National Taiwan University - Calculus 1 for Class 01-09

Worksheet 2 : The Precise Definition of a Limit

Name:
王現連比
ID: B — 11032 Department: ⽣機
Deriving the Precise Definition of a Limit.
The intuitive definition of a limit, lim f (x) = L, says that
x!a
we can make the values of f (x) arbitrarily close to L by restricting x to be sufficiently close to a but not equal to a.

Verifying the above statement is a back and forth, o↵ensive and defensive process. When one claims lim f (x) = L,
x!a
he/she is responsible to answer the following challenges:
How close to a does x have to be so that |f (x) L| < 0.1 ?
How close to a does x have to be so that |f (x) L| < 0.01 ? And so on...Thus he/she must once and for all answer:

How close to a does x have to be so that |f (x) L| < ✏ , where ✏ is an arbitrarily small positive number?

In general, given smaller ✏, one may need to restrict x closer to a. Hence, the above answer (the distance between x
and a) depends on ✏. Now we conclude that

lim f (x) = L means that

x!a
for any number ✏ > 0 there is a > 0 (depending on ✏) such that if 0 < |x a| < then |f (x) L| < ✏.

The last statement is the precise definition of lim f (x) = L. In this worksheet we will have hands-on experiences
x!a
of using this definition.

Exercise 1. 8 2
< 2x x 1
if x 6= 1
Consider f (x) = x 1
:
0 if x = 1
• Simplify f (x), f (x) =x + 2 for x 6= 1. Guess the limit, lim f (x) = 3 .
x!1
• When you wrote down lim f (x) = L, you have made a very strong statement! You claimed that
x!1
We can make f (x) arbitrarily close to L by restricting x to be sufficiently close to 1 but not equal to 1.
One may ask you to show him :
How close to 1 does x have to be so that |f (x) L| < 0.1, 0.01, 0.001...?
Starting from the goal inequality |f (x) L|, derive an equivalent inequality regarding |x 1|.

Fill in the blank.

If 0 < |x 1| < 0 . 05 , |f (x) L| < 0.1.

If 0 < |x 1| < 0. 005 , |f (x) L| < 0.01.

E
If 0 < |x 1| < Ʃ , |f (x) L| < ✏, where ✏ is any positive number.
1
 • What happens at x = 1? Obviously, |f (1) L| = |0 L| > 0.1. Does this violate the statement lim f (x) = L?
x!1
" " " "

No ,
because x -
→ 1 isn 't equivalent o x =
1

• For any ✏ > 0, we find = ⽓ such that if 0 < |x 1| < , then |f (x) L| < ✏. This proves that
indeed lim f (x) = L.
x!1

Exercise 2.
p
3
(a) Show that lim x = 0.
x!0 p
To prove the limit is 0, for any ✏ > 0, we need to find a > 0 such that if 0 < |x 0| < then | 3 x 0| < ✏.
p
• Starting from the desired inequality | 3 x 0| < ✏, derive an inequality for |x 0|.
3 3
|改 -
0
|<ε -

ε < x <ε 3
x 1 E
- o <

p
• For a given ✏, find such and show that if 0 < |x 0| < then | 3 x 0| < ✏.

UE > 0 J 80 stif Ix -
oks OIK - OIKE

(b) Imitating the precise definition of a limit, write down precise definitions of one-sided limits.
• lim f (x) = L ,
x!a+

UE 30 JST 0 ε t LI OLaS 5 Ofx ) .

• lim f (x) = L ,
x!a

UE 20 A S 20 St If OKa - x
8 OIf - ) LI < E

2
Precise Definition of an Infinite Limit.
The intuitive definition of an infinite limit, lim f (x) = 1, says that
x!a
we can make the values of f (x) arbitrarily large by restricting x to be sufficiently close to a but not equal to a.
Again, when one claims lim f (x) = 1, he/she is responsible to answer the following challenges:
x!a
How close to a does x have to be so that f (x) > 100 ?
How close to a does x have to be so that f (x) > 1000 ? And so on...Thus he/she must once and for all answer:

How close to a does x have to be so that f (x) > N , where N is an arbitrarily large positive number?

