AMA1110 2019/20 Semester 1 Tutorial 3

AMA1110 Basic Mathematics I -

Calculus and Probability & Statistics
Tutorial 3
Keywords: Limits. Left-hand limit. Right-hand limit. Continuity. Methods of finding
limits. Infinite limits. Limits at infinity. Intermediate Value Theorem.

A Revision
Definition A.1 (Limit of a function)
If the one-sided limits limx→a− f (x) and limx→a+ f (x) exist and both are equal to L, we
say that the limit of f (x) as x approaches a is L and we write
lim f (x) = L. (A.1)
x→a

Definition A.2 (Continuity at a Point)

If lim f (x) = f (a), we say that f (x) is continuous at point a.
x→a

Definition A.3 (Discontinuity at a Point) We say that f (x) is discontinuous (i.e.,

not continuous) at a if any one of the following holds:
(a) lim f (x) does not exist
x→a

(b) f (a) does not exist (i.e., is not defined)

(c) lim f (x) 6= f (a)
x→a

Theorem A.4 (Squeeze Theorem or the Sandwich Theorem)

f (x), g(x), h(x) be functions such that f (x) ≤ g(x) ≤ h(x) for all x near a, except
possibly at a itself. If
lim f (x) = lim h(x) = L (A.2)
x→a x→a
then
lim g(x) = L. (A.3)
x→a

Theorem A.5 (A trigonometric formula) If θ is in radians, then

sin θ
lim =1 (A.4)
θ→0 θ

Theorem A.6 Let f be a strictly increasing and continuous function on an interval

[a, b]. Let f (a) = c, f (b) = d, and let g be the inverse function of f . Then
(a) g is a strictly increasing function on [c, d];
(b) g is continuous on [c, d].
Theorem A.7 (Intermediate Value Theorem) Let f (x) be continuous on [a, b] such
that f (a) 6= f (b). Then for any real number m lying between f (a) and f (b), there corre-
sponds a c ∈ (a, b) such that f (c) = m.
Theorem A.8 (Bounded) Let f (x) be a continuous function on [a, b]. Then f (x) is
a bounded on [a, b], i.e., there is a positive constant M such that |f (x)| ≤ M , for all
x ∈ [a, b].

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B Exercise
1. Find the limits if they exist.

x4 − 1 cos x
(a) lim (m) limπ
x→1 x3 − 1 x→ 2 x − π/2
x3 + 1 1
(n) lim (1 + x 3 )(2 − 6x2 + x3 )
(b) lim x→8
x→−1 x + 1
 1 + 3x 3
x3 − x2 + x − 1 (o) lim
(c) lim x→1 1 + 4x2 + 3x4
x→1 x−1 √
sin 2x 4− x
(d) lim (p) lim
x→16 16x − x2
x→0 sin x
cos x − cos 3x
 1 1
(e) lim (q) lim √ −
x→0 sin 2x x→0 x 1+x x
x  2
(f) lim (r) lim x4 cos
x→0 sin x x→0 x
sin 2x 1
(g) lim 1 
x→0 x (s) lim −
x→0− x |x|
(x − sin x)2
(h) lim sin(x2 − x − 2)
x→0 x (t) lim
sin 7x
x→−1 x+1
(i) lim sin(sin x)
x→0 sin 3x (u) lim
(j) lim x(1 − 3 cot x) x→0 x
x→0
tan x
r (v) lim
sin 4x x→0 sin 2x
(k) lim √ √
x→0 sin x x2 + 4x + 5 − 5
x2 − 1 (w) lim+
(l) lim x→0 x
x→1 sin(x − 1) (x) lim (2 − cot x)
x→0

2. Find the limits if they exist.

1  2x + 5 + 2h 2x + 5 



cos (x + h)2 − cos x2
(a) lim − (b) lim
h→0 h 4x − 1 + 4h 4x − 1 h→0 h

3. Find the limits if they exist.

5x2 + 8x − 3 x2 − 7x
(a) lim (c) lim
x→∞ 3x2 + 1 x→−∞ x + 1
√
11x + 3 2x2 + 1
(b) lim (d) lim
x→∞ 2x3 − 1 x→∞ 3x − 5

