Chapter 2.
Limit and Continuity
Rates of Change and Tangents to Curves
Definition (Average Speed)
A moving object’s average speed during an interval of timew is found by diving the
distance covered by the time elapsed.
Limit of a Function and Limit Laws
Definition (Limit)
Suppose is defined on an open interval about , except possibly at itself. If
is arbitraily close to the number (as close to as we like) for all
sufficiently close to , we say that approaches the limit as approaches , and
write
lim .
→
Remark
The Sandwich Theorem is also called the Squeeze Theorem or the Pinching
Theorem.
Remark
- The assertion resulting from replacing the less than or equal to (≤ ) inequality by
the strict less than ( ) inequality in Theorem is false.
- For example, holds for ≠ but
lim lim .
The Precise Definition of a Limit
Remark
- To show that the limit of as → equals the number , we need to show
that the gap between and can be kmade as small as we choose if is
kept close enough to .
- Let us see what this would require if we specified the size of the gap between
and .
Remark
- In the previous example we determined how close be to a particular value to
ensure that the outputs of some function lie within a prescribed interval
about a limit value .
- To show that the limit of as → actually equals , we must be able to
show that the gap between and can be made less than any prescribed
error, no matter how small, by holding close enough to .
Note) : error(오차) → 임의의 양수
Note) ; 는 에 관한 식으로 표현됨.
Note) For every 은 기호로 ∀ , there exists 은 기호로
∃ 로 쓸 수 있음.
One-Sided Limits
Obsevation (Approaching a Limit from One Side)
- To have a limit f as approaches , a function must be defined on both
sides of and its values must approach as approaches from either
side.
- That is, must be defined in some open interval about , but not necessarily at
. Because of this, ordinary limits are called two-sided.
- If fails to have a two-sided limit at , it may still have a one-sided limit, that is,
a limit if the approach is only from one side.
- If the approach is from the right, the limit is a right-hand limit. From the left, it
is a left-hand limit.
Definition (One-Sided Limits)
1. If si defined on an interval , where , and approaches arbitrarily
close to as approaches from within that interval, then has right-hand
limit at . We write
lim .
→
2. If is defined on an interval , where , and approaches arbitrarily
close to as approaches from within that interval, then has left-hand
limit at . We write
lim .
→
Precise Definitions of One-Sided Limits
Proof.
Assume that . Since
area ∆ area sector area ∆ ,
We have
sin tan .
Since ≠ ,
sin
implies cos .
sin cos
Since lim cos , applying Sandwich Theorem gives
→
sin
lim
.
→
sin
To consider the left-hand limit, since sin and are both odd functions, is
an even function, with a graph symmetric about the -axis. Thus,
sin sin
lim
lim .
→ →
Therefore,
sin
lim
.
→
□
Continuity
Definition (Continuity at a Point)
1. Let be a real number on the -axis. The function is continuous at if
lim
→
2. If a function si not continuous at an interior point of its domain, we say that
is discontinuous at , and that is point of discontinuity of .
Definition (One-Side Continuity)
Definition (Continuity Over a Closed Interval)
We asy that a function is continuous over a closed interval if it is
right-continuous at , left-continuous at , and continuous at all interior points of
the interval.
Example
1. Every polynomial is continuous.
2. If and are polynomials, then is continuous whenever it is
defined ≠ .
3. The function is continuous.
Note) ∘ 가 연속이면 와 모두 연속인가? → No!
ex) Let and sin , then ∘ sin .
Limits Involving Infinity; Asymptotes of Graphs
Observation (Fintie Limits as → ± ∞ )
- The symbol for infinity (∞ ) does not represent a real number. We use ∞ to
describe the behavior of a function when the values in its domain or range
outgrow all finite bounds.
- The function defined for all ≠ .
- When is positive and becomes increasingly large, becomes increasingly
small. When is negative and its magnitude becomes increasingly large,
again becomes small.
- We summarize these observations by saying that has limit as → ∞ or
→ ∞ , or that is a limit of at infinity and negative infinity.
Observation (Limits at Infinity of Rational Functions)
To determine the limit of a rational function as → ± ∞ , we first divide numerator
and denominator by the highest power of in the denominator. The result then
depends on the degrees of the polynomials involved.
Observation (Horizontal Asymptotes)
If the distance between the graph of a function and some fixed line approaches zero
as a point on the graph moves increasingly far from the origin, we say that the
graph approaches the line asymptotically and that the line is an asymptote of the
graph.
Observation (Oblique Asymptotes)
- If the degree of the numerator of a rational function is greater than the degree
of the denominator, the graph has an oblique or slant line asymptote.
- We find an equation for the asymptote by dividing numerator by denominator to
express as a linear function plus a remainder that goes to zero as → ± ∞ .
Precise Definition of Infinite Limits
Vertical Asymptote
- Notice that the distance between a point on the graph of and the
-axis approaches zero as the point moves vertically along the graph and away
from the origin.
- The function is unbounded as approaches because
lim ∞ and lim ∞ .
→ →
- We say that the line (the -axis) is a vertical asymptote of the graph of
.
- Observe that the denominator is zero at .
Note) 분모를 으로 만드는 값이 vertical asymptote라고 생각하면 편함.
Observation (Dominant Terms)
- Let us write
.
- For large, ≈ .
- For near , ≈ .
- We say that dominates when is numerically large, and we say that
dominates when is near .
- Dominant terms like these help us predict a function’s behavior.
