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xa
xa
then
f (x)
f 0 (x)
= lim 0
.
xa g(x)
xa g (x)
LHospital for
: If f (x) and g(x) are differentiable near x = a and
lim
lim f (x) = ,
xa
lim g(x) =
xa
then
f 0 (x)
f (x)
= lim 0
.
xa g (x)
xa g(x)
are not the only indeterminate forms. Other common indeterminate forms include
lim
Now,
0
0
and
1 ,
0 ,
Solution: This is a
0
0
1 cos x
x sin x
= lim
.
x0
x3
3x2
so we apply LHospitals rule again:
lim
x0
This is again
0
0
x sin x
1 cos x
sin x
= lim
= lim
.
3
2
x0
x0
x0 6x
x
3x
Once again, this is 00 . Lets try LHospital again:
lim
sin x
cos x
cos 0
1
= lim
=
= .
x0 6x
x0 6
6
6
lim
x0
x sin x
1
= .
x3
6
Example 2: Please note that LHospitals Rule has a hypothesis, namely that
lim f (x) = 0 = lim g(x).
xa
xa
If this condition is not satisfied, we cannot use LHospitals Rule to compute the limit of
f (x)
g(x) .
For example,
sin x
sin 0
=
= 0.
x0 1 + 2x
1+20
lim
But
(sin x)0
cos x
1
= lim
= .
0
x0 (1 + 2x)
x0 2
2
lim
So in this case
(sin x)0
sin x
6= lim
.
x0 (1 + 2x)0
x0 1 + 2x
lim
Example 3: Find
e2x + x2
.
x ex + 4x
form so we can apply LHospitals rule.
lim
Solution: This is an
ex + 2x
ex + x2
=
lim
.
x ex + 4
x ex + 4x
so applying LHospitals rule again:
lim
This is again
ex + 2x
ex + 2
=
lim
.
x ex + 4
x
ex
Again this is
, so we might try LHospital again.
lim
ex + 2
ex
=
lim
.
x
x ex
ex
but LHospitals Rule wont help us any more. However, doing some algebra,
lim
This is again
ex
= lim 1 = 1.
x ex
x
The last example shows that sometimes it is necessary to use other methods for finding limits in conjuction with LHosptials rule.
lim
9x + 1
lim
.
x
x+1
The form:
Example 5: Find
1
1
lim
ln x
x1+ x 1
Solution: This is an form. Combining fractions we may be able to turn this into a
then apply LHospitals Rule. So,
0
0
or
1
1
ln x (x 1)
ln x x + 1
=
=
.
x 1 ln x
(x 1) ln x
(x 1) ln x
As x 1+ , the numerator and denominator each go to 0. So we may apply LHospitals Rule:
form,
lim
x1+
= lim
x1+
x1+
1
1
x 1 ln x
1
x
1)
ln x + (x 1)
0
0
1
x
(ln x x + 1)0
((x 1) ln x)0
= lim
x1+
= lim
x1+
1
x
1)
ln x + 1
= lim
1
x
x1+
1x
.
x ln x + x 1
1
1x
1
1
= lim
=
=
.
1
x ln x + x 1 x1+ ln x + x x + 1
ln 1 + 1 + 1
2
So
lim
x1+
1
1
x 1 ln x
=
1
.
2
As these examples show, it is not uncommon to have to apply LHospitals rule a couple of times in a
row. However, example 4 suggests that we shouldnt just keep applying LHospitals Rule again and again
and hope that something good comes out of it.
The remaining indeterminate forms, 1 , 00 , 0 forms are all handled in a similar way.
Example 5: Find
1 n
) .
n
n
Solution: As n , the base tends towards 1. Its tempting to guess that the limit should be 1 since
the base tends towards 1, and so we get 1n , but 1n = 1 for every n, and so limn 1n = 1. The problem
is that we arent taking 1 to larger and large powers, we are taking bases that are just slightly larger than
1 to higher and higher powers.
These power forms involve a trick. Namely, were going to use logarithms to turn the powers into
products. Let y = limn (1 + n1 )n . Now,
lim (1 +
ln y = ln ( lim (1 +
n
1 n
) )
n
1 n
1
) ) = lim n ln (1 + ).
n
n
n
form, but ln y gives rise to an 0 form. Furthermore, we can turn this into
= lim ln ((1 +
n
n ln (1 +
(You could just as easily have turned it into
ln (1 + n1 )
1
)=
.
1
n
n
by writing
n ln (1 +
There is nothing wrong with this, but here the
Now, we want
0
0
lim
1
)=
n
n
1
1
ln (1+ n
)
We could apply LHospitals rule at this point. However, we can simplify the upcoming derivative calculations if we make a judiciuous change of variables. We let x = n1 . Now letting n is the same as letting
x 0+ . So
ln (1 + n1 )
ln (1 + x)
lim
= lim
.
1
n
x
x0+
n
Using LHospitals Rule,
ln (1 + x)
= lim
lim
+
x
x0+
x0
1
(1+x)
lim
x0+
1
1
=
= 1.
(1 + x)
1+0
Okay, done now, right? Not exactly. What we have just shown is
1
lim ln (1 + )n = 1,
n
n
but we want the limit without the natural logarithm on it. But
1
1
1 = lim ln (1 + )n = ln ( lim (1 + )n ).
n
n
n
n
(We can interchange limits and natural logarithms because the natural logarithm is a continuous function.)
To get rid of the natural logarithm, exponentiate.
1 n
1
e1 = eln (limn (1+ n ) ) = lim (1 + )n
n
n
Thus, we see
1
lim (1 + )n = e.
n
n
Try this next one on your own. A full solution appears at the end of these notes, but try doing it by
following some of the steps from the previous example.
Example 6: Find
lim xx .
x0+
Example 4 Solution We have to be clever or else we get stuck in a loop. If we apply LHospitals rule
without being clever, we get
1
(9x + 1)1/2 9
9x + 1
= lim 2 1
.
lim
1/2
x
x
x+1
2 (x + 1)
Simplifying, we get
9(x + 1)1/2
,
x (9x + 1)1/2
form. Apply LHospitals rule again,
= lim
another
9 12 (x + 1)1/2
9(x + 1)1/2
=
lim
.
x (9x + 1)1/2
x 1 (9x + 1)1/2 9
2
lim
= lim
another
. Its not such a great idea to keep applying LHospitals rule over and over again, because this
last limit got us back to where we started.
A better way to proceed here is to interchange the entire square root and the limit, which we can do
since the square root function is continuous. So
r
9x + 1
9x + 1
=
lim
lim
.
x x + 1
x
x+1
Now,
9x + 1
= 9,
lim
x x + 1
which can be seen either using LHospitals Rule or other methods for computing limits. So
9x + 1
lim
= 9 = 3.
x
x+1
x0+
form:
x ln x =
x0+
ln x
1
x
x0+
x0+
ln x
1
x
lim
x0+
1
x
1
x2
ln ( lim xx ) = 0
x0+
so
lim xx = e0 = 1.
x0+