Ch 1.

2 Evaluating a limit numerically

Limits Find lim 2 x  2  1
x 2 x  x  2 3
When we talk about a limit, we are trying to figure out if
a function approaches some y-value as we get closer and 2
closer to some x-value. x 1.9 1.99 1.999 2.001 2.01 2.1
Informal Definition of a Limit: f(x) .345 .334 .333 .333 .332 .322
Let f(x) be defined on an open interval about c, except 1
possible at c itself. If f(x) gets arbitrarily close to L for 3
all x sufficiently close to c, we say that f approaches the limit on the left side  limit on the right side
lim f ( x)  L
limit L as x approaches c, and we write ___________.
x c

Find the limits graphically or with tables if Evaluating Graphically

f ( x)  x  1
3

x 1

a) lim f  x   lim f  x   3
-2 2 4
1,3
x1
x1

 0,1 a) Find lim f ( x)  DNE

x 2
b) Find lim f ( x)  0
x 4

b) lim f  x   1 c) Find lim f ( x)  2 d) Evaluate f (2)  0

x 0 x 2

e) f (2)  undefined or 

When limits do not exist: (DNE)
1) When the limit from the
f ( x) 
left is not the same as
the limit from the right.
 x , x0
  1, x  0
f ( x)   xx 
 x , x  0  1, x  0
 t
Jump in graph lim f ( x)  DNE
x 0
2) When f(x) goes to + ∞ f ( x)  1
as x  0. lim f ( x)  DNE x2
x 0
or ∞
Ex 1) Given C (t )  .75  .50   t  1 where t is the
• always rewrite time in minutes and C(t) is a cost function.
x
the function as a a) Graph the cost function on (0,5]
3
x piece function (Greatest integer function) 2
taking off the 1
b) Complete the table to find
absolute value.
lim C (t ) , does the limit exist?
t 3.5
1 2 3 4
1
3 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 4 lim C (t )  2.25
1
C(t) 1.75 2.25 2.25 2.25 2.25 2.25 2.25 t 3.5
c) Complete the table to find
lim C (t ) , does the limit exist?
t 3
t 2 2.5 2.9 3 3.1 3.5 4 lim C (t )  DNE
C(t) 1.25 1.75 1.75 1.75 2.25 2.25 2.25 t 3

1
Ex 2) Use the graph to find the limit (if it exists)
a) lim  4  x   1
x 3
y  x  4  3,1
3

b) lim f ( x)  2
x2
 4  x, x  2 
f ( x)  
x  2 
point
0,

c) lim f ( x)  2
x2
 4  x, x  2 
f ( x)    point
 x  2, x  2 