MATH 151 Lecture : precalc 2
Document Summary
To find the limit of a function, you need to determine what the function approaches as the input (x) gets closer and closer to a certain value. Here are the steps to find the limit of a function: substitute the value that x is approaching into the function. If this results in a finite (non-infinite) number, then that number is the limit. If the result is infinity (positive or negative) or does not exist, then try plugging in values slightly larger and slightly smaller than the value that x is approaching. If the function approaches the same value from both sides, then that value is the limit. If the function approaches different values from different sides, or if the limit does not exist, then you can use other methods (such as algebraic manipulation or l"hopital"s rule) to try to find the limit. Here is an example of finding the limit of a function using the first method:
