Intermediate Forms and L' Hospital's Rule

ü David A. Smith

Notes
We say that the following limit

3x -1
limxض
x3

¶
has the intermediate form ¶
because 3x Ø ¶ and x3 Ø ¶ as x Ø ¶. We will consider the following indeterminate
forms,

¶ 0
¶ 0
00 ¶0 ¶-¶ 0ÿ¶ 1¶

Our main investigative tool will be L'Hospital's rule which says that the limit of a quotient of functions f and g is equal
to the limit of the quotient of their derivatives f ' and g ', provided that the following conditions are satisfied. It is
especially important to verify the conditions regarding the limits of f and g before applying L'Hospital's rule. Also,
keep in mind that L'Hospital's' rule also holds if "x Ø c" is replaced by x Ø c+ , x Ø c- , x Ø ¶, x Ø -¶.

Proposition (L'Hospital's Rule) Suppose f and g are differentiable functions and g ' HxL
0 on an open interval I that
f HxL 0 ¶ f ' HxL
contains c (except possibly at c). Suppose limx-c gHxL
produces an intermediate form 0
or ¶
and that limxØc g' HxL
= L,
then

f HxL f ' HxL

limxØc gHxL
= limxØc g' HxL
.

¶ ln x
Example (L'Hospital's Rule with Intermediate Form ¶
) Evaluate the limit limxض x
using L'Hospital's rule.

ln x ¶
Solution. The limit limxØ+¶ x
has the indeterminate form ¶
since limxض ln x = +¶ and limxØ+¶ x = +¶. We
try to use L'Hospital's rule to find,

1
ln x x
limxØ+¶ x
= limxØ+¶ 1
= 0.
É
¶ x2
Example (L'Hospital's Rule with Intermediate Form ¶
) Evaluate the limit limxØ-¶ ‰-x using L'Hospital's rule.

x2 ¶
Solution. The limit limxØ-¶ ‰-x has the indeterminate form ¶
since limxØ-¶ x2 = +¶ and limxØ-¶ ‰-x = +¶.
We try to use L'Hospital's rule to find,

x2 2x 2
limxØ-¶ ‰-x = limxØ-¶ -‰-x = limxØ-¶ ‰-x = 0

Thus illustrating that L'Hopital's rule can be used multiple times. É

1
Example (L'Hospital's Rule with Intermediate Form 00 ) Evaluate the limit limxØ0+ Hsin xLx using L'Hospital's rule.

Solution. The limit limxØ0+ Hsin xLx has the indeterminate form 00 since limxØ0+ = sin x and limxØ0+ x = 0.
Suppose the limit exists, say limxØ0+ Hsin xL1êx = L. Then,

ln L = ln @limxØ0+ Hsin xLx D

ln L = limxØ0+ ln Hsin xLx

ln Hsin xL
ln L = limxØ0+ 1
x

1 ¶
Since limxØ0+ ln Hsin xL = +¶ and limxØ0+ x
= +¶ this limit has the indeterminate form of ¶
and so we try L'Hospital's
rule,
cos x
sin x
ln L = limxØ0+ -1
x2

-x2
ln L = limxØ0+ tan x

-2 x
ln L = limxØ0+
sec2 x

ln L = 0

L = ‰0 = 1

Example (L'Hospital's Rule with Intermediate Form ¶0 ) Evaluate the limit limxØ+¶ x1êx using L'Hospital's rule.

1
Solution. The limit limxØ+¶ x1êx has the indeterminate form ¶0 since limxض x
= 0 and limxØ+¶ x = +¶.
Suppose the limit exists, say limxØ+¶ x1êx = L. Then,

ln L = ln limxØ+¶ x1êx

ln L = limxØ+¶ Iln x1êx M

ln x
ln L = limxØ+¶ x

1
x
ln L = limxØ+¶ 1

ln L = 0

L = ‰0 = 1

2
Example (L'Hospital's Rule with Intermediate Form 1¶ ) Evaluate the limit limxØ0+ H1 + sin 4 xLcot x using L'Hospital's
rule.

Solution. The limit limxØ0+ H1 + sin 4 xLcot x has the indeterminate form 1¶ since limxØ0+ 1 + sin 4 x = 1 and
limxØ0+ cot x = +¶. Suppose the limit exists, say limxØ0+ H1 + sin 4 xLcot x = L. Then,

ln L = ln limxØ0+ H1 + sin 4 xLcot x

ln L = limxØ0+ ln@H1 + sin 4 xLcot x D

ln L = limxØ0+ @cot x lnH1 + sin 4 xLD

lnH1+sin 4 xL
ln L = limxØ0+ tan x

lnH1+sin 4 xL 0
The limit limxØ0+ tan x
has the indeterminate form 0
since limxØ0+ lnH1 + sin 4 xL = 0 and limxØ0+ tan x = 0. So we
try to use L'Hospital's rule to find,

4 cos 4 x
1+sin 4 x
ln L = limxØ0 + =4
sec2 x

4
1+0
ln L = 1
=4

L = ‰4 .

Example (L'Hospital's with Rule Intermediate Form 0 ÿ ¶) Evaluate the limit limxØ+¶ ‰-x x using L'Hospital's rule.

