2

FUNCTION
AND

LIMIT

2.1 FUNCTION
BACKGROUND
The term of function was first used by
Leibniz in 1673 to denote the dependence
of one quantity on another
Example :
The area of a circle depends on its radius r
by the equation A = r2;
We say that A is a function of r

Notation
Leonard Euler introduced the using
of a letter of alphabet such as f to
denote a function or relationship.
Example :
y = f(x)
is read y equals f of x, that is the
value of y depends on the value of x

DEFINITION
A function is a rule that assigns to each
element of set A one and only one
element of set B
The set A is called domain of the
function
The set of all possible value of f(x) as x
varies over the domain is called the
range of f

DEFINITION
y = f(x)
y is called dependent variable
x is called independent variable
The graph of a function f is the graph
of the equation y = f(x)

Example

Example
f(x)=2x-1

g(x)=x^2

Which is a function?

2.2 OPERATION ON FUNCTION;

CLASSIFYING FUNCTIONS
Given function f and g, their sum f+g,
difference f-g, product f.g and quotient f/g are
defined by
(f+g)(x)=f(x)+g(x)
(f-g)(x)=f(x)-g(x)
(f.g)(x)=f(x).g(x)
(f/g)(x)=f(x)/g(x)

 For the function f+g, f-g, and f.g the

domain is defined to be the
intersection of the domains of f and g
and for f/g the domain is this
intersection with the points where
g(x) = 0 excluded

 If f is a function and k is a real

number, then the function kf is
defined by
(kf)(x)=k.f(x)
and the domain of kf is the same as
the domain of f

 Given two function f and g, the

composition of f with g, denoted by
f o g, is the function defined by
(fog)(x)=f(g(x))
where the domain of f o g consists of
all x in the domain of g for which
g(x) is in the domain of f.

Classification of Functions
Constant function, f(x)=c, c is a constant value
Monomial in x, f(x)=cxn, c is a constant value, n
is a nonnegative
Polynomial in x, f(x)=a0+a1x+a2x2++anxn
Linear, f(x)=a0+a1x
Quadratic, f(x)=a0+a1x+a2x2
Cubic f(x)=a0+a1x+a2x2+a3x3
Rational function, ratio of two polynomial

2.3 INTRODUCTION TO CALCULUS :

TANGENTS AND VELOCITY

TWO FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM OF CALCULUS :

1. The tangent problem (differential

calculus)
2. The area problem
(integral calculus)

The tangent problem

Given a function f
and a point P(x0,y0)
on its graph, find
the equation of the
tangent to the
graph at P (figure
2.3.1)

The area problem

Given a function f,
find the area
between the graph
of f and an interval
[a,b] on the x-axis
(figure 2.3.2)

 Secant line is the line

through P and Q where
Q is any point on the
curve different from P.

 If we move the point Q along the curve toward P, the

secant line will rotate toward limiting position. The line T
occupying this limiting position is called the tangent line.

 If P(x0,y0) and Q(x1,y1) lie on the graph f so

that f(x0)=y0 and f(x1)=y1, then the slope of the
secant line through P and Q is :
msec =slope of PQ =

y1-y0
x1-x0

f(x1)-f(x0)
=
x1-x0

 If x1-x0=h so that x1=x0+h then we can write :

f(x0+h)-f(x0)
msec=
h
As Q approaches P along the graph of f, or
equivalently as h=x1-x0 gets closer and
closer to zero, the secant line through P and
Q approaches the tangent line at P.
Thus the slope of the secant line msec
approaches the slope of the tangent line
mtan.

mtan=

limiting value as h
approaches zero of

f(x0+h)-f(x0)
h

Velocity
The average velocity of an object moving in
one direction along a line is :
Distance traveled
Average velocity =
Time elapsed

 If over the time interval from t0 to t1 the

distance traveled is
s1-s0
and the time elapsed is
t1-t0
so the average velocity during the interval is
given by
Average velocity =

s1-s0
t1-t0

Geometric Interpretation of
Average Velocity
For a particle moving in one direction on a
straight line, the average velocity between
time t0 and t1 is represented geometrically
by the slope of the secant line connecting
(t0, s0) and (t1,s1 ) on the position versus
time curve.

Geometric Interpretation of
Instantaneous Velocity
For a particle moving in one direction on a
straight line, the instantaneous velocity at
time t0 is represented geometrically by the
slope of the tangent line at (t0,s0) on the
position versus time curve.

Geometric Interpretation of Average

and Instantaneous Velocity

2.4 LIMIT (AN INTUITIVE

INTRODUCTION)
In the last section we saw that the concepts of tangent
and instantaneous velocity ultimately rest on the notion
of a "limit" or "value approached by" a function. In this
section as well as the next few we will investigate the
notion of limit in more detail. Our development of limits in
this text proceeds in three stages:
1. First we discuss limits intuitively.
2. Then we discuss methods for
computing limits.
3. finally, we give a precise mathematical discussion
of limits

 Limits are used to describe how a function

behaves as the independent variable moves
toward a certain value. To illustrate, consider
the function

 If the value of f(x) approaches the

number L1 as x approaches x0 from the
right side, we write

lim f ( x) L1

x x0

 If the value of f(x) approaches the

number L1 as x approaches x0 from the
left side, we write

lim f ( x) L2

x x0

 If limit from the left side is the same as

the limit from the right side, say

lim f ( x) lim f ( x) L

x x0

x x0

Then we write

lim f ( x) L

x x0

2.5 LIMITS (COMPUTATIONAL

TECHNIQUES)

THEOREM

EXERCISE