Limits at Infinity
Emma sells custom phone cases at school fairs. Setting up costs $\$200$, and each case costs $\$5$ to make. After making $x$ cases, her average cost per case is $A(x) = \dfrac{200 + 5x}{x}$ dollars. With 1 case the average is $\$205$. With 100 cases it is $\$7$. With 1,000 cases it is $\$5.20$. What happens if she keeps going forever? Limits at infinity answer exactly this kind of question, and the patterns are very predictable.
End behavior and polynomials
So far you have asked what $f(x)$ does when $x$ gets close to a number. Now we ask what $f(x)$ does when $x$ goes very far out, toward $+\infty$ or $-\infty$. This is called the end behavior of the function.
Let's start with polynomials. Compare $x^2 + 10x$ with just $x^2$ as $x$ grows:
| $x$ | $x^2$ | $x^2 + 10x$ | ratio $\dfrac{x^2 + 10x}{x^2}$ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 100 | 200 | 2 |
| 100 | 10,000 | 11,000 | 1.1 |
| 1,000 | 1,000,000 | 1,010,000 | 1.01 |
The extra term $10x$ matters less and less. Far from the origin, the polynomial behaves like its highest-degree term.
The sign of the answer depends on the sign of the leading coefficient and on whether the degree is even or odd:
| Degree | Leading coeff. | $x \to +\infty$ | $x \to -\infty$ |
|---|---|---|---|
| even | positive | $+\infty$ | $+\infty$ |
| even | negative | $-\infty$ | $-\infty$ |
| odd | positive | $+\infty$ | $-\infty$ |
| odd | negative | $-\infty$ | $+\infty$ |
Drag $a$ from negative to positive. Watch how the two ends of the graph flip.
Calculate the value of the following polynomial limits as $x \to +\infty$ and as $x \to -\infty$: a) $\lim_{x \to +\infty} (-2x^3 + 5x^2 - x + 7)$ b)…
Calculate the value of the following polynomial limits as $x \to +\infty$ and as $x \to -\infty$:
- a) $\lim_{x \to +\infty} (-2x^3 + 5x^2 - x + 7)$
- b) $\lim_{x \to -\infty} (4x^4 - 3x^3 + 2)$
Rational functions: compare the degrees
A rational function is a quotient of two polynomials. Both the numerator and the denominator can grow, so which one "wins"? That is decided by the degrees.
The graph above has equal degrees. The dashed line shows the ratio of leading coefficients, $\tfrac48 = 0.5$.
Determine the value of the following limits of rational functions where the degree of the numerator and the denominator are equal: a)…
Determine the value of the following limits of rational functions where the degree of the numerator and the denominator are equal:
- a) $\lim_{x \to +\infty} \frac{6x^2 - 3x + 1}{2x^2 + 5}$
- b) $\lim_{x \to -\infty} \frac{-5x^3 + x}{4x^3 - 2x^2 + 1}$
Find the limit of the following rational functions knowing that the degree of the denominator is greater than that of the numerator: a)…
Find the limit of the following rational functions knowing that the degree of the denominator is greater than that of the numerator:
- a) $\lim_{x \to +\infty} \frac{3x + 8}{x^2 - 4x + 2}$
- b) $\lim_{x \to -\infty} \frac{x^2 - 1}{x^3 + x^2 - 5}$
Find the value of the following limits where the degree of the numerator is greater than that of the denominator: a)…
Find the value of the following limits where the degree of the numerator is greater than that of the denominator:
- a) $\lim_{x \to +\infty} \frac{x^3 - 2x^2 + 1}{5x^2 - 3}$
- b) $\lim_{x \to -\infty} \frac{-2x^4 + x}{x^2 + 3x - 1}$
Horizontal asymptotes
When $f(x)$ settles on a finite number at one end of the graph, the graph hugs a horizontal line there.
You can read the limits straight off a graph. Look at the far left and far right ends and see which height the curve approaches.
From this graph, $\lim_{x \to -\infty} f(x) = -1$ and $\lim_{x \to +\infty} f(x) = 2$. The horizontal asymptotes are $y = -1$ and $y = 2$.
