Mathematics 73 Exercise Set: Limits (Limits at Infinity, Continuity, and Curve

Tracing)

I. Evaluate the following.

 √ 
1. lim x + x2 + x
x→−∞
√
2. lim x3 + 2x2 − x
x→∞

−5x4 + 4x2 + 3
3. lim
x→∞ x2 + 3x + 1
4. Evaluate lim f (x) given that
x→±∞
 √
3
 1 − x3

 √ , x < −1
2x + x 2+1






f (x) = x−2
 , −1 < x < 1
 x+1



 √3x2 + x − 2x , x ≥ 1




√
5. lim (2x + 3 + 4x2 + 25)
x→−∞
√
6. lim (3x + 1 + 9x2 − 4x)
x→−∞
√
7. lim (2 x2 + 3x − 2x)
x→−∞

II. Determine the asymptotes and sketch the graph of f .

x2 − 4
1. f (x) =
x2 − 2x − 8
1
2. f (x) =
x2 + 2x − 3
x2 + x − 6
3. f (x) =
x+3
x2 − x − 6
4. f (x) =
x2 − 5x + 6
III. Determine if f is continuous at x = −2, 1, 5. If not, identify the type of discon-
tinuity and redefine the function in cases where the discontinuity is removable.
 3
x +8

 , x < −2



 x + 2



 x2 − 5x + 3 , −2 ≤ x < 1


f (x) =
sgn(x2 − 6x − 5) , 1 ≤ x < 5







 2
 x − 17x + 60


,x ≥ 5

x2 − 3x − 10

1
IV. Curve Tracing. Sketch the graph of the function f given the following proper-
ties. Determine the points of discontinuity and identify the type of discontinuity
at each point.

• f (−3) = 0, f (−2) = 0, f (−1) = 0, f (2) = 1

• lim f (x) = +∞
x→−2

• lim f (x) = 2
x→−3

• lim− f (x) = −∞, lim+ f (x) = 0

x→0 x→2

• lim f (x) = 1, lim f (x) = −1

x→−∞ x→+∞