Limits using L’Hôpital’s Rule (Sect. 7.

5)

0
I Review: L’Hôpital’s rule for indeterminate limits .
0
∞
I Indeterminate limit .
∞
I Indeterminate limits ∞ · 0 and ∞ − ∞.
I Overview of improper integrals (Sect. 8.7).

0
L’Hôpital’s rule for indeterminate limits
0
Remarks:
f (x)
I L’Hôpital’s rule applies on limits of the form L = lim in
x→a g (x)
the case that both f (a) = 0 and g (a) = 0.
0
I These limits are called indeterminate and denoted as .
0
Theorem
If functions f , g : I → R are differentiable in an open interval
containing x = a, with f (a) = g (a) = 0 and g 0 (x) 6= 0 for
x ∈ I − {a}, then holds

f (x) f 0 (x)
lim = lim 0 ,
x→a g (x) x→a g (x)

assuming the limit on the right-hand side exists.

 0
L’Hôpital’s rule for indeterminate limits
0
Example √
1 + x − 1 − x/2
Evaluate L = lim .
x→0 x2
0
Solution: The limit is indeterminate, . But,
0
(1/2)(1 + x)−1/2 − (1/2)
L = lim .
x→0 2x
0
The limit on the right-hand side is still indeterminate, .
0
We use L’Hôpital’s rule for a second time,
(−1/4)(1 + x)−3/2 (−1/4)
L = lim = .
x→0 2 2
1
We conclude that L = − . C
8

0
L’Hôpital’s rule for indeterminate limits
0
Remark: L’Hôpital’s rule applies to indeterminate limits only.
Example
1 − cos(x)
Evaluate L = lim .
x→0 x + x 2
0
Solution: The limit is indeterminate . L’Hôpital’s rule implies,
0
1 − cos(x) sin(x) 0
L = lim = lim = ⇒ L = 0. C
x→0 x + x 2 x→0 1 + 2x 1
Remark:
0 0
I The limit is not indeterminate, since = 0.
1 1
I Therefore, L’Hôpital’s rule does not hold in this case:

0
sin(x) sin(x) cos(x) 1
lim 6= lim = lim = .
x→0 1 + 2x x→0 (1 + 2x)0 x→0 2 2
Limits using L’Hôpital’s Rule (Sect. 7.5)

0
I Review: L’Hôpital’s rule for indeterminate limits .
0
∞
I Indeterminate limit .
∞
I Indeterminate limits ∞ · 0 and ∞ − ∞.
I Overview of improper integrals (Sect. 8.7).

∞
Indeterminate limit
∞
∞
Remark: L’Hôpital’s rule can be generalized to limits ,
∞
and also to side limits.

Example
2 + tan(x)
Evaluate L = lim .
π
x→( 2 )− 3 + sec(x)
∞
Solution: This is an indeterminate limit . L’Hôpital’s rule implies
∞

0
2 + tan(x) sec2 (x) sec(x)
lim
0 = lim = lim
x→( π2 )− 3 + sec(x) x→( π2 )− sec(x) tan(x) x→( π2 )− tan(x)

sec(x) 1 cos(x) 1
Since = = , then L = 1. C
tan(x) cos(x) sin(x) sin(x)
 ∞
Indeterminate limit
∞

Remark: Sometimes L’Hôpital’s rule is not useful.

Example
sec(x)
Evaluate L = lim .
π
x→( 2 )− tan(x)

Solution: We know that this limit can be computed simplifying:

sec(x) 1 cos(x) 1
= = ⇒ L = 1. C
tan(x) cos(x) sin(x) sin(x)

We now try to compute this limit using L’Hôpital’s rule.

∞
Indeterminate limit
∞
Example
sec(x)
Evaluate L = lim .
π
x→( 2 )− tan(x)
∞
Solution: This is an indeterminate limit . L’Hôpital’s rule implies
∞
(sec(x))0 sec(x) tan(x) tan(x)
L= lim = lim = lim .
x→( π2 )− (tan(x))0 x→( π2 )− sec2 (x) x→( π2 )− sec(x)

∞
The later limit is once again indeterminate, . Then
∞
(tan(x))0 sec2 (x) sec(x)
L= lim = lim = lim .
x→( π2 )− (sec(x))0 x→( π2 )− sec(x) tan(x) x→( π2 )− tan(x)

L’Hôpital’s rule gives us a cycling expression. C

 ∞
Indeterminate limit
∞
Example
3x 2 − 5
Evaluate L = lim .
x→∞ 2x 2 − x + 3

∞
Solution: This is an indeterminate limit . L’Hôpital’s rule implies
∞
(3x 2 − 5)0 6x  6 
L = lim = lim = lim .
x→∞ (2x 2 − x + 3)0 x→∞ 4x − 1 x→∞ 4 − 1
x

