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Limits and Continuity PDF

The document compares the behavior of the functions f(x,y) = sin(x+y)/(x^2 + y^2) and g(x,y) = (x-y)/(x^2 + y^2) as x and y approach 0. It finds that as (x,y) approaches (0,0), the values of f(x,y) approach 1, while the values of g(x,y) do not approach any single number. It then provides examples and explanations of how to show that a limit does not exist by demonstrating the function approaches different values along different paths to the limit point.

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Ceren Şirin
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158 views8 pages

Limits and Continuity PDF

The document compares the behavior of the functions f(x,y) = sin(x+y)/(x^2 + y^2) and g(x,y) = (x-y)/(x^2 + y^2) as x and y approach 0. It finds that as (x,y) approaches (0,0), the values of f(x,y) approach 1, while the values of g(x,y) do not approach any single number. It then provides examples and explanations of how to show that a limit does not exist by demonstrating the function approaches different values along different paths to the limit point.

Uploaded by

Ceren Şirin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Limits and Continuity

Compare behaviour of the functions

sin( x  y )
2 2
x y
2 2
f ( x, y )  g ( x, y )  2
x y
2 2
x y 2

as x and y both approach to zero (i.e., (x,y) approaches


to zero).
BOTH FUNCTIONS ARE NOT DEFINED AT (0,0).
As (x,y) approaches to As (x,y) approaches to
(0,0) the values of f are (0,0) the values of g aren’t
approaching to 1. approaching any number.
sin( x  y )
2 2 x y
2 2

lim 1 and ( x , ylim


)( 0 , 0 ) x 2  y 2
does not exist.
( x , y )( 0 , 0 ) x y
2 2

➢It appears that, as (x, y) approaches (0, 0), the


values of f(x, y) are approaching 1, whereas the
values of g(x, y) aren’t approaching any number.
lim f ( x, y )  L
( x , y )( a ,b )

indicates that that the values of f(x,y) approach the


number L as the point (x,y) approaches the point (a,b)
along any path that stays within the domain of f.
If f ( x, y )  L1 as ( x, y )  ( a, b) along a path C1 and
f ( x, y )  L2 as ( x, y )  ( a, b) along a path C ,where L1  L2
2
then ( x , ylim
)( 0 ,0 )
f ( x, y ) does not exist.

Thus to show that the limit for f(x,y) through the limit
point (a,b) does not exist:
We should show the function approaches different
limits along different paths (e.g. along two different
lines , along x-axis and along y-axis etc. ) through the
limit point.
2
x
Example: Examine lim
( x , y )( 0 , 0 ) x 2  y 2
numerically.

Then prove that limit does not exist.

Solution:
The Table suggests
that f(x,y) takes on
all values between 0
and 1 no matter how
(x,y) gets close to
(0,0). For example f(0.1,0)=1, f(0.1,0.1)=0.5, f(0,0.1)=0
Let’s prove that the limit does not exist
2
x
Limit along x-axis (i.e. y=0 line) lim f ( x, 0)  lim 2 2  lim1  1
x 0 x 0 x  0 x 0

02
Limit along y-axis (i.e. x=0 line) lim f (0, y )  lim 2  lim 0  0
x 0 x 0 0  y 2 x 0

These two limits are different and hence


2
x
lim
( x , y )( 0 , 0 ) x 2  y 2

does not exist.

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