Table of contents
- 0. Functions7h 52m
- Introduction to Functions16m
- Piecewise Functions10m
- Properties of Functions9m
- Common Functions1h 8m
- Transformations5m
- Combining Functions27m
- Exponent rules32m
- Exponential Functions28m
- Logarithmic Functions24m
- Properties of Logarithms34m
- Exponential & Logarithmic Equations35m
- Introduction to Trigonometric Functions38m
- Graphs of Trigonometric Functions44m
- Trigonometric Identities47m
- Inverse Trigonometric Functions48m
- 1. Limits and Continuity2h 2m
- 2. Intro to Derivatives1h 33m
- 3. Techniques of Differentiation3h 18m
- 4. Applications of Derivatives2h 38m
- 5. Graphical Applications of Derivatives6h 2m
- 6. Derivatives of Inverse, Exponential, & Logarithmic Functions2h 37m
- 7. Antiderivatives & Indefinite Integrals1h 26m
1. Limits and Continuity
Finding Limits Algebraically
Problem 70a
Textbook Question
Analyze lim x→∞ f(x) and lim x→−∞ f(x), and then identify any horizontal asymptotes.
f(x) = (x2 − 4x + 3) / (x − 1)
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1
Step 1: Identify the degrees of the polynomial in the numerator and the denominator. The numerator is a quadratic polynomial \(x^2 - 4x + 3\) with degree 2, and the denominator is a linear polynomial \(x - 1\) with degree 1.
Step 2: Since the degree of the numerator (2) is greater than the degree of the denominator (1), the limits \(\lim_{x \to \infty} f(x)\) and \(\lim_{x \to -\infty} f(x)\) will both tend towards infinity or negative infinity, indicating that there are no horizontal asymptotes.
Step 3: To further analyze the behavior of \(f(x)\) as \(x\) approaches infinity or negative infinity, perform polynomial long division on \(x^2 - 4x + 3\) by \(x - 1\).
Step 4: The result of the division will be a linear expression plus a remainder over \(x - 1\). This linear expression will dominate the behavior of \(f(x)\) as \(x\) approaches infinity or negative infinity.
Step 5: Conclude that since the degree of the numerator is greater than the degree of the denominator, \(f(x)\) does not have horizontal asymptotes, but it may have an oblique (slant) asymptote, which is the linear expression obtained from the division.
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