- #1
mrxtothaz
- 14
- 0
I am in the process of learning limits and there are a few things I would like to ask.
1) In order to apply the limit definition, you can't just have one point because there is no notion of 'approaching' a limit.
I would like to play around with the limit concept by understanding some of the boundaries of the definition. What are the minimum conditions to be satisfied in order for the limit definition (epsilon-delta, more specifically) to be applied?
Surely there must be some interval about a point; but can you just have 2 points? 3? Can the points be discrete?
2) Whenever I search the internet for help with delta-epsilon proofs, I come across a lot dealing with finding a delta in terms of a given epsilon (for a variety of functions). But is there anything I can find (whether in book form or something on the internet) usage of the delta-epsilon definition that's a bit more proof-centric... like something more analytical?
We are told that delta-epsilon is rigorous and its importance is heavily stressed; yet in all the major textbooks I have glanced, it is the case that such proofs are limited to the sections on limits (and sometimes continuity), but afterwards the widespread limit notation is adopted. This may not be unreasonable, as I understand that delta-epsilon notation is helpful to conceptualize the notion of a limit; that we have advanced our understanding with limits, you can often communicate the same thing using simpler notation. But surely there must be something available that might show proofs that typically don't use delta-epsilon notation (since major proofs seem to be standardized in all textbooks), despite how tedious that may be. This inquiry was prompted by encountering two instances in my book where the author did a proof and left it to the student to supply a delta-epsilon argument. But this is something I'm pretty unclear about and for which I seek instructive examples. Below I will include the relevant proofs from my textbook if someone can help:
1st Example:
http://imgur.com/OQlT4.jpg
2nd Example:
Statement of Theorem - http://imgur.com/uZNoT.jpg
Proof of Theorem - http://imgur.com/A4h1s.jpg
1) In order to apply the limit definition, you can't just have one point because there is no notion of 'approaching' a limit.
I would like to play around with the limit concept by understanding some of the boundaries of the definition. What are the minimum conditions to be satisfied in order for the limit definition (epsilon-delta, more specifically) to be applied?
Surely there must be some interval about a point; but can you just have 2 points? 3? Can the points be discrete?
2) Whenever I search the internet for help with delta-epsilon proofs, I come across a lot dealing with finding a delta in terms of a given epsilon (for a variety of functions). But is there anything I can find (whether in book form or something on the internet) usage of the delta-epsilon definition that's a bit more proof-centric... like something more analytical?
We are told that delta-epsilon is rigorous and its importance is heavily stressed; yet in all the major textbooks I have glanced, it is the case that such proofs are limited to the sections on limits (and sometimes continuity), but afterwards the widespread limit notation is adopted. This may not be unreasonable, as I understand that delta-epsilon notation is helpful to conceptualize the notion of a limit; that we have advanced our understanding with limits, you can often communicate the same thing using simpler notation. But surely there must be something available that might show proofs that typically don't use delta-epsilon notation (since major proofs seem to be standardized in all textbooks), despite how tedious that may be. This inquiry was prompted by encountering two instances in my book where the author did a proof and left it to the student to supply a delta-epsilon argument. But this is something I'm pretty unclear about and for which I seek instructive examples. Below I will include the relevant proofs from my textbook if someone can help:
1st Example:
http://imgur.com/OQlT4.jpg
2nd Example:
Statement of Theorem - http://imgur.com/uZNoT.jpg
Proof of Theorem - http://imgur.com/A4h1s.jpg