1

Chapter 1
FUNCTIONS, LIMITS AND CONTINUITY

1.1 FUNCTIONS
A function is a relation whose input x has a single output y. It is often
written as y = f(x), which means y is a function of x.
Operation on Function
(i) Sum of two functions
f (x )+ g (x )=( f +g )(x )
(ii) Difference of two functions
f (x )−g( x )=(f −g)( x )
(ii) Product of two functions
f (x )⋅g ( x )=(f⋅g )( x )
(iii) Quotient of two functions
f (x )/g (x )=( f / g)( x )

2
Example 1. Given f (x )=x −2 x +1 and g( x )=2 x−1 , find (a)
(f +g )( x ) ,
f ( x +h )−f (x )
(b) f [ g(2 ) ] , (c) (f /g )(4 ) , and (d) h .
Solution:
2
(a) (f +g )( x )=x −2 x +1+2 x−1 =x 2

(b) f [ g(2 ) ] =f [ 2 ( 2 )−1 ]

=f (3)
=3 2−2(3 )+1 =4

f ( 4)
(f /g )(4 )=
(c) g( 4)
4 2 −2(4 )+1
=
2(4 )−1
9
=
7
f ( x +h )−f (x ) ( x +h )2 −2 ( x+h )+ 1−( x 2 −2 x +1 )
=
(d) h h
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2 2 2
x +2 xh+h −2 x−2 h+1−x +2 x−1
=
h
2
2 xh+h −2 h
=
h
=2 x+h−2

4 2 4 2
Example 2. Given f (x )=2 x −5 x −5 x+10 and h( x )=x −3 x +2 , if
f (x )
is twice of h( x) find the value of x.
Solution:
4 2 4 2
f (x )=2 x −5 x −5 x+10 and h( x )=x −3 x +2
f ( x )=2 [ h( x ) ]
2 x 4 −5 x 2 −5 x+10=2 ( x 4 −3 x 2 +2 )
4 2 4 2
2 x −5 x −5 x+10=2 x −6 x +4
x 2−5 x +6=0
Thus, x=2 and x=3

1.2 LIMITS
Laws of Limits
(i) Limit of a constant c as x approaches a is constant.
lim c=c
x →a

(ii) Limit of the sum and difference of two or more functions is equal to
the sum and difference of their limits.

lim [ f 1 ( x )±f 2 ( x )±.. .±f n ( x ) ]=lim f 1 ( x )±lim f 2 ( x )±.. .±lim f n ( x )

x →a x →a x→ a x→a

(iii)Limit of the product of two or more functions is equal to the

product their limits.
lim [ f 1 ( x )⋅f 2 ( x ). ..⋅f n ( x ) ]= lim f 1 ( x )⋅lim f 2 ( x )⋅.. .⋅lim f n ( x )
x →b x→a x →a x →a

(iv) Limit of the quotient of two functions is equal to the quotient of

their limits such that the limit of denominator is not equal to zero.
lim f 1 ( x )
f 1( x )
lim
x →a [ ]
f 2( x )
=
x→ a
lim f 2 ( x )
x→ a ,
lim f 2 ( x )≠0
x →a .
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lim x 2−2 x+3 lim ( x 2−2 x +3 ) ( x 2−2 )

Example 3. Evaluate (a) x →1 , (b) x →2 , and
3 x+2
lim
(c) x →1 4 x−3 .
Solution:
lim ( x 2−2 x +3 ) =2
(a) x →1

lim ( x 2−2 x +3 ) ( x 2−2 )=lim ( x 2 −2 x +3 )⋅lim ( x 2−2 ) =( 3 )( 2)=6

(b) x →2 x→2 x →2

lim 3 x +2
3 x+ 2 x →1 5
lim = = =5
x →1 4 x−3 lim 4 x−3 1
(c) x →1

f ( x +h )−f ( x )
Example 4. If f (x )=x −1 , find
2 lim
h→0 [ h
.]
Solution:
f (x )=x 2−1
f (x +h )=( x +h )2 −1=x 2 +2 xh+ h2 −1
f ( x +h )−f ( x ) =( x 2 +2 xh+h2 −1 )−( x2 −1 ) =2 xh+ h2 =h ( 2 x +h )
f ( x+ h)−f ( x ) h ( 2 x+ h )
lim =lim =lim ( 2 x +h )=2 x
h→0 h h→0 h h→0 .

