Math 111 – 5

One Sided Limits, Continuity

5.1 One Sided Limits

If x approaches a from right, taking values larger than a only, we denote this
by x → a+ . If f (x) approaches L as x → a+ , then we say that L is the
right-hand limit of f at a.

lim f (x) = L
x→ a+

We define the left-hand limit of f at a similarly:

lim f (x) = L
x→ a−

Theorem: The limit lim f (x) = L exists if and only if both one sided limits
x→ a

lim f (x) and lim f (x)

x→ a+ x→ a−

exist and are equal to L.

Example 5–1: Find the limit lim+ ln x if it exists.

x→ 0

Solution: If you remember the graph of f (x) = ln x you will see

that:

lim ln x = −∞
x→ 0+

Note that the question lim ln x would be meaningless.

x→ 0
 (
2x − 1 if x<1
Example 5–2: Let f (x) =
5x − 2 if x>1

Find the limits lim− f (x), lim f (x) and lim f (x).
x→ 1 x→ 1+ x→ 1

Solution: lim− f (x) = lim− 2x − 1 = 1

x→ 1 x→ 1

lim f (x) = lim+ 5x − 2 = 3

x→ 1+ x→ 1

lim f (x) 6= lim+ f (x) therefore lim f (x)

x→ 1− x→ 1 x→ 1

does not exist.



 2 − x2 if x<0

Example 5–3: Let f (x) = 7 if x=0


e + e−x
 x
if x>0

Find the limits lim− f (x), lim f (x) and lim f (x).
x→ 0 x→ 0+ x→ 0

Solution: lim− f (x) = lim− 2 − x2 = 2

x→ 0 x→ 0

lim f (x) = lim+ ex + e−x = 2

x→ 0+ x→ 0

lim f (x) = lim+ f (x) = 2 therefore lim f (x) = 2.

x→ 0− x→ 0 x→ 0

(Note that the function value f (0) = 7 does not have

any effect on the limit.)
Example 5–4: Find the limits based on the function f (x) in the figure: (If
they exist.)

y y = f (x)
3

1
x
−6 −3 O 3 6

a) lim − f (x), lim f (x), lim f (x).

x→ −6 x→ −6+ x→ −6

b) lim − f (x), lim f (x), lim f (x).

x→ −3 x→ −3+ x→ −3

c) lim− f (x), lim f (x), lim f (x).

x→ 0 x→ 0+ x→ 0

d) lim− f (x), lim f (x), lim f (x).

x→ 3 x→ 3+ x→ 3

e) lim− f (x), lim f (x), lim f (x).

x→ 6 x→ 6+ x→ 6

Solution: a) 0, 0, 0.
b) 1, 1, 1.
c) 3, 2, does not exist.
d) 0, 0, 0.
e) −∞, ∞, does not exist.
Example 5–5: Evaluate the limit (if it exists)

x2 − 10x + 16
lim+ √
x→ 8 x−8

Solution: Note that square root of a negative number is not

defined, so x should not take values less than 8.

Therefore the question

x2 − 10x + 16
lim √
x→ 8 x−8
would be meaningless.

Now if we factor x2 − 10x + 16 as:

x2 − 10x + 16 = (x − 8)(x − 2)
√ √
= x−8 x − 8 (x − 2)
we obtain:
√ √
x2 − 10x + 16 x−8 x − 8 (x − 2)
lim+ √ = lim √
x→ 8 x−8 x→ 8+ x−8
√
= lim+ x − 8 (x − 2)
x→ 8

= 0
5.2 Continuity
We say that f is continuous at a if

lim f (x) = f (a)

x→ a

In other words:

ˆ f must be defined at a.

ˆ lim f (x) must exist.

x→ a

ˆ The limit must be equal to the function value.

Example 5–6: Determine the points where f (x) is discontinuous:

y = f (x)

x
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3

Solution: f (x) is discontinuous at:

ˆ x = −2, limit and function value are different.

ˆ x = 0, limit does not exist.

ˆ x = 1, function is undefined.

ˆ x = 2, limit does not exist.

 

 2x2 + a if x<2


Example 5–7: Let f (x) = b if x=2



3x − 2 if x>2


Find a and b if f (x) is continuous at x = 2.

