2/23/2017 The Sequential Criterion for Limits at Infinity and Negative Infinity Mathonline

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TheSequentialCriterionforLimitsatInfinityandNegativeInfinity
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TheSequentialCriterionforLimitsatInfinityandNegativeInfinity

TheSequentialCriterionforLimitsatInfinityandNegativeInfinity
Recallthatlimx f (x) = L if > 0M > 0suchthatifx A andx > M then f (x) L < .Similarly,limx f (x) = L if > 0
M < 0suchthatif x A and x < M then f (x) L < .

WewillnowlookatwhatisknownasTheSequentialCriterionforLimitsatInfinityandNegativeInfinity,whichisanalogoustotheothersequentialcriterion
theorems.

Theorem1:Letf : A R beafunctionandsupposethat(M , ) A) forsomeM R .Thenlimx f (x) = L ifandonlyifforevery

sequence(a n ) fromAsuchthatlimn a n = wehavelimn f (a n ) = L.

Proof: Supposethatlimx f (x) = L .Then > 0M > 0suchthatifx A andx > M then f (x) L < .Let(a n ) bea
sequenceinA,andletthissequencedivergeto ,thatislimn a n = .Nowsincelimn a n = ,thenK > 0 N N suchthatif
n K then a n > M ,andsofor n K wemusthavethat a n > M andso f (a n ) L < ,andso lim n f (a n ) = L.

Supposethatforallsequences(a n ) fromAsuchthatlimn a n = wehavethatlimn f (a n ) = L .Wewanttoshowthat

lim x f (x) = L .

Supposenot,thatis,supposethat 0 > 0suchthatM > 0thenxM > M suchthat f (x) L 0 .Sincelimn f (a n ) = Lthen
> 0 N N suchthatif n N then f (a n ) L < .Butthenthiswouldnotbetruefor 0 ,acontradiction,soourassumptionthat
lim x f (x) L wasfalse.

Thereforelimx f (x) = L .

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