1 6
Recalling lim = 0, we get that L = . We conclude that
x→∞ x 4
3x 2 − 5 3
lim = . C
x→∞ 2x 2 − x + 3 2

Limits using L’Hôpital’s Rule (Sect. 7.5)

0
I Review: L’Hôpital’s rule for indeterminate limits .
0
∞
I Indeterminate limit .
∞
I Indeterminate limits ∞ · 0 and ∞ − ∞.
I Overview of improper integrals (Sect. 8.7).
Indeterminate limits ∞ · 0 and ∞ − ∞.
Remark: Sometimes limits of the form ∞ · 0 and (∞ − ∞) can be
0 ∞
converted by algebraic identities into indeterminate limits or
0 ∞
Example 1 1
Evaluate L = lim − .
x→0 sin(x) x
Solution: This is a limit of the form (∞ − ∞). Since

1 1 x − sin(x) 0
− = ⇒ indeterminate .
sin(x) x x sin(x) 0

Then L’Hôpital’s rule in this case implies

0
x − sin(x) 1 − cos(x)
L = lim
0 = lim
x→0 x sin(x) x→0 sin(x) + x cos(x)

Indeterminate limits ∞ · 0 and ∞ − ∞.

Example 1 1
Evaluate L = lim − .
x→0 sin(x) x

1 − cos(x)
Solution: Recall L = lim .
x→0 sin(x) + x cos(x)

0
This limit is still indeterminate . Hence
0

0
1 − cos(x) sin(x) 0
L = lim
0 = lim
0 = = 0.
x→0 sin(x) + x cos(x) x→0 2 cos(x) − x sin(x) 2

We conclude that L = 0. C
Indeterminate limits ∞ · 0 and ∞ − ∞.
Example
Evaluate L = lim (3x)2/x .
x→∞

Solution: This limits is of the form ∞0 . So, before using

L’Hôpital’s rule we need to rewrite the function above.



2
2/x ln (3x)2/x ln(3x)
(3x) =e =e x .

Since exp is a continuous function, holds

2 ln(3x)


2
lim ln(3x)
lim (3x)2/x = e x→∞ x = e limx→∞ x .
x→∞

The exponent, is an indeterminate limit ∞

∞ . L’Hôpital’s rule implies

0
2 ln(3x) 2 ln(3x) 2/x
lim = lim = lim = 0.
x→∞ x x→∞ (x)0 x→∞ 1

We conclude that L = e 0 , that is, L = 1. C

Limits using L’Hôpital’s Rule (Sect. 7.5)

0
I Review: L’Hôpital’s rule for indeterminate limits .
0
∞
I Indeterminate limit .
∞
I Indeterminate limits ∞ · 0 and ∞ − ∞.
I Overview of improper integrals (Sect. 8.7).
Overview of improper integrals (Sect. 8.7)
Remarks:
I L’Hôpital’s rule is useful to compute improper integrals.
I Improper integrals are the limit of definite integrals when one
endpoint if integration approaches ±∞.

Definition
The improper integral of a continuous function f : [a, ∞) → R is
Z ∞ Z b
f (x) dx = lim f (x) dx.
a b→∞ a

The improper integral of a continuous function f : (−∞, b] → R is

Z b Z b
f (x) dx = lim f (x) dx.
−∞ a→−∞ a

The improper integral of a continuous function f : (−∞, ∞) → R,

Z ∞ Z c Z ∞
f (x) dx = f (x) dx + f (x) dx.
−∞ −∞ c

Overview of improper integrals (Sect. 8.7)

Example Z ∞
ln(x)
Evaluate I = dx.
1 x2
Solution: This is an improper integral:
Z ∞ Z b
ln(x) ln(x)
dx = lim
1 x2 b→∞ 1 x2

Integrating by parts, u = ln(x), and dv = dx/x 2 ,

Z b b Z x  1  1 
ln(x)  1
dx = − ln(x) − − dx

x 2 x 1 x x
1 1

Z b Z b
ln(x) ln(b) dx ln(b) 1 b
dx = − + =− −  .
1 x2 b 1 x2 b x 1
Overview of improper integrals (Sect. 8.7)
Example Z ∞
ln(x)
Evaluate I = dx.
1 x2
Z ∞
ln(x)  ln(b) 1 
Solution: Recall: dx = lim − − +1 .
1 x2 b→∞ b b
∞
The first limit on the right-hand side is indeterminate .
∞
L’Hôpital’s rule implies

ln(b) (ln(b))0 (1/b)

lim = lim = lim = 0.
b→∞ b b→∞ (b)0 b→∞ 1
Therefore, the improper integral is given by
Z ∞ Z ∞
ln(x) ln(x)
dx = 0 − 0 + 1 ⇒ dx = 1. C
1 x2 1 x2