Analysis: Finding limit with l'Hospital

In summary, the conversation discusses using l'Hospital's Rule to find the limit of a function as x tends to 0. One person used the rule once and got the correct result, while the other person found a different method using a well-known limit and the fact that the function is continuous at the limiting point. It is also mentioned that the TI-89 calculator may not always give reliable results for these types of problems.
  • #1
Shackleford
1,656
2
I'm not sure what I did with this expression is right.

I looked at the argument as x tends to 0. I used l'Hospital twice and found that the argument tends to pi/3. Of course, tan(pi/3) = sqrt3.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n149/camarolt4z28/Untitled-3.png
 
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  • #2
How did you use l'Hospital twice? Your method is legal. The result is correct.

ehild
 
  • #3
ehild said:
How did you use l'Hospital twice? Your method is legal. The result is correct.

ehild

Oops. You're right. I just used it once.

I plugged this into my TI-89 Ti, and it didn't agree with my analytical result. I suppose it's not very reliable as it didn't agree for a couple of other problems, too.
 
  • #4
It's worth noting that you don't need to use L'Hopital's Rule at all for this problem.

[tex]\lim_{x \to 0^+}\tan\left( \frac{sin 2\pi x}{6x}\right)[/tex]
[tex]=\tan (\lim_{x \to 0^+}\left( \frac{sin 2\pi x \cdot 2\pi x}{2\pi x \cdot 6x}\right))[/tex]
[tex]=\tan (\lim_{x \to 0^+}\left( \frac{sin 2\pi x}{2\pi x} \cdot \frac{2\pi x}{6x}\right))[/tex]
[tex]=\tan (\frac{\pi}{3}) = \sqrt{3}[/tex]

I used a wellknown limit, [itex]\lim_{t \to 0} \frac{sin(t)}{t} = 1[/itex] and the fact that you can interchange the limit and function, provided the function is continuous at the limiting point.
 
  • #5
Mark44 said:
It's worth noting that you don't need to use L'Hopital's Rule at all for this problem.

[tex]\lim_{x \to 0^+}\tan\left( \frac{sin 2\pi x}{6x}\right)[/tex]
[tex]=\tan (\lim_{x \to 0^+}\left( \frac{sin 2\pi x \cdot 2\pi x}{2\pi x \cdot 6x}\right))[/tex]
[tex]=\tan (\lim_{x \to 0^+}\left( \frac{sin 2\pi x}{2\pi x} \cdot \frac{2\pi x}{6x}\right))[/tex]
[tex]=\tan (\frac{\pi}{3}) = \sqrt{3}[/tex]

I used a wellknown limit, [itex]\lim_{t \to 0} \frac{sin(t)}{t} = 1[/itex] and the fact that you can interchange the limit and function, provided the function is continuous at the limiting point.

I like that method better. Ah. I didn't know that. I haven't read the section yet, but I'm sure it mentions being able to interchange the limit and function.
 

Related to Analysis: Finding limit with l'Hospital

1. What is the l'Hospital's rule?

The l'Hospital's rule is a mathematical technique used to find the limit of a function that is in an indeterminate form, such as 0/0 or ∞/∞. It allows us to replace the original function with a new one that is easier to evaluate.

2. When can l'Hospital's rule be applied?

L'Hospital's rule can only be applied when the original function is in an indeterminate form, and the limit of the function can be expressed as a ratio of two functions.

3. How do you use l'Hospital's rule to find a limit?

To use l'Hospital's rule, you first need to determine if the function is in an indeterminate form. If it is, then you can take the derivative of both the numerator and denominator of the original function and evaluate the limit again. This process can be repeated until the limit can be evaluated.

4. Are there any restrictions when using l'Hospital's rule?

Yes, there are some restrictions when using l'Hospital's rule. The function must be continuous at the point where the limit is being evaluated, and the limit must be approaching a finite value or ±∞. Additionally, the limit must be able to be expressed as a ratio of two functions.

5. Can l'Hospital's rule be used for all types of limits?

No, l'Hospital's rule can only be used for certain types of limits. It is most commonly used for limits that result in 0/0 or ∞/∞, but it can also be applied to limits that result in ∞-∞ or 0⋅∞. It cannot be used for limits that result in 0⋅∞ or ∞/0.

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