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4. Find the limits lim f (x) and lim f (x).

x→∞ x→−∞
√
1 x2 + 2
(a) f (x) = (f) f (x) =
x−1 3x2 − x
x2 + 2 cos x
(b) f (x) = (g) f (x) =
x2 − 1 x−1
x
(c) f (x) = 1
x+1 (h) f (x) = sin
x
x2 + 2 √ √
(d) f (x) = (i) f (x) = x2 + 2x − x2 + 1
3x2 − x + 1
x 1
(e) f (x) = √ (j) f (x) = √ √
x2 + 1 x2 + 3 − x2 + 1

5. Determine if the following function is continuous. If not then locate the points of
discontinuity.
if x < −4,

 x(1 + x)

f (x) = −3x if − 4 ≤ x < 5,

 2
x − 3x − 20 if x ≥ 5.

6. Graph the function



 1 if x ≤ −1,
 −x if − 1 < x < 0,


f (x) = 1 if x = 0,
−x if 0 < x < 1,




1 if x ≥ 1.


Then discuss, in detail, one-sided limits, limits, and continuity of f at x = −1, 0,

and 1.

7. Discuss the continuity of the following functions at x = 0 and sketch their graphs:
x2
(a) f (x) =
x
(
|x| for x 6= 0
(b) h(x) =
1 for x=0
 2
 x
for x 6= 0
(c) f (x) = x
 0 for x=0

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8. For the function


x2 if − 1 < x < 1,
f (x) =
2x − 1 if 1 ≤ x < 5.
(a) Find the following (one-sided) limits if they exist or explain if it does not exist.

(i) lim f (x) (ii) lim− f (x) (iii) lim+ f (x) (iv) lim− f (x)
x→−1+ x→1 x→1 x→5

(b) Is the function f (x) continuous at x = 1? Why?

9. Let 
2
(x − 4)/(x + 2) if x < −2,

f (x) = ax + b if − 2 ≤ x < 0,

2x + 1 if x ≥ 0.


Find the values a and b so that the function f is continuous for all x.

10. If f (x) = x2 + 10 sin x, show that there is a number c such that f (c) = 1000.
Answer:

1a. 4/3 1p. 1/128 4a. 0, 0 f is continuous at

x = −1.
1b. 3 1q. −1/2 4b. 1, 1 lim f (x) = 0,
x→0−
lim f (x) = 0,
1c. 2 1r. 0 4c. 1, 1 x→0+
lim f (x) = 0,
x→0
1d. 2 1s. −∞ 4d. 1/3, 1/3 f is not continuous
at x = 0.
1e. 0 1t. −3 4e. 1, −1 lim f (x) = −1,
x→1−
lim f (x) = 1,
1f. 1 1u. 1 x→1+
4f. 0, 0
lim f (x) does not ex-
x→1
1g. 2 1v. 1/2 ist,
4g. 0, 0
√ f is not continuous
1h. 0 1w. 2/ 5 at x = 1.
4h. 0, 0
1i. 7/3 1x. DNE
4i. 1, −1 7a. Not continuous
2
1j. −3 2a. −22/(4x − 1)
4j. ∞, ∞
7b. Not continuous
1k. 2 2b. −2x sin(x2 )
5. f is continuous every-
1l. 2 3a. 5/3 where 7c. Continuous
except at x = 5.
1m. −1 3b. 0
8a. (i) 1 (ii) 1 (ii)
6. lim − f (x) = 1,
x→−1 (iii) 1 (iv) 9
1n. 390 3c. −∞ lim f (x) = 1,
x→−1+
√
1o. 1/8 3d. 2/3 lim f (x) = 1, 9. a = 5
and b = 1
x→−1 2

- The Universe is a grand book which cannot be read until one first learns to comprehend the language and become familiar with
the characters in which it is composed. It is written in the language of mathematics. Galilei Galileo (1564-1642). -
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