Contents
Chapter 8. Indeterminate Forms and Improper Integrals
Chapter 11. Geometry in Space and Vectors
Chapter 12. Derivatives for Functions of Two or More
Variables
Chapter 13. Multiple Integrals
Chapter 9. Infinite Series
Chapter 8: Indeterminate Forms and
Improper Integrals
Indeterminate Forms
limit of types 0/0, / ,0 , ,0 , 0 ,1
Improper Integrals
Infinite limits of integration
Part I: Indeterminate Forms
Recall the methods we learned for finding limits
Substitution (polynomial, rational function where the denominator is not 0)
e.g. 4 x3 6 x 2
lim ( x 3 x 1), lim
x 3 x 1 x2 5
Factoring for 0/0 tpye
e.g. x2 x 6 ( x 3)( x 2) x3 5
lim 2
lim lim
x2 x 4 x 2 ( x 2)( x 2) x 2 x2 4
Rationaliztion
e.g.
x 1 ( x 1)( x 1) x 1 1
lim lim lim
x 1 x 1 x 1 ( x 1)( x 1) x 1 ( x 1)( x 1) 2
∞/∞, dividing by the highest power of x that appears in denominator
e.g. x4 x / x2 4 / x2 0 0
lim 2 lim 2 2 0
x x 1 x x / x 1 / x 2 1 0
Indeterminate Forms of 0/0
Theorem A for forms of type 0/0
f ' ( x)
Suppose that lim f ( x) lim g ( x) 0. If lim exists in either
xa xa xa g ' ( x)
finite or infinite sense, then
f ( x) f ' ( x)
lim lim
xa g ( x) x a g ' ( x)
sin x 1 cos x
Example 1. Show that lim 1 and lim 0.
x 0 x x0 x
sin x D sin x cos x
lim lim x lim 1
Solution. x 0 x x 0 Dx x x 0 1
1 cos x D (1 cos x) sin x
lim lim x lim 0.
x 0 x x 0 Dx x x 0 1
x2 9
Example 2. Find lim 2 . (0/0
x 3 x x 6
type)
Solution. x2 9 2x
lim 2 lim
x 3 x x 6 x 3 2 x 1 (determinate form)
6
5
tan 2 x
Example 3. Find lim . (0/0
x 0 ln(1 x )
type)
Solution. tan 2 x 2 sec 2 2 x
lim lim (determinate form)
x 0 ln(1 x ) x 0 1 /(1 x )
2
2
1
sin x x
Example 4. Find lim 3
. (0/0
x 0 x type)
Solution. sin x x cos x 1
lim 3
lim (0/0
x 0 x x 0 3x 2
type)
sin x
lim (0/0
x 0 6x type)
cos x
lim (determinate form)
x 0 6
1
6
1 cos x
Example 5. Find lim 2 . (0/0
x 0 x 3 x
type)
1 cos x sin x
Solution. lim 2 lim
x 0 x 3 x x 0 2 x 3
cos x 1
lim Wrong
x 0 2 2
sin x
lim
x 0 2 x 3
is determinate form
0
0 Right
3
We stop differentiation as soon as the numerator or
denominator has a nonzero limit.
e x
Example 6. Find lim 1 . (0/0
x x
type)
Solution.
e x
lim 1 lim
x x
e x
x x 2
e x
lim 3 ......
x 2 x
e x x
A wise way is to rewrite
x 1 e x
e x x
lim 1 lim x
x x x e (∞/∞ type)
Indeterminate Forms of ∞/∞
Theorem A for forms of type ∞/∞
f ' ( x)
Suppose that lim | f ( x) | lim | g ( x) | . If lim exists
xa x a xa g ' ( x)
in either finite or infinite sense, then
f ( x) f ' ( x)
lim lim
xa g ( x) x a g ' ( x)
x
Example 1. Find lim x
.
x e
x Dx 1
Solution. lim x lim x x lim x 0
x e x D e x e
x
ln x
Example 2. Find lim .
x x
ln x 1/ x
Solution. lim lim 0
x x x 1
x10000
Example 3. Find lim x .
x e
x10000 10000 x 9999 10000 9999 x 9998 10000 !
