PROPERTIES OF LIMITS

• illustrate the properties of limits;

• evaluate the given limits; and
• illustrate the limit of:
 polynomial functions; and

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 rational functions yielding
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 Properties of Limits
Let 𝒂 and 𝒃 be real numbers. Suppose 𝒇(𝒙) and 𝒈(𝒙) are two
functions that 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒇(𝒙) and 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒈(𝒙) both exist.
𝒙→𝒂 𝒙→𝟎

1. lim 𝑐 = c
𝑥→𝑎
2. lim 𝑥 = a 3. lim 𝑐𝑓(𝑥) = 𝒄𝐥𝐢𝐦
𝒙→𝒂
𝒇(𝒙)
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
4. lim 𝑓 𝑥 ± 𝑔(𝑥) = 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒇(𝒙) ± 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒈(𝒙)
𝑥→𝑎 𝒙→𝒂 𝒙→𝒂

5. lim 𝑓 𝑥 𝑔(𝑥) = 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒇(𝒙) 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒈(𝒙)

𝑥→𝑎 𝒙→𝒂 𝒙→𝒂

𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒇(𝒙)
6. lim
𝑓(𝑥)
= 𝒙→𝒂 , provided that lim 𝑔(𝑥) ≠ 0
𝑥→𝑎
𝑥→𝑎 𝑔(𝑥) 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒈(𝒙)
𝒙→𝒂
𝒏
𝑛
7. lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝒇(𝒙) , n is a positive integer
𝑥→𝑎 𝒙→𝒂

6. lim 𝑛
𝑓(𝑥) =
𝒏
𝐥𝐢𝐦𝒇(𝒙) , n is positive integer, and
𝑥→𝑎 𝒙→𝒂 lim 𝑓 𝑥 > 0 when n is even
𝑥→𝑎
Limit of Polynomial Functions
If 𝒇 𝒙 is a polynomial function; that is
𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒂𝒏 𝒙𝒏 + 𝒂𝒏−𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝒂𝟏 𝒙 + 𝒂𝟎 , then

𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒇 𝒄 = 𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒏 + 𝒂𝒏−𝟏 𝒄𝒏−𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝒂𝟏 𝒄 + 𝒂𝟎

𝒙→𝒄

This means that whenever 𝒇(𝒙) is a polynomial function, the

evaluation of limit as 𝒙 approaches 𝒄 yields the same value as
the evaluation of the function at the 𝒙 = 𝒄
Moreover, if 𝒇(𝒙) and 𝒈(𝒙) are both polynomial
functions, then

𝒇(𝒙) 𝒇(𝒄)
𝒍𝒊𝒎 = , provided that 𝒈(𝒄) ≠ 𝟎
𝒙→𝒄 𝒈(𝒙) 𝒈(𝒄)
 𝟎
Limit of Rational Functions Yielding
𝟎

𝒙−𝒄 𝒏(𝒙)
Let 𝒇 𝒙 = . Then 𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒇(𝒙) takes the
𝒙−𝒄 𝒅(𝒙) 𝒙→𝒄

𝟎
indeterminate form and
𝟎

𝒙−𝒄 𝒏(𝒙) 𝒏(𝒙) 𝒏(𝒂)

lim 𝑓 𝑥 = lim = lim =
𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐 𝒙−𝒄 𝒅(𝒙) 𝑥→𝑐 𝒅(𝒙) 𝒅(𝒂)

provided that 𝒅 𝒂 ≠ 𝟎