MSA – MAT 151

Engineering Mathematics I

Lecture # 4

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 MSA – MAT 151

Chapter 2
Limits and continuity
Part2: Rules and Computational Examples
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 The concept of limit
Main
objectives

Introduce the definition of limit of a function.

Study laws of limits and their consequences.

Introduce the sandwich theorem and its

simple applications.

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 Continuity of a function
Main
objectives

Introduce the definition of Continuity.

Study the conditions of continuity, graphically

and algebraically.

Introduce the types of discontinuities..

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 Learning Outcomes (LOs)

By the end of the session, you should be able

to:
• Calculate the function limit based on the
definition using direct substitution.
• Apply laws of limits to evaluate the limits of all
types of functions studied before in previous
lectures.
• Evaluate the limit of the Sinc function as an
engineering application.
• Analyse the limit of some functions using the
sandwich theorem.
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 Learning Outcomes (LOs)

By the end of the session, you should be able

to:
 Discuss the continuity of the function graphically
and algebraically.
 Apply the conditions of continuity on types of
functions studied before in previous lectures.
 Describe the type of discontinuities on graph
and algebraically.

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Basic theorems on limits

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 Consequences

Example s : lim ( x 2 + 3 x − 2 ) = 4 + 6 − 2 = 8 lim ( 2 x 3

− 4 x + 1 ) = 2 − 4 + 1 = −1
x →2 x →1

x 2 + 3x − 2
Example : lim
x →2 2x −1
4+6−2 8
= =
4 −1 3
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 Important
remark

Examples : Find each of the Solution :

following limits :
x2 + x − 2 ( x + 2 )( x − 1 )
(1) lim = lim = lim ( x + 2 ) = 3
x2 + x − 2 x →1 x − 1 x →1 x − 1 x →1
(1) lim
x →1 x −1 2x + 8 2( x + 4 ) 2 2
(2) lim = lim = lim =
2x + 8 x → −4 x + x − 12 x → −4 ( x + 4 )( x − 3 ) x → −4 x − 3
2
−7
(2) lim
x → −4 x + x − 12
2
x+4 −2 x+4−2 x+4+2
( 3 ) lim = lim .
x →0 x x →0 x x+4+2
x+4 −2 x+4−4 x 1 1
( 3 ) lim = lim = lim = lim =
x →0 x x → 0 x( x + 4 + 2 ) x → 0 x( x + 4 + 2 ) x → 0 x + 4 + 2 4
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 Important example
(SINC Fn…..Sinc filter)
Find the limit of f( ) = sin()/ , as  → 0

 f()
0.1 0.99833417 sin 
=1
Important
lim

result
0.01 0.99998333  →0
0.001 0.99999983

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 examples
Solution :
sin x
Find the limit : Remember that lim
x →0 x
=1

sin 2 x sin 2 x x sin 2 x x

= lim ( . ) = lim (
sin 2 x ( 1 ) lim
x →0 sin 3 x x →0 sin 3 x x x →0 x
.
sin 3x
)

( 1 ) lim = lim
sin 2 x
.lim
x

x→ 0 sin 3 x x →0 x x →0 sin 3 x

2 sin 2 x 3x 2
= lim .lim =
3 2x →0 2 x 3x →0 sin 3x 3

tan 2 x 2 tan 2 x 3 x
( 2 ) lim = lim ( . )
tan 2 x x →0 sin 3 x 3 x →0 2 x sin 3 x

( 2 ) lim 2
= lim
tan 2 x
.lim
3x 2
= lim
3 2x →0 2 x 3x →0 sin 3x 3 2x →0 2 x
tan 2 x

x→0 sin 3 x 2 sin 2 x 1 2

= lim .lim =
3 2x →0 2 x x →0 cos 2 x 3

Homework  sin2 3x 1 − cos x

( 3 ) lim ( 4 ) lim
x →0 x2 x →0 x 11
 1 1 1 1
lim 2 = lim 2 = 
− + lim = lim =
x →0 x x →0 x x → −3 ( x + 3 ) x → −3 ( x + 3 )
− 2 + 2

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The sandwich theorem

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 Examples
Illustrative
Example 1 : figure

x2 x2
If 1 −  u( x )  1 + ,
2 2
find, lim u( x )
x →0

Solution :
Since,
x2 x2
lim (1 − ) = lim (1 + ) = 1 2
x →0 2 x →0 2
Then (by the sandwich t heorem)
lim u ( x) = 1
x →0
2

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Example 2 :
Use the sandwich theorem and the given figure to prove that
tan −1 (ln x)
lim =0
x → x

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 Challenging example
1
Prove that : lim x sin( ) = 0
2 Illustrative
figure
x →0 x
Notice that, 0.08

y
-1 sin(1/x)  1, 0.06

 -x2 x2 sin(1/x)  x2
0.04

0.02

and, lim x 2
= lim ( − x 2
)= 0 0
x→ 0 x→ 0 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2
x
0.3
-0.02
Therefore, by the sandwich theorem:
-0.04