For a rational function, the degree rule gives the asymptote. If $\deg P = \deg Q$, then $y = $ (ratio of leading coefficients). If $\deg P < \deg Q$, then $y = 0$. If $\deg P > \deg Q$, there is no horizontal asymptote.
Find the equation of the horizontal asymptote of the function $f(x) = \frac{8x - 5}{2x + 3}$ by calculating the corresponding limits as $x \to +\infty$ and…
Find the equation of the horizontal asymptote of the function $f(x) = \frac{8x - 5}{2x + 3}$ by calculating the corresponding limits as $x \to +\infty$ and $x \to -\infty$.
Observe the graph of the function $f(x)$ and visually determine the limits $\lim_{x \to +\infty} f(x)$ and $\lim_{x \to -\infty} f(x)$. From these, write the equations…
Observe the graph of the function $f(x)$ and visually determine the limits $\lim_{x \to +\infty} f(x)$ and $\lim_{x \to -\infty} f(x)$. From these, write the equations of the horizontal asymptotes of the function.
The concentration of a drug in the bloodstream, in milligrams per liter, $t$ hours after being administered is given by the function $C(t) = \frac{15t}{t^2 + 4}$.…
The concentration of a drug in the bloodstream, in milligrams per liter, $t$ hours after being administered is given by the function $C(t) = \frac{15t}{t^2 + 4}$. Calculate the limit of the concentration as $t \to +\infty$ and interpret the result in the context of the medical problem.
Exponentials and growth rates
When an expression mixes exponentials with polynomials, you need to know who grows faster. For large $x$, with $a > 1$ and $p > 0$:
$$\ln x \ll x^p \ll a^x$$A logarithm grows slower than any power, and any power grows slower than any exponential. Even $1.01^x$ eventually beats $x^{100}$.
For a piecewise function, use the piece that applies at each end. As $x \to -\infty$ you use the formula for very negative $x$, and as $x \to +\infty$ the formula for very positive $x$. The two pieces can give different asymptotes.
Calculate the limits of the following exponential functions as $x \to +\infty$ and as $x \to -\infty$: a) $\lim_{x \to +\infty} \left(\frac{3}{5}\right)^x$ b)…
Calculate the limits of the following exponential functions as $x \to +\infty$ and as $x \to -\infty$:
- a) $\lim_{x \to +\infty} \left(\frac{3}{5}\right)^x$
- b) $\lim_{x \to -\infty} 4^x$
Calculate the limit of the following function combining exponential and polynomial terms. Take into account which terms grow faster as $x \to +\infty$:…
Calculate the limit of the following function combining exponential and polynomial terms. Take into account which terms grow faster as $x \to +\infty$:
$\lim_{x \to +\infty} \frac{5 \cdot 3^x - x^4}{2 \cdot 3^{x+1} + x^2}$
Given the piecewise function $f(x)$, which is equal to $\frac{3x^2 - 1}{x^2 + 2}$ if $x \le 0$, and is equal to $\frac{2e^x + 5}{e^x - 1}$ if $x > 0$. Calculate the…
Given the piecewise function $f(x)$, which is equal to $\frac{3x^2 - 1}{x^2 + 2}$ if $x \le 0$, and is equal to $\frac{2e^x + 5}{e^x - 1}$ if $x > 0$. Calculate the horizontal asymptotes of the function by determining the limits $\lim_{x \to -\infty} f(x)$ and $\lim_{x \to +\infty} f(x)$.
Square roots at infinity
When $x$ is very large, $\sqrt{9x^2 + 4x - 1}$ is close to $\sqrt{9x^2}$. But $\sqrt{x^2}$ is not $x$, it is $|x|$, the absolute value. (Some problems call $|x|$ the modulus of $x$.)