2 x−5 f ( x +h )−f ( x )
Example 5. If
f (x )= lim
3 x +4 , determine h→0 h[ ] .
Solution:
2 x−5
f (x )=
3 x +4
2 ( x +h )−5 2 x +2 h−5
f (x +h )= =
3 ( x +h )+ 4 3 x +3 h+4
2 x+2h−5 2 x−5
f (x +h )−f ( x ) = −
3 x+3 h+ 4 3 x +4
( 2 x +2 h−5 )( 3 x +4 )−( 2 x−5 ) ( 3 x+3 h+4 )
=
( 3 x +3 h+4 )( 3 x+ 4 )
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( 2 x−5 )( 3 x +4 ) +2 h (3 x +4 )−( 2 x−5 ) ( 3 x+4 )−3 h ( 2 x−5 )

=
( 3 x+3 h+4 )( 3 x+4 )
6 xh+8 h−6 xh+15 h 23 h
= =
( 3 x+3 h+4 )( 3 x +4 ) ( 3 x +3 h+4 ) ( 3 x+4 )
f ( x +h )−f ( x ) 23 h
lim
h→0 [ h ] [
= lim
h→0 h ( 3 x+3 h+ 4 )( 3 x +4 ) ]
23
lim
[
= h→0 ( 3 x +3 h+4 ) ( 3 x+4 )
]
23 23
= =
( 3 x+ 4 ) ( 3 x+ 4 ) ( 3 x+ 4 )2

f ( x +h )−f ( x )
Example 6. If f (x )=√ x−3 , find
lim
h→0 [ h
.
]
Solution:
f (x )=√ x−3
f (x +h )= √ x +h−3
( √ x+h−3+ √ x−3 )
f (x +h )−f ( x ) =( √ x +h−3−√ x−3 )
( √ x+h−3+ √ x−3 )
( x+ h−3−( x−3 ) ) h
f ( x +h )−f ( x ) = =
( √ x +h−3+ √ x −3 ) ( √ x +h−3+ √ x−3 )
f ( x +h )−f ( x ) h
lim
h→0 [ h ] [
= lim
h→0 h ( √ x+ h−3+ √ x−3 ) ]
1
=lim
[
h→0 ( √ x+ h−3+ √ x−3 ) ]
1 1
= =
( √ x−3+ √ x−3 ) 2 √ x−3

f ( x +h )−f ( x )
Example7. If f (x )=√ x , find
3 lim
h→0 [ h
.
]
Solution:
3
f (x )=√ x
3
f (x +h )= √ x +h
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3 3
3√ ( x+h )2 + √3 ( x+h ) 3√ x + √ x 2
3
f (x +h )−f ( x )=( √ x +h−√ x ) 3
√ ( x+h )2+√3 ( x+h ) 3√ x +√3 x 2
x+ h−x
3
= √( x +h )2+ 3√( x +h ) √3 x+ 3√ x 2
h
f (x +h )−f ( x )= 3
√ ( x+ h )2+√ ( x+ h ) 3√ x + √3 x 2
3

f ( x+h)−f ( x ) h
lim
h→0 [ h
= lim
] [
h→0 h ( 3 ( x+h )2 + 3 ( x+h ) 3 x+ 3 x 2 )
√ √ √ √ ]
1
=lim
h→0 [ (√
3 3 3 3
( x+h )2 + √ ( x+h ) √ x+ √ x 2 ) ]
f ( x+h)−f ( x ) 1 1
lim
h→0 [ h
=
][ = 3
( 3√( x )2+ 3√( x ) 3√ x+√3 x 2) 3 √ x 2 ]
1.3 CONTINUITY
lim f ( x )=f ( a)
A function y=f (x ) is continuous at x=a if (i) x +a and
lim f ( x )
(ii) f (a) and x +a exist.
x+3
f (x )= x=1.
Example 8 . Show that x −5 is continuous at
Solution:
x+3
f (x )=
x −5
1+3
f (1 )= =−1
1−5
lim x+ 3
x+ 3 x →1 4
lim f ( x )=lim = = =−1
x →1 x →1 x−5 lim x−5 −4
x →1
lim f ( x )=f (1 )
Since, x →1 , then f (x) is continuous at x=1.
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2
x −1
f (x )= x=2
Example 9. Is x−2 continuous at ?
Solution:
2
x −1
f (x )=
x−2
3
f (2 )= ⇒
0 limit does not exist
f (x ) is not continuous at x=2 .