Solution. lim x lim x
lim x
lim x
0
x e x e x e x e
ln x
Example 4. Find lim a . (a 0)
x x
ln x 1/ x 1
Solution. lim a lim a 1 lim a 0
x x x ax x ax
Conclusion
For any positive number a 0
xa ln x
lim x lim a 0
x e x x
The speed of approaching infinity
Logarithmic
Exponential
Function > Power
Function > Function
Indeterminate Forms of 0 (Change to 0/0 or
∞/∞)
Example 1. Find lim x 2 e x .
x
2 x ex ex ex
Solution. lim x e lim 2 lim lim
x x x x 2 x x 2
(Change to ∞/∞)
Example 2. Find lim (tan x ln sin x).
x / 2
1
cos x
ln sin x
Solution. lim (tan x ln sin x) lim lim sin x 2
x / 2 x / 2 cot x x / 2 csc x
lim ( sin x cos x) 0
x / 2
(Change to 0/0)
Indeterminate Forms of (Change to 0/0)
Example . Find lim (sec x tan x).
x / 2
Solution.
1 sin x 1 sin x
lim (sec x tan x) lim lim
x / 2 cos x cos x
x / 2
x / 2
cos x
cos x cos( / 2)
lim 0
x / 2 sin x
sin( / 2)
0
Indeterminate Forms of 0 , ,1
(Taking natural logarithm, then apply L’Hopital’s Rule)
Example . Find lim x x .
x 0
Solution. Taking logartithm , we get ln x x x ln x.
x ln x
lim ln x lim x ln x lim
x 0 x0 x 0 1 / x
1/ x
lim 2
lim x 0.
x0 1 / x x 0
So
lim x x lim e x ln x e 0 1.
x 0 x 0
Homework
Page 427: 1,3,5,8,10,18
Page 432: 1,2,36
Part II: Improper Integrals
Infinite Limits of Integration
b
a
f ( x)dx is definite integral if a and b are finite.
What is the meaning if a or b is ∞ or -∞?
1 1
2
x2
dx
E.g. 0 1 x 2
xe dx
x 2 e x dx
These integrals are called improper integrals with
infinite limits.
One infinite limit
Definition
b b
f ( x)dx lim f ( x)dx
a a
b
a
f ( x)dx lim f ( x)dx
b a
If the limits on the right exist and have finite values, then we
say that the corresponding improper integral converge and
have those values. Otherwise, the integrals are said to diverge.
1
x2
Example 1. if possible, xe
Find， dx.
1 1
Solution. x2 x2
xe dx lim
a a xe dx.
1
1 2 1 x2 1 a2
a
xe x dx e (e e 1 )
2 a 2
1
x2 1 a 2 1
1
lim xe dx lim (e e )
a a a 2 2e
1
x2 1
So
xe dx
2e
We say the integral converges and has value -1/2e.
Example 2. if possible, sin xdx.
Find，
0
b
Solution.
0
sin xdx lim sin xdx.
b 0
b
0
sin xdx [ cos x]b0 cos 0 cos b 1 cos b
lim cos b doesn' t exist
b
So, the given integral diverges.
Both limits infinite
Definition
0
If both f ( x)dx and 0 f ( x)dx converge, then f ( x)dx is
said to converge and have value
0
f ( x )dx
f ( x)dx f ( x)dx
0
Otherwise,
f ( x)dx diverges.
1
Example 4. Evaluate dx or state that it diverges.
1 x 2
Solution.
0
1
1 x2
dx lim
b 1
b 0 1 x 2
dx lim
b
tan 1
x
b
0
1 1
lim (tan b tan 0)
b 2
Since the integrand is even function ，
0 1 1
1 x 2 dx 0 1 x 2 dx 2
1
So 1 x 2 dx
Some useful conclusions:
1
x2 / 2 1
2 x2 / 2
(a)
2
xe dx 0. (b)
2
xe dx 1.
if p 1 (diverge)
1
p
1 / x dx 1
p 1 if p 1 (converge)
if p 1 (diverge)
1
0
p
1 / x dx 1
1 p if p 1 (converge)
Homework
Page 441: 3,5,13,14
