PSET1 FOR THE AWESOME AP CALCULUS STUDENTS OF

2014
SERGEY KOJOIAN
1. Limits
Example 1 (factoring):
lim
x2
x
2
4
(x 2)
= lim
x2
(x 2)(x + 2)
x 2
= lim
x2
(x + 2) = 4.
Example 2 (multiply top and bottom by the conjugate of the numerator):
lim
x7

x + 2 3
x 7
= lim
x7
(

x + 2 3)(

x + 2 + 3)
(x 7)(

x + 2 + 3)
= lim
x7
(x + 2) 9
(x 7)(

x + 2 + 3)
= lim
x7
x 7
(x 7)(

x + 2 + 3)
= lim
x7
1

x + 2 + 3
=
1
6
.
Example 3 (Long division):
lim
x2
x + 2
x
3
+ 8
= lim
x2
x + 2
(x + 2) (x
2
2x + 4)
= lim
x2
1
x
2
2x + 4
=
1
lim
x2
x
2
2x + 4
=
1
(2)
2
2(2) + 4
=
1
12
.
Example 4 (One sided limits and limit at innity):
Do these limits exist? Notice that these three limits are solved by dividing both
the numerator and the denominator by the x
n
term in the numerator for which n
is the largest. In our particular problems, we divide the top and the bottom by x
2
,
since that is the highest power x term in the numerator. NOTE: This technique is
extremely common when x or x , or/and when the exponent of x in
the denominator is larger than the exponent of x in the numerator. Notice that for
example in the third problem, ALL of these conditions are present.
1) lim
x0
+
x
2
+ 1
x
3
2) lim
x0

x
2
+ 1
x
3
3) lim
x
x
2
+ 1
x
3
Thanks to the fantastic students of AP CALC 2014. You guys are great!
1
2 SERGEY KOJOIAN
1) lim
x0
+
x
2
+ 1
x
3
= lim
x0
+
1 +
1
x
2
x
= lim
x0
+
(
1
x
+
1
x
3
) =
1
0
+
+
1
(0
+
)
3
= + = +
No the limit for lim
x0
+
x
2
+1
x
3
does not exist. (Does not exist in a special way, it
goes to +.) [NOTATION: 0
+
means a little bigger than 0.]
2) lim
x0

x
2
+ 1
x
3
= lim
x0
+
1 +
1
x
2
x
= lim
x0

(
1
x
+
1
x
3
) =
1
0

+
1
(0

)
3
= =
No the limit for lim
x0

x
2
+1
x
3
does not exist.(Does not exist in a special way, it goes
to .) [NOTATION: 0

means a little less than 0.]

3) lim
x
x
2
+ 1
x
3
= lim
x
1 +
1
x
2
x
= lim
x
(
1
x
+
1
x
3
) = 0 + 0 = 0.
Yes, there is a limit for lim
x
x
2
+1
x
3
= 0. (There is no way to approach +from
the right. We can only approach +from the left. Similarly, we can only approach
from the right.)
Two limits you have to know by heart:
lim
x0
sin(x)
x
= 1
lim
x0
1 cos(x)
x
= 0
2. Properties of Limits
lim
n
cf(n) = c lim
n
f(n)
lim
n
(f(n) g(n)) = lim
n
f(n) lim
n
g(n)
lim
n
(f(n) g(n)) = lim
n
f(n) lim
n
g(n)
lim
n
f(n)
g(n)
=
lim
n
f(n)
lim
n
g(n)
, lim
n
g(n) = 0
To these main properties i will add one more you have to know and give an example
where it is used. The property is this: If f and g are functions such that f is
continuous at a and lim
xb
g(x) = a, then:
lim
xb
f(g(x)) = f

lim
xb
g(x)

= f(a).
I know that this property is a bit confusing and in all honestly, you probably wont
see it used that much, but here is a good example that will clarify everything:
lim
n
sin

