cos(x) = lim x 0 x 0 x x [1 + cos(x)] x 0 x [1 + cos(x)]

= lim sin(0) sin 2 (x) sin(x) sin(x) = lim lim = (1) = 0 . [1 + cos(0) ] x 0 x 1 + cos(x) x 0 x 0 x [ ] [1 + cos(x)]

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Therefore, The Special Trigonometric Limits sin(x) 1) lim =1 x 0 x and, 1 cos(x) 2) lim =0 x 0 x

ProvingtheAreaofaCircle:
First we need the formula for the area of an isosceles triangle.

opp h = hyp r r sin(x) = h = height sin(x) = 1 Area = base * height 2 1 = (r) * [ r sin() ] 2 r 2 sin() = 2 Now to approximate the area of a circle, we inscribe n isosceles triangles, of the same size, inside the circle as shown.

2 n

2 n r 2 sin r 2 sin() n Approximate Area = n = 2 2 using the fact that all the 's are the same. Thus,since this will always under approximate the area,

Area

for all values of n. x Still we can improve the approximation by taking the limit as n .

r 2 sin ( x )

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Therefore,
2 2 n r sin n Now define x = 2 and thus, n = 2 Area lim n 2 n x 2 2 r sin ( x ) 2 r 2 sin ( x ) x lim = lim x 0 x 0 2 2x 2 r sin ( x ) sin x) ( lim = r 2 lim x 0 x 0 x x r 2 (1) r2

But this only proves that Area r 2 .

So now repeat with circumscribed triangles. In this case: r cos = 2 s r s= cos 2

r2 sin() 2 r 2 2sin cos r 2 sin cos 2 2 2 s 2 sin() r sin( ) 2 = 2 Area of 1triangle = = = = 2 2 2 cos 2 2 cos 2 cos 2 2 2 2 2 2 n 2 r sin 2 n r sin 2 n r sin n = lim = lim Now define x = and thus, n = Area lim n n n x n 2 n n cos cos cos 2 2 n 2 r 2 sin ( x ) r2 x r sin ( x ) sin ( x ) r2 (1) = lim lim = lim = lim x 0 x 0 x 0 cos ( x ) x 0 x cos ( 0 ) x cos ( x ) cos ( x ) 2 r

Finally, we have that Area r 2 , and Area r 2 . Thus, Area = r 2 . I know that we used the formula for the area of a circle to get lim
x 0

sin(x) = 1 which causes these proofs together to be a circular x

sin(x) = 1 can be proved without using the area of a circle. Thus, ultimately the proof for the area of a circle is valid. x sin(x) I just cant yet show you a better proof of lim = 1 using derivatives. x 0 x

argument, but lim

x 0

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