Find limit using L'Hopital's rule, ln, and e: how did they do these steps?

In summary: Yes, you can use L'Hopital's rule to turn this into an indeterminate form. The first step is to use the property e^{ln(x)}=x. This is a very useful property because the logarithm will turn this limit into an indeterminate product, which is much easier to work with. So back to the problem:\lim_{x\to\infty} e^{ln((1+\frac{1}{x^2})^x)}\lim_{x\to\infty} e^{xln(1+\frac{1}{x^2})}Once again, we have a product of two infinities, so
  • #1
Nishiura_high
7
0

Homework Statement


This is from an online answer, and I don't understand the steps that it took. How did they go from the first red box to the second red box?

screenshot2.png



Homework Equations



L'Hopital's rule
Laws of exponents


The Attempt at a Solution


I am really really confused. It looks like they took what e was raised to, and found the limit of that... but what rule allowed them to "Finally, plug in the original limit"?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
So the step is

[tex]\lim_{x\rightarrow\infty} e^{x\log(1+1/x^2)}=\exp\left( \lim_{x\rightarrow\infty} \left( x\log\left( 1+\frac{1}{x^2} \right) \right) \right)[/tex]

Which is justified by the continuity of the exponential. The general rule is for f continuous

[tex]\lim_{x\rightarrow\infty} f(g(x))=f \left( \lim_{x\rightarrow\infty} g(x) \right)[/tex]

This is sometimes called the composition rule for limits.

Then to keep out expression from being messy we can substitute
call the limit a, so we want to find e^a
we can find a first, then find e^a
 
Last edited:
  • #3
First, you need to determine whether or not this is an indeterminate form. As x tends to infinity, the base comes closer to one, and the exponent naturally increases to infinity. Since [tex]1^\infty[/tex] is an indeterminate form, you can use L'Hopital's rule here. The first step is to use the property [tex]e^{ln(x)}=x[/tex] This is a very useful property because the logarithm will turn this limit into an indeterminate product, which is much easier to work with. So back to the problem:
[tex]\lim_{x\to\infty} e^{ln((1+\frac{1}{x^2})^x)}[/tex]
[tex]\lim_{x\to\infty} e^{xln(1+\frac{1}{x^2})}[/tex]
Once again, we have a product of two infinities, so this is another indeterminate form. We can rewrite this:
[tex]\lim_{x\to\infty} e^\frac{ln(1+\frac{1}{x^2})}{\frac{1}{x}}[/tex]
This looks pretty nasty, but it's doable. Can you use L'Hopital's rule now?
 
Last edited:

FAQ: Find limit using L'Hopital's rule, ln, and e: how did they do these steps?

How does L'Hopital's rule work?

L'Hopital's rule is a mathematical method used to evaluate limits of indeterminate forms. It states that if the limit of a ratio of two functions is indeterminate, then the limit of the ratio of their derivatives will be the same.

What is the role of ln and e in finding limits using L'Hopital's rule?

Ln and e are natural logarithmic functions that are commonly used in L'Hopital's rule. The derivative of ln(x) is 1/x, and the derivative of e^x is e^x. These derivatives are useful in solving indeterminate forms that involve ln and e.

Can L'Hopital's rule be applied to all limits?

No, L'Hopital's rule can only be applied to limits of indeterminate forms. These are limits that result in an undefined value, such as 0/0 or infinity/infinity.

How do you use L'Hopital's rule to find a limit?

To use L'Hopital's rule, first identify an indeterminate form in the limit. Then, take the derivative of the numerator and denominator separately. If the resulting limit is still indeterminate, repeat the process until a non-indeterminate form is reached. This will be the value of the original limit.

Are there any other methods for finding limits besides L'Hopital's rule?

Yes, there are other methods for finding limits, such as using algebraic manipulation, substitution, and the squeeze theorem. However, L'Hopital's rule is particularly useful for evaluating limits of indeterminate forms that involve ln and e.

Similar threads

Back
Top