Calculate the following limit involving a square root in the numerator: $\lim_{x \to +\infty} \frac{\sqrt{9x^2 + 4x - 1}}{3x + 2}$
Calculate the following limit involving a square root in the numerator:
$\lim_{x \to +\infty} \frac{\sqrt{9x^2 + 4x - 1}}{3x + 2}$
Calculate the following limit as $x \to -\infty$, paying special attention to the sign of the variable when extracting it from the square root:…
Calculate the following limit as $x \to -\infty$, paying special attention to the sign of the variable when extracting it from the square root:
$\lim_{x \to -\infty} \frac{\sqrt{4x^2 - 3x + 2}}{5x - 1}$
Indeterminate $\infty - \infty$: fractions and logarithms
When you subtract two expressions that each tend to $+\infty$, you cannot tell the result in advance. It might be $0$, a number, or infinite. You have to rewrite the expression first.
Two fractions: combine them over a common denominator, then compare degrees.
Logarithms: use $\ln a - \ln b = \ln\dfrac{a}{b}$ and $n \ln a = \ln a^n$ to combine everything into one logarithm. Then take the limit inside. Because $\ln$ is continuous, if the inside tends to a positive number $L$, the whole thing tends to $\ln L$.
Resolve the following limit which presents an indeterminate form of type $\infty - \infty$ by first subtracting the algebraic fractions:…
Resolve the following limit which presents an indeterminate form of type $\infty - \infty$ by first subtracting the algebraic fractions:
$\lim_{x \to +\infty} \left( \frac{x^2 + 2x}{x - 1} - \frac{x^2 - 3}{x + 2} \right)$
Calculate the following limit by applying the properties of logarithms to first resolve the indeterminate form $\infty - \infty$:…
Calculate the following limit by applying the properties of logarithms to first resolve the indeterminate form $\infty - \infty$:
$\lim_{x \to +\infty} (\ln(3x^2 + 5x) - 2\ln(x + 2))$
Indeterminate $\infty - \infty$: radicals and the conjugate
A difference of square roots, like $\sqrt{x^2 + 8x} - x$, is also $\infty - \infty$. The trick is the same as rationalizing a denominator. Multiply and divide by the conjugate, so that $(A - B)(A + B) = A^2 - B^2$ removes the square roots.
When $x \to -\infty$, be extra careful with signs. The conjugate trick still works, but $|x| = -x$.
Calculate the value of the following limit with radicals, resolving the indeterminate form $\infty - \infty$ by multiplying and dividing by the conjugate expression:…
Calculate the value of the following limit with radicals, resolving the indeterminate form $\infty - \infty$ by multiplying and dividing by the conjugate expression:
$\lim_{x \to +\infty} (\sqrt{x^2 + 6x} - x)$
Calculate the following limit at negative infinity, which requires rationalization and a careful analysis of the signs when dealing with the implicit modulus in the…
Calculate the following limit at negative infinity, which requires rationalization and a careful analysis of the signs when dealing with the implicit modulus in the square root:
$\lim_{x \to -\infty} x \left( \sqrt{x^2 + 4} + x \right)$
The $1^\infty$ form and the number $e$
Consider $\left(1 + \tfrac1x\right)^x$. The base tends to $1$, but the exponent tends to $\infty$. Which wins? Look at the table:
| $x$ | $\left(1 + \frac1x\right)^x$ |
|---|---|
| 10 | 2.5937 |
| 100 | 2.7048 |
| 1,000 | 2.7169 |
| 10,000 | 2.7181 |
The values approach the number $e \approx 2.71828\ldots$
Find the value of the following limit which gives rise to an indeterminate form of type $1^\infty$, expressing the final result in terms of the number $e$:…
Find the value of the following limit which gives rise to an indeterminate form of type $1^\infty$, expressing the final result in terms of the number $e$:
$\lim_{x \to +\infty} \left( \frac{2x + 5}{2x - 3} \right)^{4x}$
Oblique asymptotes
If the numerator has degree exactly one more than the denominator, the function grows, but it follows a slanted line instead of a horizontal one.
