Guillaume De l'Hpital

1661 - 1704
8.2 day 1
LHpitals Rule
Actually, LHpitals Rule was
developed by his teacher
Johann Bernoulli. De lHpital
paid Bernoulli for private
lessons, and then published the
first Calculus book based on
those lessons.
Greg Kelly, Hanford High School, Richland, Washington
Consider:
Johann Bernoulli
1667 - 1748

8.2 day 1
LHpitals Rule
Zero divided by zero can not be evaluated, and is an
example of indeterminate form.
2
2
4
lim
2
x
x
x

Consider:
If we try to evaluate this by direct substitution, we get:
0
0
In this case, we can evaluate this limit by factoring and
canceling:
2
2
4
lim
2
x
x
x

( )( )
2
2 2
lim
2
x
x x
x

+
=

( )
2
lim 2
x
x

= +
4 =

If we zoom in far enough,

the curves will appear as
straight lines.
2
2
4
lim
2
x
x
x

The limit is the ratio of the numerator over the denominator

as x approaches 2.
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
-3 -2 -1 1 2 3
x
2
4 x
2 x
-0.05
0
0.05
1.95 2 2.05
x
( )
( )
lim
x a
f x
g x

2
2
4
lim
2
x
x
x

( )
( )
lim
x a
f x
g x

-0.05
0
0.05
1.95 2 2.05
x
( )
f x
( )
g x
( )
( )
f x
g x
As 2 x
becomes:

2
2
4
lim
2
x
x
x

( )
( )
lim
x a
f x
g x

-0.05
0
0.05
1.95 2 2.05
x
As 2 x
( )
( )
f x
g x
becomes:
df
dg
df
dg
dx
dx
df
x
dg
d
=

2
2
4
lim
2
x
x
x

( )
( )
lim
x a
f x
g x

( )
( )
2
2
4
lim
2
x
d
x
dx
d
x
dx

2
2
lim
1
x
x

=
4 =
LHpitals Rule:
If is indeterminate, then:
( )
( )
lim
x a
f x
g x

( )
( )
( )
( )
lim lim
x a x a
f x f x
g x g x

'
=
'

We can confirm LHpitals rule by working backwards, and

using the definition of derivative:
( )
( )
f a
g a
'
'
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
lim
lim
x a
x a
f x f a
x a
g x g a
x a

( ) ( )
( ) ( )
lim
x a
f x f a
x a
g x g a
x a

( ) ( )
( ) ( )
lim
x a
f x f a
g x g a

( )
( )
0
lim
0
x a
f x
g x

( )
( )
lim
x a
f x
g x

Example:
2
0
1 cos
lim
x
x
x x

+
0
sin
lim
1 2
x
x
x

=
+
0 =
If its no longer
indeterminate, then
STOP!
If we try to continue with LHpitals rule:
0
sin
lim
1 2
x
x
x

=
+
0
cos
lim
2
x
x

=
1
2
=
which is wrong,
wrong, wrong!

On the other hand, you can apply LHpitals rule as

many times as necessary as long as the fraction is still
indeterminate:
2
0
1 1
2
lim
x
x
x
x

+
( )
1
2
0
1 1
1
2 2
lim
2
x
x
x

+
=
0
0
0
0
0
0
not
( )
1
2
2
0
1
1 1
2
lim
x
x x
x

+
( )
3
2
0
1
1
4
lim
2
x
x

+
=
1
4
2

=
1
8
=
(Rewritten in
exponential
form.)

LHpitals rule can be used to evaluate other indeterminate

0
0
forms besides .
The following are also considered indeterminate:

0

1

0
0
0

The first one, , can be evaluated just like .

0
0
The others must be changed to fractions first.

1
lim sin
x
x
x

| |
|
\ .
This approaches
0
0
1
sin
lim
1
x
x
x

This approaches
0
We already know that
0
sin
lim 1
x
x
x

| |
=
|
\ .
but if we want to use LHpitals rule:
2
2
1 1
cos
lim
1
x
x x
x

| | | |

| |
\ . \ .
=

1
sin
lim
1
x
x
x

1
limcos
x
x

| |
=
|
\ .
( )
cos 0 =
1 =

1
1 1
lim
ln 1
x
x x

| |

\ .
If we find a common denominator and subtract, we get:
( )
1
1 ln
lim
1 ln
x
x x
x x

| |

|
|

\ .
Now it is in the form
0
0
This is indeterminate form
1
1
1
lim
1
ln
x
x
x
x
x

| |

|
|

|
+
|
\ .
LHpitals rule applied once.
0
0
Fractions cleared. Still

1
1
lim
1 ln
x
x
x x x

| |
|
+
\ .
1
1 1
lim
ln 1
x
x x

| |

\ .
( )
1
1 ln
lim
1 ln
x
x x
x x

| |

|
|

\ .
1
1
1
lim
1
ln
x
x
x
x
x

| |

|
|

|
+
|
\ .
1
1
lim
1 1 ln
x
x

| |
|
+ +
\ .
LHpital again.
1
2

1
1
lim
1 ln
x
x
x x x

| |
|
+
\ .
Indeterminate Forms:
1

0
0
0

Evaluating these forms requires a mathematical trick to

change the expression into a fraction.
ln ln
n
u n u =
When we take the log of an exponential function,
the exponent can be moved out front.
ln
1
u
n
=
We can then write the
expression as a fraction,
which allows us to use
LHpitals rule.
( )
lim
x a
f x

( )
( )
ln lim
x a
f x
e

=
( ) ( )
limln
x a
f x
e

=
We can take the log of the function as long
as we exponentiate at the same time.
Then move the
limit notation
outside of the log.

Indeterminate Forms:
1

0
0
0

1/
lim
x
x
x

( )
1/
lim ln
x
x
x
e

( )
1
lim ln
x
x
x
e

( )
ln
lim
x
x
x
e

1

lim
1
x
x
e

0
e
1
0

LHpital
applied
t
Example: