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BOTSWANA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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Department Of Mathematics And Statistical Sciences

MATH 102 LECTURE NOTES

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LIMITS
Lecture 6
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Oganeditse A. Boikanyo
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June 15, 2016
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MATH 102 LECTURE NOTES (Limits) O. A. Boikanyo - BIUST June 15, 2016 1/8
 On
Continuity
Definition Remark
Let f (x) be defined for every x in an a). Recall that for any polynomial P (x),

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interval containing the number a.

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Then f is continuous at a point a if lim P (x) = P (a).
x→a

lim f (x) = f (a). This shows that every polynomial is

x→a
continuous at any point x = a.
It means that, f is continuous at a

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p(x)
point a if b). If R(x) = is a rational function
q(x)
with q(x) 6= 0 and q(a) 6= 0, then
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(i). f (a) is defined as a real number
(i.e., a ∈ Df ).
p(a)
(ii). lim f (x) exists. lim R(x) = R(a) = .
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x→a x→a q(a)
(iii). lim f (x) = f (a). o
This shows that every rational function is
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x→a
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continuous at any point x = a, at which

a
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the denominator, q(a), is non zero.

.B

MATH 102 LECTURE NOTES (Limits) O. A. Boikanyo - BIUST June 15, 2016 2/8
 On
Continuity
Example
√ x2 − 5x + 6
Let f (x) = 3x2 + 4x − 4 and g(x) = . Show that

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x+2
a). f and g are continuous at 3

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b). f + g is continuous at 3.

Solution: (a) We first evaluate f at 3 to obtain

√ √

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p
f (3) = 3(3)2 + 4(3) − 3 = 27 + 12 − 4 = 35
This shows that f (3) is defined as a real number.
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Next we find the limit of f (x) as x approaches 3
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lim f (x) = lim (3x2 + 4x − 4) 2
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x→3 x→3
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lim (3x2 + 4x − 4)
i 12
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=
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x→3
√
a

1
[(3(3)2 + 4(3) − 4)] 2 =
oik

= 35.
.B

MATH 102 LECTURE NOTES (Limits) O. A. Boikanyo - BIUST June 15, 2016 3/8
 On
Continuity
Since √
lim f (x) = 35 = f (3),
x→a

we conclude that f is continuous at the point x = 3.

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(ii) To show that g is continuous, we begin by finding the value of g at x = 3 as

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32 − 5(3) + 6 9 − 15 + 6
g(3) = = = 0.
3+2 5
The limit of g(x) as x approaches 3 is given by

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lim g(x) = lim
 2
x − 5x + 6


x→3
rn x→3 x+2
lim (x2 − 5x + 6)
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x→3
=
lim (x + 2)
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x→3
ny
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32 − 5(3) + 6
a

= =0
oik

3+2
.B

MATH 102 LECTURE NOTES (Limits) O. A. Boikanyo - BIUST June 15, 2016 4/8
 On
Continuity
Since
lim g(x) = 0 = f (3),
x→a

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we conclude that g is continuous at the point x = 3.

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(b). The function f + g is defined for Using limit laws and the limits in part (a)
all x ∈ Df ∩ Dg by gives

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(f + g)(x) = f (x) + g(x). lim (f + g)(x) = lim f (x) + lim g(x)
x→3 x→3 x→3

Since g(3) and f (3) are defined, = f (3) + g(3)

rn √
= 35 + 0.
(g + f )(3) = g(3) + f (3)
√
Since
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= 0 + 35
o lim (f + g)(x) = (f + g)(3)
ny
exits. x→3
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a
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the function f + g is continuous at x = 3.

.B

MATH 102 LECTURE NOTES (Limits) O. A. Boikanyo - BIUST June 15, 2016 5/8
 On
Discontinuity

Conditions For Discontinuity

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The function f is discontinuous at a point a under any of the following

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conditions:
(i). f (a) does not exists (i.e., a ∈
/ Df ).
(ii). lim f (x) does not exists.
x→a

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(iii). lim f (x) exists but is not equal to f (a). i.e., lim f (x) 6= f (a) .
x→a x→a
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Example
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x−1
The function f (x) = is not continuous at x = 1 because f (1) does
o
x2 − 1
ny
not exist.
In
a
oik
.B

MATH 102 LECTURE NOTES (Limits) O. A. Boikanyo - BIUST June 15, 2016 6/8
 On
Discontinuity
Example
Determine whether the function

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 x−1
if x ∈ R \ {−1, 1}

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
 2
x −1
h(x) = if x = −1
 0

2 if x = 1

is continuous at x = 1.
Solution: Note that in this case

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rn x−1 1
h(1) = 2 and lim h(x) = lim = .
x→1 x→1 x2 − 1 2
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This shows that h(1) is defined and the lim h(x) exists. However, because
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x→1
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lim h(x) 6= h(1)

a

x→1
oik

the function h can not be continuous at x = 1.

.B

MATH 102 LECTURE NOTES (Limits) O. A. Boikanyo - BIUST June 15, 2016 7/8
 On
Continuity Over an Interval
Definition
A function f is continuous over (or in) an open interval (a, b) if f is continuous

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at every point in (a, b).

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Example
A polynomial f (x) = 2x2 + 2x − 3 is continuous over the interval (−5, 9). In fact
f is continuous over the interval (−∞, ∞).

Example
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The function
x−1

 x2 − 1 if x ∈ R \ {−1, 1}

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
h(x) =
 0 if x = −1
o
ny

2 if x = 1

In
a
oik

is not continuous over the interval (0, 2) because it is continuous at x = 1.

.B

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