QUESTIONS ON LIMITS & CONTINUITY

When evaluating limits:

Rules to remember when evaluating limits of trigonometric functions:

Using the limit definition to find the derivative of functions

The following problems require the use of the limit definition of a derivative,
which is given by

Note: h has been replaced by x

Asymptotes

The function f(x) will have a horizontal asymptote at y = L if

or

The function f(x) will have a vertical asymptote at x = a if any of the following is true:

or or
Continuity

A function f(x) is said to be continuous at x = a if all three of the following statements are true:

- f is defined at a.
- exists
-

Q1. Solns:

1. x 2 3x 2
lim
x 2 x 2
x 2 3 x 2 x 1 x 2
Rewrite x 1.
x 2 x 2
x 2 3x 2
Hence lim lim x 1 1.
x 2 x 2 x 2

x3 x2 x 1
lim
2. x x 3 3 x 2 5 x 2

1 1 1
1 3
x3 x2 x 1 x x 2
x 1.
x
x 3x 5x 2 1 3
3 2
5

2
x x2 x3

2 & 3 are the same

 2x
lim
4. x 0
2x 2 x 1 x 2 3 x 1

sin 3 x
5. lim
x 0 6x

sin
Use the fact that lim 1.
0

sin 3 x 1 sin 3 x
Rewrite
6x 2 3x

sin 3 x sin 3 x 1
Since lim 1, we conclude that lim .
x 0 3x x 0 6x 2

sin sin x sin sin x sin sin x sin x

6. lim
1
sin x
x 0 x x 0
x x

sin
since lim 1. In the above, that fact
0
was applied first by substituting sin x .
sin sin x
Hence lim 1.
x 0 sin x
7. lim
sin x 2
x 0 x sin x

sin x
sin x 2 2
x
1
x sin x x 2
sin x x 0

x 2sin x
8.
lim
x 0
x 2sin x 1 sin2 x x 1
2

x 2sin x

x 2 2sin x 1 sin2 x x 1

x 2sin x x 2 2sin x 1 sin2 x x 1

x 2 2sin x 1 sin2 x x 1
x 2 2sin x 1 sin2 x x 1

x 2sin x x 2 2sin x 1 sin2 x x 1
x 2

2sin x 1 sin2 x x 1

x 2sin x x 2 2sin x 1 sin2 x x 1
x 2 sin2 x 2sin x x
9.

10.
11.
12.
13.
Question 2
Q3. Determine if the following function is continuous at x= -2 .

For function to be continuous at x= -2:

; for to exist

Hence function is not continuous at x

Q4.Determine if the following function g(x) is continuous at the given points:

For a function to be continuous at a particular point (at a particular value of x), both the
function and the limit must exist at that particular point.

Hence g(x) is not continuous at -6.

Q5. Determine all values of the constant A so that the following function is
continuous for all values of x.

First, consider separately the two components which determine function f (x).
Function y = A2 x - A is continuous for for any value of A since it is a
polynomial. Function y = 4 is continuous for x < 3 since it is a polynomial. Now
determine A so that function f is continuous at x=3 . Function f (x) must be defined
at x = 3 , so

i.) f(3)= A2 (3) - A = 3 A2 - A .

The right-hand limit

= A2 (3) - A

= 3 A2 - A .

The left-hand limit

=4.

For the limit to exist, the right- and left-hand limits must exist and be equal. Thus,

ii.) ,

so that

3 A2 - A - 4 = 0 .

Factoring, we get

(3A - 4)(A + 1) = 0

for
 or A = -1 .

For either choice of A ,

iii.) ,

all three conditions are satisfied, and f is continuous at x=3 . Therefore,

function f is continuous for all values of x if or A = -1 .

Q6. Consider the function f(x) which is expressed as follows:

f(x)

Find the values of a and b such that the function f(x) is continuous for all real
values of x.