Solution: lim− f (x) = 8 + a and lim+ f (x) = 4.

x→ 2 x→ 2

If f is continuous at x = 2, then

lim f (x) = lim+ f (x) = f (2)

x→ 2− x→ 2

⇒ 8+a=b=4

We find a = −4, b = 4.

 x 
 log +b if x<8
2



Example 5–8: Let f (x) =
√
 
 1
 x x−8+ if x>8


4
Find b if f (x) is continuous at x = 8.

Solution: lim+ f (x) = 2

x→ 8

lim f (x) = log(4 + b)

x→ 8−

If f is continuous, these limits must be equal.

log(4 + b) = 2

4 + b = 100

b = 96
 EXERCISES

5–1) Find the limits based on the figure:

y
2
y = f (x)
1

x
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3

−1

−2

a) lim − f (x), lim f (x), lim f (x).

x→ −2 x→ −2+ x→ −2

b) lim − f (x), lim f (x), lim f (x).

x→ −1 x→ −1+ x→ −1

c) lim− f (x), lim f (x), lim f (x).

x→ 0 x→ 0+ x→ 0

d) lim− f (x), lim f (x), lim f (x).

x→ 1 x→ 1+ x→ 1

e) lim− f (x), lim f (x), lim f (x).

x→ 2 x→ 2+ x→ 2

f) lim− f (x), lim f (x), lim f (x).

x→ 3 x→ 3+ x→ 3

5–2) Find the points where f (x) of previous question is discontinuous.

 Evaluate the following limits: (If they exist)
2
5–3) lim−
x→ 7 x−7

2
5–4) lim+
x→ 7 x−7

|x − 7|
5–5) lim−
x→ 7 x−7

|x − 7|
5–6) lim+
x→ 7 x−7

r
x−3
5–7) lim+
x→ 3 x+3

√
16 + 3x − 4
5–8) lim+
x→ 0 x

|x2 − 4|
5–9) lim +
x→ −2 x+2

|x2 − 4|
5–10) lim −
x→ −2 x+2

2x2 + 3x|x|
5–11) lim+
x→ 0 x|x|

2x2 + 3x|x|
5–12) lim−
x→ 0 x|x|
 Find all the discontinuities of the following functions:

x2 − 2
5–13) f (x) =
x2 − 4

|x − a|
5–14) f (x) =
x−a

x2 − 5x + 6
5–15) f (x) = 2
x − 4x + 3

1
5–16) f (x) =
e2x − e3x

x−5
5–17) f (x) =
x2 − 25

1
5–18) f (x) =
1 − |x|

(
−1 + x if x60
5–19) f (x) =
1 + x2 if x>0



 12x − 20 if x<2

5–20) f (x) = 8 if x=2


x2 if x>2

 Find the values of constants that will make the following functions contin-
uous everywhere:


 a + bx2 if x < 0


5–21) f (x) = b if x = 0

 2 + e−x if x > 0




 cx2 − 2 if x62
5–22) f (x) = x
 if x>2
c

(
x 2 − c2 if x61
5–23) f (x) =
(x − c)2 if x>1

(
eax if x60
5–24) f (x) =

2
ln b + x if x>0
 ANSWERS

5–1) 5–3) −∞
a) 1, −1, Does Not Exist.

b) 0, 0, 0. 5–4) ∞

c) 1, 1, 1.
5–5) −1

d) 0, −2, DNE.

5–6) 1
e) −1, 1, DNE.

f) 2, 2, 2. 5–7) 0

3
5–8)
8
5–2)

x = −2.
5–9) 4
x = 0.

x = 1.
5–10) −4
x = 2.

5–11) 5

5–12) 1
5–13) x = 2 and x = −2.

5–14) x = a.

5–15) x = 1, x = 3.

5–16) x = 0.

5–17) x = −5, x = 5.

5–18) x = 1 and x = −1.

5–19) x = 0.

5–20) x = 2.

5–21) a = b = 3

1
5–22) c = 1, or c = −
2

5–23) c = 0, or c = 1

5–24) b = e, a is arbitrary.