1
n

= sin

lim
n
1
n

.
Explanation: lim
n
1
n
= 0, and since sin(x) is continuous at 0 (sin(x) is a con-
tinuous function), instead of doing limit of sin, i do sin of the limit. In this
PSET1 3
example, g(n) =
1
n
and f(n) = sin(n). (NOTE: Let me know in class if this still is
not making sense).
3. Continuity and types of Discontinuity
Recall that the denition of continuity is: f(x) is continuous at a point a, if
lim
xa
f(x) = f(a).
Notice that this denition, in fact, says three things: 1) The left side of the = sign
says that both left and right limits exist and are equal to each other. 2) The right
side of the = sign says that the function is dened at a. And nally, 3) The limit
at a is equal to the functions value at a. A function is said to be continuous, if it
is continuous at every point in its domain.
Notice that we have seen a bunch of continuous functions when we were solving
easy limits just by plunging in. The reason we could plug in, was because those
functions were continuous. Example:
lim
x2
(x + 4) = 6.
(x+4) is a line, it is nice, smooth, without any breaks or jumps or asymptotes, and
so it is continuous, and the limit equals the value of the function. That is why we
are able to just plug in.
Remember that continuity has an easy geometric interpretation: If i can draw
the graph without lifting my hand, then the function is continuous.
We also talked about the points where the function is discontinuous. There are
three main kinds of these discontinuities: removable, jump and innite. A
jump discontinuity is usually associated with piecewise functions, where the func-
tion is following one branch, then suddenly, jumping to the next one. Removable
discontinuities are the ones where the limits from the left and the right exist and
are equal to each other, but not equal to the functions value(maybe because the
function is not dened at that point, or maybe because it is not equal to the limit at
that point). Innite discontinuities are the points near which the function shoots
o to innity from either side.
4. Properties of Continuous functions
Very simple: If f and g are continuous at a, then f + g, f g, f g, f/g, f(g),
f
g
are all also continuous at a.
Lastly, we looked at problems like this:
f(x) =

sin(x)
x
if x > 0
ax + b if 2 < x 0
3 if x < 2
We are asked to nd a and b that would make f(x) continuous. So, when x > 0,
f(x) =
sin(x)
x
, which is continuous for x > 0, so our function is good to the right of
x = 0. Now, if 2 < x 0, then, f(x) = ax+b, which is a line, and so it is nice and
continuous there. Same goes for x < 2, since there, f(x) = 3, which is a constant
function, nice, smooth, without jumps or breaks or shoots to innity. So, the only
4 SERGEY KOJOIAN
places where our function f(x) could have discontinuities are the points where the
three branches meet, namely, x = 0, x = 2.
So looking at the denition of continuity, we see that both left and right limits at
these points have to exist, and have to be equal to each other, and be equal to the
value of the function at the respective points. Lets begin checking.
lim
x0
+
f(x) = lim
x0
+
sin(x)
x
= 1.
lim
x0

f(x) = lim
x0

(ax + b) = b.
Now since these two limits have to be equal, i know that b = 1. Now we check the
other meeting point, x = 2.
lim
x2
+
f(x) = lim
x2
+
(ax + b) = 2a + b.
lim
x2

f(x) = lim
x2

3 = 3.
For f(x) to be continuous, these two limits better be the same, so 2a + b = 3.
Previously, i had gured out that b = 1. So i get 2a + 1 = 3, and a = 1, giving
me the continuous function
f(x) =

sin(x)
x
if x > 0
x + 1 if 2 < x 0
3 if x < 2
5. Homework
1) lim
x2
x
2
+x6
2x
=
2) lim
x9

x52
x9
=
3) lim
x2
1
x

1
2
x2
=
PSET1 5
4) lim
x1
tan
1
(x)
sin
1
(x)+1
=
(HINT: Google the graphs of tan
1
(x) and sin
1
(x) and see if maybe they are con-
tinuous at x = 1. Refresh your memory on these inverse trigonometric functions,
their graphs, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, their domains and ranges.)
5) Given
f(x) =

sin(2x) if x
2x + k if x >
what values of k will make this function continuous?
6) lim
x0
x(e
x
+
1
x
) =
7) At which points x does the function f(x) =
x
2
+3x4
x
2
+x2
have a vertical asymp-
tote? (HINT: a vertical asymptote is a vertical line x = a, which the function never
touches (because f(x) is not dened at x = a), but the functions values are getting
6 SERGEY KOJOIAN
closer and closer to the line from both sides.)
8) How many vertical asymptotes exist for the function
f(x) =
1
2 sin
2
(x) sin(x) 1
in the open interval 0 < x < 2? (HINT: Factor the denominator)
Exercises from the book: 1) page 104: 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 22, 24, 33 (hint: par-
allel lines have the same slope, but dierent y-intercepts), 103 (HINT: a function is
not dierentiable at a point x = a, if the derivative is not dened at x = a.)
2) page 115: 20, 24, 23, 44, 42, 50, 52
3) page 116: 58, 60, 61
4) page 117: 93, 94, 83
5) page 118: 109 (HINT: the problem gives you the equation of the tangent line
at a give point...you are going to need to nd a derivative), 113 (HINT: a (piece-
wise)function is dierentiable at point x = a, if the derivative from the left is equal
to the derivative from the right. Remember the derivative is just a special kind of
a limit, so the notions of derivative from left and derivative from right make
sense), 114
Good luck!