Solution. The limit limxØ+¶ ‰-x x has the indeterminate form 0 ÿ ¶ since limxØ+¶ ‰-x = 0 and
limxØ+¶ x = +¶. We try L'Hospital's rule to find,

x 2 x 1
limxØ+¶ ‰x = limxØ+¶ ‰x
= limxØ+¶ = 0.
2 x ‰x

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 1 1 1
Example (L'Hospital's Rule with Intermediate Form ¶ - ¶) Evaluate the limit limxØ+¶ x5 BsinJ x N - + F using
x 6 x3
L'Hospital's rule.

1
Solution. Let's make a change of variable to simply the express, namely u = x . Since u Ø 0 as x Ø +¶, we have

1 1 1
limxØ+¶ x5 BsinJ x N - + F
x 6 x3

1
sinHuL-u+ u3
6
= limuØ0
u5

1
sinHuL-u+ u3
6
= limuØ0
u5

1
sinHuL-u+ u3
6 0
The limit limuØ0 has an indeterminate form and so we try L'Hopital's rule,
u5 0

1
Hcos uL-1+ u2
= limuØ0 2
5 u4

H-sin u L+u
= limuØ0
20 u3

Hcos u L+1
= limuØ0
20 u3

H-sin u L
= limuØ0
60 u2

H-cos u L
= limuØ0 120 u

1
= 120

É
x+sin x
Example (Using L'Hospital's Rule Incorrectly) Try to evaluate the limit limxØ+¶ x-cos x
using L'Hospital's rule.

Solution. This limit has indeterminate form since

limxØ+¶ Hx + sin xL = +¶

4
and

limxØ+¶ Hx + cos xL = +¶.

If we try to apply L'Hospitals's Rule we find,

x+sin x 1+cos x
limxØ+¶ x-cos x
= limxض 1+sin x

1+cos x
but the limit limxض 1+sin x
does not exist because of osculating behavior, so we can not use L'Hospital's rule. To
correctly find this limit we divide by x, to find

x sin x
x+sin x + 1+0
x x
limxØ+¶ x-cos x
= limxØ+¶ x cos x = 1-0
= 1.
-
x x

É
0 ‰2 x -1
Example (L'Hospital's Rule with Intermediate Form 0 ) Evaluate the limit limxØ0 x
using L'Hospital's rule.

‰2 x -1 0
Solution. The limit limxØ0 x
has the indeterminate form of 0
since limxØ0 ‰2 x - 1 = 0 and limxØ0 x = 0. We
try to apply L'Hospital's rule to find,

‰2 x -1 2 ‰2 x
limxØ0 x
= limxØ0 1
= 2.

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Exercises
x-2
(1) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØ2 .
x2 -4

x3 -1
(2) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØ1 .
4 x3 -x-3

x2 -25
(3) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØ-5 x+5
.

sin x2
(4) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØ0 x
.

sin x -x
(5) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØ0 .
x3

1-sin x
(6) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØpê2 1+ cos 2 x .

ln H csc xL
(7) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØpê2 p 2
.
Jx- N
2

p
(8) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØJ p N- Ix - 2 M sec x.
2

1 x
J N -1
2
(9) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØ0 x
.

ln H‰x -1L
(10) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØ0+ ln x
.

(11) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxض Hln 2 x - lnHx + 1LL.

3 x+1 1
(12) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØ0+ J x
- sin x
N.

cos x-1
(13) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØ0 ‰x -x-1 .

(14) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxض x2 ‰-x .

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(15) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxض Hln xL1êx .

(16) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxض x1ê ln x .

(17) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxض H1 + 2 xL1ê 2 ln x .

x
(18) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the limit limxØ0+ .
sin x

x+2 x
0 x+1 x
0 f ' HxL f HxL

(19) Let f HxL = : > and gHxL = : >. Show that limxØ0 = 1 but limxØ0 = 2. Explain why
0 x=0 0 x=0 g' HxL gHxL

this does not contradict L'Hospital's Rule.

(20) Use L'Hospital's rule to find constant a and b so that

sin 2 x a
limxØ0 J + N = 1.
x3 x2 +b

(21) Use L'Hospital's rule to find all values of a and b so that

sin a x+b x
limxØ0 = 36.
x3

(22) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the values of a so that

a-cos b x
limxØ0 = 2.
x2

a
(23) For a certain value of a, the limit limxØ+¶ Ix4 + 5 x3 + 3M - x is finite and nonzero. Find a and then use L'Hospital's
rule to compute the limit.

(24) Use L'Hospital's rule to evaluate the limit

3
2 a3 x-x4 -a a2 x
limxØa .
4
a- a x3

(25) Use L'Hospital's rule to determine which values of constants a and b is it true that

limxØ0 Ix-3 sin 7 x + a x-2 + bM = -2 ?

7
(26) Use L'Hospital's rule to find constant a and b so that

sin 2 x a
limxØ0 J + N = 1.
x3 x2 +b

(27) Use L'Hospital's rule to find all values of a and b so that

sin a x+b x
limxØ0 = 36.
x3

(28) Use L'Hospital's rule to find the values of a so that

a-cos b x
limxØ0 = 2.
x2

a
(29) For a certain value of a, the limit limxØ+¶ Ix4 + 5 x3 + 3M - x is finite and zero. Use L'Hospital's rule to find a and
then compute the limit.

(30) Use L'Hospital's rule to evaluate the limit

3
2 a3 x-x4 -a a2 x
limxØa .
4
a- a x3

(31) Use L'Hospital's rule to determine which values of constants a and b is it true that

limxØ0 Ix-3 sin 7 x + a x-2 + bM = -2 ?