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3 WAYS TO USE THE SQUEEZE THEOREM

Find the limit, or show the limit does not exist.

lim(x,y)(0,0)

x2 y x3
x 2 + y2

For any limit problem, start by taking a limit along some easy paths. If the
limits along different paths disagree, you know straight away that the limit does
not exist; if the limits along different paths agree, then we still cant tell whether
the limit exists or not, but we have a better idea of how we might try to prove
what the limit is.
There are many easy paths to approach the origin, namely straight lines, and
we can try them all at once:
Approach (0, 0) along y = mx (note that the denominator is nonzero along
these paths except at (0, 0), so the function is defined on all these paths and we
can take limits along these paths without problems):
x2 mx x3
mx x
= lim
2
2
x 0 x + ( mx )
x 0 1 + m 2
m (0) 0
=
1 + m2
= 0
lim

In the first step, we cancelled x2 from the top and the bottom because, near
x
x = 0 (but not actually at that point), x2 is nonzero. For the second step, mx
1+ m2
is a polynomial, which is continuous, so its limit at x = 0 is just this polynomial
evaluated at 0.
Were trying to find the limit of a rational function, so next we should check
whether its homogeneous (in the sense that I defined). Set x = t a , y = tb . The
function becomes
t2a tb t3a
t2a + t2b
If we want both terms in the denominator to have the same degree, we must
have a = b. Then the terms in the numerator will have degree 3a, whilst the
terms in the denominator have degree 2a = 3a (since a, b are nonzero when we
test for homogeneity), so the function isnt homogeneous.
1

MATH 51: 3 WAYS TO USE THE SQUEEZE THEOREM

Lets try to prove that the limit is 0, using the squeeze theorem. We want a
simple function f ( x, y) with

2
x y x3


x2 + y2 f ( x, y)
since that would mean

f ( x, y)

x2 y x3
f ( x, y)
x 2 + y2

(the two sides dont necessarily have to be a function and its negative, the squeeze
theorem will work as long as the two squeezing functions have the same limit.
But, if youre trying to show the limit is zero, its often useful to bound the
absolute value of the function, like Im doing here.)
We want f ( x, y) to be greater than a fraction. There are two ways to do this:
make the numerator bigger, or make the denominator smaller.
Solution 1: make the numerator bigger. Im going to add some positive
terms to the numerator so it becomes a multiple of x2 + y2 , and then I can cancel
with the denominator. The drawback of this method is that you have to think of
what to add.
Now,


2
3
(0.1)
x y x = x2 |y x |

x 2 | y x | + y2 | y x |
(0.1) uses the fact that x2 0
(0.2) is adding in y2 |y x |, which is 0
So we have
x2 y x3
|y x |
|y x | 2
x + y2
and |y x |, |y x | are both continuous, so
lim

( x,y)(0,0)

| y x | = |0 0| = 0

and
lim

( x,y)(0,0)

| y x | = |0 0| = 0

. Then, by the squeeze theorem,


lim

( x,y)(0,0)

x2 y x3
=0
x 2 + y2

(0.2)

MATH 51: 3 WAYS TO USE THE SQUEEZE THEOREM

Solution 2: make the denominator smaller. (due to lecturer Joan). Again,


we want to make the numerator and denominator cancel. Observe that x2 + y2
x2 0, so
2


x y x3 x2 y x3


= |y x |
x 2 + y2

x2
and wed like use the squeeze theorem as in solution 1, except the reasoning in
the line above only makes sense when x = 0, since we have x2 in the denominator
at one point. (This is the main drawback of this method.) We need to check
x2 y x3
separately that, when x = 0 (and y = 0), x2 +y2 is still bounded by |y x |.
But this is easy
2

0 y 03


02 + y2 = 0 |y x |
so we indeed have

x2 y x3
|y x |
x 2 + y2
for all ( x, y) = (0, 0) (ie the inequality holds at all points where the fraction is
defined), and we can finish the problem as in solution 1.

|y x |

Solution 2a: Heres a nifty rewrite from my fellow TA Rebecca, which bypasses
the above case-checking. Since x2 + y2 x2 0,
0

x2
1
x 2 + y2

for all ( x, y) = (0, 0). Multiplying through by |y x | gives


2

x y x3
|y x |
0 2
x + y2
and now we continue as before.

Solution 3: use polar coordinates. (as suggested by Matthew, and with help
from Sharad). Polar coordinates is not a substitute for the squeeze theorem,
merely a way to find squeezing functions easily in the very special case where the

MATH 51: 3 WAYS TO USE THE SQUEEZE THEOREM

(
)n
denominator has the form x2 + y2 for some n.

(
2

r3 cos2 sin cos3 )
x y x3




x2 + y2 = r2 (cos2 + sin2 )




2
= r cos (sin cos )
Now | sin cos | 2 and | cos | 1, so the right hand side 2|r |. Hence

2r

x2 y x3
2r |
x 2 + y2
x2 y xy2

As limr0 2r = 0, we can use the squeeze theorem to conclude that lim( x,y)(0,0) x2 +y2 =
0.
Its important that your squeezing function has the same limit as r 0 irrespective of how changes on this path. Its not enough for this limit to exist for
every fixed value of .

Amy Pang, 2010

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