1 -0.06

lim x sin ( ) = 0
2
-0.08
x→ 0 x
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 Example
x
Find lim− y ( x) and lim+ y ( x), where, y(x) =
x →0 x →0 x

Solution
From the definition of the function
x
= 1, if x  0
x  x Notice that the
y( x ) = =  function is not
x x
= −1, if x  0 defined at x = 0.
 − x

it is clear that
lim− y( x ) = −1 and lim y ( x) = 1
x →0 +
x →0

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 Computational examples
Discuss all types of limits at the given points, for
the functions:

3 − x , if x  2 The cases where

f(x)=
It is necessary to
(1) At x = 2, study left hand

 x / 2, if x  2
and right
hand limits?

sin x lim f ( x ) = lim ( 3 − x ) = 1

(2) At x = 0, f(x)= x→2− x→2−
lim f ( x ) = lim ( x / 2 ) = 1
sin x sin x / x if x  0
x x→2+ x→2+
f(x)= =  lim f ( x ) = 1
x − sin x / x if x  0 x→2

x+2 x + 3 if x  −2
(3) At x = -2, f ( x ) = ( x +3) f(x)=
− ( x + 3 ) if x  −2
x+2

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 Practical computational techniques
When finding the limit of a rational function
as x tends to plus or minus infinity we first
divide both the numerator and
denominator by the highest order term in
the denominator then we evaluate the limit
as in the following examples:
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3+
3x + 5 x =3=1
lim = lim Divide by x
x → 6 x − 8 8 6 2
x →
6−
x
4 1
− 2
4x2 − x x x = 0−0 = 0
lim = lim Divide by
x → − 3 x − 5
3− 2 3−0
3
x → − 5 x3
x
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 More examples

1
− x +1+
− x + x +1
2
x −  +1
lim = lim = = −
x→ x +1 x→
1+
1 1
x
1
− x +1+
− x + x +1
2
x  +1
lim = lim = =
x → − x +1 x → −
1+
1 1
x
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Rules Summary for finding limits

Which is the same rule with “tan”

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Horizontal and Vertical Asymptotes
Definitions

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 Find the horizontal and vertical asymptotes
of the function 𝟐𝒙𝟐 + 𝟏
𝒇(𝒙) =
𝟑𝒙 − 𝟓

To find the horizontal line

You should find the limits of the given function when
x→∞ and x→-∞
To find the vertical line
A vertical asymptote is likely to occur when the
denominator is 0

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Continuity at a point

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Basic properties of continuous functions

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 Computational examples

Example:
Discuss the continuity of the following function on
its domain:
 x 2 − x − 12
 if x  −3
f ( x) =  x + 3
− 5 if x = −3


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Solution:
(1) For x ≠ -3, f(x) is a quotient of two polynomials, so it is
continuous for all x ≠ -3.
At x = -3, We examine the three conditions of continuity at
a point:
1) f(-3) = -5 by the definition of the function.
2) We study the limit of the function as x approaches -3 as
follows: 2
x − x − 12 ( x − 4 )( x + 3 )
lim f ( x ) = lim = lim = lim ( x − 4 ) = −7
x →−3 x →−3 x+3 x →−3 x+3 x →−3
3)
 lim f ( x) = −7  f (−3) = −5
x → −3
 f(x) is discontinuous at x = −3 and has a removable discontinuity.

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 Computational exercise
For what value of the constant c is the function f(x)
continuous for all values of x ?

cx + 1, if x  3 C = 1/3
f(x)= 2
cx − 1, if x  3
Solution :
(i) f ( 3 ) = 3c + 1
( ii ) lim f ( x ) = lim ( cx + 1 ) = 3c + 1, lim f ( x ) = lim ( cx2 − 1 ) = 9c − 1
x →3− x →3− x →3 − x →3+
( iii ) In order to have : lim f ( x ) = f ( 3 ) we must have
x →3
3c + 1 = 9c − 1  6c = 2  c = 1 / 3

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 Computational example

Example:
−x
Discuss the continuity of the function f(x)=e
at the point x = 0.

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Solution: The given function can be redefined as follows:
−x 
e ,
x
if x  0
f(x)=e =  −x

e , if x  0
−x
At x = 0, we test the three conditions of continuity of a f(x)=e
function at a point as follows:
1) f(0) = e0 = 1, by the definition of the function.
2) We study the limit of the function as x approaches 0 as
follows:
lim f ( x ) = lim e x = 1,lim f ( x ) = lim e − x = 1  lim f ( x ) = 1
x →0 − x →0 − x →0 + x →0 + x →0

3) Since lim f ( x ) = 1 = f ( 0 ) ,
x →0
it follows that f(x) is continuous at x = 0.
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 Thank you for listening

Dr. Ghada Abdelhady

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