Sections 2.2 through 2.

4 - Solutions for a Few Exercises

Exercise 2.2.7 Prove that limx→0+ |x|/x = 1.

Proof: Let ϵ > 0 be given. We must show there exists δ > 0 such that if
0 < x < δ, ||x|/x − 1| < ϵ. This is very easy. When x > 0 (which are the only
x we care about in this problem), |x|/x = x/x = 1, so that for all x > 0,
||x|/x − 1| = 0 < ϵ. Therefore, we may choose ANY δ > 0 and the claim will
hold.

Exercise 2.2.9 Find all values of x0 for which the two one-sided limits of
f (x) = |x|/x at x0 are the same.
Proof: When x0 > 0, f (x) = 1 for all x near x0 . Similarly, if x0 < 0, f (x) =
−1 for all x sufficiently close to x0 . The only thing we need to do is formalize
exactly how close x needs to be to x0 . Assume x0 > 0. The case when x0 is
negative is similar (and left as an exercise). We prove limx→x0 f (x) = 1. If
this is true, then the two one-sided limits are also equal to 1, by the answer
to Question 2.2.3, as seen in class. Let ϵ > 0 be given. Choose δ = x0 /2.
Then if 0 < |x − x0 | < δ, x is positive (and in fact is greater than x0 /2). As
a result, for all x with 0 < |x − x0 | < δ, |f (x) − 1| = |1 − 1| = 0 < ϵ, and
we’re done.

Exercise 2.3.9 Prove that limx→0− 1/x = −∞.

Proof: Let B be given. We may (and do) assume that B < 0. We must
show that there exists δ > 0 such that if 0 < |x| < δ and x < 0, then
1/x < B. When x and B are negative, the inequality 1/x < B is equivalent
to x > 1/B. Multiplying by -1, we obtain that −x < −1/B. Now recalling
that |x| = −x for negative x, we see that we can choose δ = −1/B. Then if
0 < |x| < δ and x is negative, 1/x < B, and the claim holds.

Exercise 2.3.11 Prove that

x−1
lim+ = −∞
x→0 x2

Proof: Let B < 0 be given. We must show there exists δ > 0 such that if
0 < x < δ, then (x − 1)/x2 < B. This inequality is equivalent to x < Bx2 + 1,
or Bx2 −x+1 > 0. Solving this inequality, we obtain that x must lie between
 √ √
(1 + 1 − 4B)/2B and (1 − 1 − 4B)/2B, and recalling the sign of B, we
see that √
the first root is negative and the second is positive. We choose
δ = (1 − 1 − 4B)/2B. Then if 0 < x < δ, Bx2 − x + 1 > 0, and rearranging
we obtain (x − 1)/x2 < B, and the proof is complete.

(Some of ) Exercise 2.4.13 I’ll prove the Sum Law at ∞: Suppose limx→∞ f (x) =
L and limx→∞ g(x) = M . Then limx→∞ (f (x) + g(x)) = L + M.
Proof: Let ϵ > 0 be given. We must show that there exists A such that if
x > A, |f (x) + g(x) − (L + M )| < ϵ. Because limx→∞ f (x) = L, there exists
A1 such that if x > A1 , |f (x) − L| < ϵ/2. Similarly, there exists A2 such that
if x > A2 , |g(x) − M | < ϵ/2. Let A = max(A1 , A2 ). Then if x > A,

|f (x) + g(x) − (L + M )| ≤ |f (x) − L| + |g(x) − M | < ϵ/2 + ϵ/2 = ϵ.

This completes the proof.