Find the values of the parameters $m$ and $n$ so that the graph of the function $f(x) = \frac{2x^2 - x + 3}{x + 1}$ has the line $y = mx + n$ as an oblique asymptote. To…
Find the values of the parameters $m$ and $n$ so that the graph of the function $f(x) = \frac{2x^2 - x + 3}{x + 1}$ has the line $y = mx + n$ as an oblique asymptote. To do this, set up and solve the limits $\lim_{x \to +\infty} \frac{f(x)}{x} = m$ and $\lim_{x \to +\infty} (f(x) - mx) = n$.
Finding unknown constants
Often the limit is given and a constant is unknown. The plan is always the same. Compute the limit in terms of the constant, set it equal to the given value, and solve.
Determine the value of the parameter $k$ so that the following equality holds: $\lim_{x \to +\infty} \frac{kx^3 - 2x^2 + x}{5x^3 + 4x - 1} = -3$
Determine the value of the parameter $k$ so that the following equality holds:
$\lim_{x \to +\infty} \frac{kx^3 - 2x^2 + x}{5x^3 + 4x - 1} = -3$
Determine the value of the parameter $a$ so that the following limit, which presents an indeterminate form $\infty - \infty$, results in $4$:…
Determine the value of the parameter $a$ so that the following limit, which presents an indeterminate form $\infty - \infty$, results in $4$:
$\lim_{x \to +\infty} (\sqrt{x^2 + ax + 5} - \sqrt{x^2 - 2x + 1}) = 4$
Find the value of the parameter $b$ so that the following equality holds, corresponding to a limit of type $1^\infty$:…
Find the value of the parameter $b$ so that the following equality holds, corresponding to a limit of type $1^\infty$:
$\lim_{x \to +\infty} \left( \frac{x^2 + bx}{x^2 + 3} \right)^{2x} = e^6$
Limits in context
In a real model, $\lim_{t \to +\infty}$ tells you the long-term value of a quantity. When you answer, always give the number, its units, and what it means.
Back to Emma's phone cases: $A(x) = \dfrac{200 + 5x}{x} = \dfrac{200}{x} + 5$. The degrees are equal, so $\lim_{x \to +\infty} A(x) = 5$. In the long run, her average cost per case approaches $\$5$, the cost of making one case. The setup cost of $\$200$ gets spread over so many cases that it hardly matters.
Sometimes the limit is $\infty$ or the model gives a nonsense value. A model is only valid in a limited range of the variable, for example a population cannot grow forever and a company cannot produce infinitely many items. If a limit predicts something impossible, the model stops being realistic far out.
When a problem compares your limit with a physical threshold, make sure both numbers use the same units. Convert with $F = \tfrac95 C + 32$ before you compare. For example, $100\,°\text{C} = 212\,°\text{F}$.
The population of a bird species introduced into a nature reserve is modeled by the function $P(t) = 200 + \frac{1500t}{2t + 5}$, where $t$ is the time in years since…
The population of a bird species introduced into a nature reserve is modeled by the function $P(t) = 200 + \frac{1500t}{2t + 5}$, where $t$ is the time in years since its introduction. Calculate the long-term limit of the population (as $t \to +\infty$) and explain what this value means for the balance of the ecosystem.
The temperature $T$ (in degrees Fahrenheit) of an operating electronic component after $t$ minutes of being switched on follows Newton's law of cooling adapted to…
The temperature $T$ (in degrees Fahrenheit) of an operating electronic component after $t$ minutes of being switched on follows Newton's law of cooling adapted to heating: $T(t) = 20 + 65(1 - e^{-0.1t})$. Calculate the limit of the temperature as $t \to +\infty$. What physical meaning does this value have if it is known that the component is irreversibly destroyed upon reaching $90^\circ C$?
The total cost of producing $x$ units of an advanced technological device is given by the function $\$C(x) = 25000 + 150x + 0.05x^2…
The total cost of producing $x$ units of an advanced technological device is given by the function $\$C(x) = 25000 + 150x + 0.05x^2$. The average cost per unit is defined as $Cm(x) = \frac{C(x)}{x}$. Calculate $\lim_{x \to +\infty} Cm(x)$ and reason, in economic terms, why this mathematical model ceases to be realistic for extremely high production levels.