L’Hôpital’s rule practice problems

21-121: Integration and Differential Equations

Find the following limits. You may use L’Hôpital’s rule where appropriate. Be aware that L’Hôpital’s
rule may not apply to every limit, and it may not be helpful even when it does apply. Some
limits may be found by other methods. These problems are given in no particular order. (Where
appropriate, sources for the problems are given in square brackets under the answer. See the end
for an explanation of these references.)
ex − x − 1 1
1. lim Ans. −1. 19. lim x sin Ans. 0.
x→0 cos x − 1 x→0 x
[ R 4.7 Ex. 4 ]
tan 3x 5
x3 − x2 − 10x − 8 3 20. lim Ans. .
2. lim Ans. . x→π/2 tan 5x 3
x→−2 5x3 + 12x2 − 2x − 12 5 [ R 4.7.18 ]
x−a sec x
3. lim Ans. a. 21. lim Ans. −∞.
x→a ln x − ln a x→π/2+ ln sec x
[ SSJ 124.29 ] [ M 62.26 ]
1 − cos θ 1 
1

4. lim Ans. . 22. lim csc x − Ans. 0.
θ→0 θ2 2 x→0 x
[ M 62.12 ]

5. lim (sinh x − cosh x) Ans. 0. 23. lim (tan x)sin 2x Ans. 1.

x→π/2 [ S 21.3(b) ]
x→∞
tan x 24. lim x−3 ex Ans. 0.
6. lim + Ans. ∞. x→−∞
x→π/2 ln(2x − π) [ W VIII.2.1 ]
ln(t + 2)
tanh x 2 25. lim Ans. ln 2.
7. lim Ans. . x→∞ log2 t [ R Ch. 7 Rev. 115 ]
x→∞ tan−1 x π
sin x 1 − ln x
8. lim Ans. 1. 26. lim Ans. −1.
x→0 sinh x x/e − 1
x→e
 x  √ √
e 1 1 1 − tan x − 1 + tan x 1
9. lim − Ans. . 27. lim Ans. − .
x→0 ex − 1 x 2 x→π sin 2x 2
[ R Ch. 4 rev. 116 ] [ Sh 9.1.14 ]
ln(x − π/2) (π/2) − tan x −1
10. lim Ans. 0. 28. lim Ans. 1.
x→π/2 sec x [ SSJ 122 Ex. 4 ] x→∞ x−1 [ W VIII.1.3 Ex. H ]
2 √
ex − e4 x + 10 + 3x1/3 7
11. lim Ans. 4e4 . 29. lim Ans. − .
x→2 x−2 [ R 4.7.22 ] x→−1 4x2 + 3x − 1 30
√ sin x − x 1
3
x 30. lim Ans. − .
12. lim Ans. ∞. x→0 x3 6
x→∞ ln x
[ SM 7.6.13 ]
ln(tan x) √
13. lim Ans. 2. tan x − x 1
x→π/4 sin x − cos x 31. lim Ans. .
[ Sh 9.1.6(b) ] x→0 x3 3
[ SM 7.6.14 ]
e−x
14. lim Ans. Does not exist. 4 x
x→∞ sin x [ H 4.8.18(c) ]
x −4 32(1 − ln 2)
32. lim Ans. .
x→2 sin(πx) π
e−x
15. lim Ans. 0. 1 + tan(x/4)
x→∞ sin x + 2 33. lim Ans. 1.
x→3π cos(x/2)
tan−1 x − π4 1 [ W VIII.1.2 ]
16. lim Ans. .
x→1 tan π x − 1 π 34. lim x1/(ln x) Ans. e.
4
[ R 4.7.51 ] x→∞

tan−1 x 1 35. lim (cos x)csc x Ans. 1.