Hence we conclude that

lim f (x) = 1 means that
x!a
for any number N > 0 there is a > 0 (depending on N ) such that if 0 < |x a| < then f (x) > N .

The last statement is the precise definition of lim f (x) = 1.

x!a

Exercise 3.
(a) Imitating the above definition, write down precise definitions of other limits regarding infinity.
• lim f (x) = 1 ,
x!a+
UN CO J S 0 St ' fO < x - a < 8 f (x) < N

• lim f (x) = L ,
x!1
UE > 0 AN > O S if XNs fx ) -
LlEd
• lim f (x) = 1 ,
x! 1
UN , 70 FN < o s .t if XN 2 f ( x) > N1

(b) Show that lim ln x = 1.

x!0+
To prove that the limit is negative infinity, for any negative N < 0, we need to find a > 0 such that if
0<x 0< then ln x < N .
• Starting from the desired inequality ln x < N , derive an inequality for x 0.
flx ) < o lnx < N xceN
~

O < X -
O < eN

• For a given N < 0, find such and show that if 0 < x 0< then ln x < N .

UNCO JS 0 3t If F
XOS<x) < N

3
 Exercise 4 (Optional).
We can use the precise definition of a limit to prove limit laws and corollaries about limits. Try to prove the following
statements.
(a) Prove that if lim f (x) = L and lim g(x) = M then lim (f (x) + g(x)) = L + M .
x!a x!a x!a
(Hint: For any ✏ > 0 we need to find a > 0 such that if 0 < |x a| < then |(f (x) + g(x)) (L + M )| < ✏.
However, we have |(f (x) + g(x)) (L + M )|  |f (x) L| + |g(x) M |. Moreover, since lim f (x) = L and
x!a
lim g(x) = M , we can let |f (x) L| < ✏/2 and |g(x) M | < ✏/2 if x is sufficiently close to a.)
x!a

答 E> 0 281 , 8270 s .t if 1

x - ak 8 ⼩
, →fla -
2 lx a
/ <
82 | g (x) K 答
-
-

E f
5eg
- l+
g - H |: 1 ) . m ( 1

(b) Prove that if lim f (x) = 0 and |g(x)| < M for all x where M > 0 is a constant then lim f (x)g(x) = 0.
x!a x!a

O E 30 A 80 s . t x- a |<δ | f(x )
- 0 <ε
可 可
| f 1x ) g (x ) |< / f 1x || g (x) | <
箭 -
M = E

(c) Prove that if lim f (x) = L > 0 and lim g(x) = 1 then lim f (x)g(x) = 1.
x!a x!a x!a

LO V
< E < - StS |<δ | f (x ) )
{
0 |x -
a
-
L < E ( -

ε cf ( x) < L+E

时 N > 0 8' s
07 8 →
stxali g (x ) > N

f (x ) g (x ) S NILEN
3

(d) Prove that if f (x) < g(x) for all x 6= a and the limits lim f (x), lim g(x) exist, then lim f (x)  lim g(x).
x!a x!a x!a x!a
(Hint: If lim f (x) > lim g(x) can you derive a contradiction?)
x!a x!a Assume 1 imhlx) = L < o

訂
Prove : lim g (x ) - f( x ) ≥ xsgwhich
means V E JE > 0 > 0 s. t
- if 1 x
- alc
x)a
) cs
-

Ihix) - L then we take

onsider g (x ) x )
,
Hence h () tx
=

些 K ε= L
,

ε= >0 )
hlx) -

contradict
Given that 1
,
L -
些 < h (x ) <
~
l +
…
1
Ʃ 70
u
the
① f (x) g 1x < hlx ) > 0 txta givenconditiom
4
Hence limhlx) ≥ 0

fHx
②limexists
)
x )a
-
lim hlx ) exists
xsa
limxaf ) ) < limg(x
x→ a