x→0
17. lim Ans. − .
x→−∞ cot−1 x 2 36. lim cos x ln tan x Ans. 0.
[ W VIII.1.7 ] x→π/2− [ SSJ 124.17 ]
18. lim sin x ln x Ans. 0.
x→0
[ M 62.32 ]
37. lim xsin(1/x) Ans. 1.
x→∞
 h π
tan−1 x − π/2 + x−1
 i
38. lim − x tan x Ans. 1. 55. lim Ans. 1.
x→π/2 2 [ SSJ 124.24 ] x→∞ coth−1 x − x−1 [ W VIII.4.4 ]
sin 3x cot 2x 10
39. lim Ans. −∞. x10
x→0+ ln cos x 56. lim Ans. 0.
  x→+∞ ex [ W VIII.1.5 ]
1 cot x 1
40. lim − Ans. .
x→0 x2 x 3  1/x2
sin x
[ S 21.1(e) ] ? 57. lim+ Ans. e−1/6 .
x→0 x [ R 4.7.75(a) ]
sin−1 x
41. lim Ans. 1.  
x→0 x2 csc x 1 1 1
? 58. lim − Ans. .
 πx  2 x→0 sin2 x x2 3
42. lim tan ln x Ans. − . [ R 4.7.75(b) ]
x→1 2 π
[ R 4.7.26 ] √ √

x x
x ln x ln x x
xe − 4 + 2e − 2x ?? 59. lim √ ln x

√ Ans. ∞.
43. lim x→+∞ x (ln x) x [ W VIII.4.11 ]
x→−2 1 + x sin πx + x/2 + 2 sin πx
Ans. 2e−2 − 4. x2 cos x
√ 60. Compute lim by two methods.
44. lim− 1 − x ln ln(1/x) Ans. 0. x→0 2 sin2 12 x
x→1 [ W VIII.3.20 ] Ans. 2.
−1 [ M 62.10 ]
45. lim (csc x)(cos x)/(ln x)
Ans. e−π/2 .
x→0+ 61. Finding the following limit was the first
2 sin θ − sin 2θ example that L’Hôpital gave in demon-
46. lim Ans. 3.
θ→0 sin θ − θ cos θ [ R Ch. 4 rev. 113 ]
strating the rule that bears his name. Let
a be a positive constant and find
ex + x √ √
47. lim Ans. 2. 3
x→∞ sinh x 2a3 x − x4 − a a2 x
lim √4
.
2(ecos θ + θ − 1) − π 2 x→a a − ax3
48. lim Ans. − .
θ→π/2 ln sin(−3θ) 9 Ans. 0.
[ SSJ 124.9 ] [ Sh 9.1.16 ]
x sin(1/x) 62. Show that L’Hôpital’s rule applies to the
49. lim+ Ans. 0.
x→0 ln x x + cos x
limit lim , but that it is of no
x cot x x→∞ x − cos x
50. lim+ x Ans. ∞.
x→0 e −1 help. Then evaluate the limit directly.
x ln x Ans. 1.
51. lim , a>0 Ans. −∞. [ R 4.7.69 ]
x→0 ln(1 + ax)
+
[ W VIII.1.10 ]
? 63. Without using L’Hôpital’s rule, the limit
sin−1 x 2 sin x
52. lim Ans. . lim can be evaluated by a rather
x→0 x cos−1 x π x→0 x
ln x intricate geometric argument. Show that
53. lim+ Ans. 0. it can be evaluated easily using L’Hôpital’s
x→0 cot x [ SM 7.6.31 ]
rule. Then explain why doing so involves
54. lim (ax)b/(cx) , a, c 6= 0 Ans. 1. circular reasoning. [ R 4.7.72 ]
x→∞

References:
[H] Deborah Hughes-Hallett, Andrew M. Gleason, Wil-
liam G. McCallum, et al. Calculus: Single and Mul-
tivariable, second edition. Wiley, 1998.
[M] Ross R. Middlemiss. Differential and Integral Cal-
culus, first edition. McGraw-Hill, 1940.
[R] Jon Rogawski. Calculus: Early Transcendentals.
Freeman, 2008.
[S] Ivan S. Sokolnikoff. Advanced Calculus. McGraw-
Hill, 1939.
[Sh] Shahriar Shahriari. Approximately Calculus. Amer-
ican Mathematical Society, 2006.
[SM] Robert T. Smith and Roland B. Minton. Calculus,
second edition. McGraw-Hill, 2002.
[SSJ] Edward S. Smith, Meyer Salkover, and Howard K.
Justice. Calculus. Wiley, 1938.
[W] David V. Widder. Advanced Calculus. Prentice-
Hall, 1947.