text: # Small Limit Problem
  
  • Jun 5th 2009, 08:29 PM
  Kasper
  Small Limit Problem
  Hey, so I have this limit question, and I'm *pretty* sure that the limit does not exist, but I get my back up, because anyone could come to an answer like that from not knowing a way to simplify it. Can anyone see a way to simplify this and get a value?
  
  Thanks for any help!
  
  $lim_{x->1}\frac{x^3+x^2}{x-1}$
  
  Also, sorry for the dumb looking "approaches" arrow in the limit, I couldn't find the code for a good arrow in the LaTeX tutorial. :(
  • Jun 5th 2009, 09:18 PM
  mr fantastic
  Quote:
  
  Originally Posted by Kasper
  Hey, so I have this limit question, and I'm *pretty* sure that the limit does not exist, but I get my back up, because anyone could come to an answer like that from not knowing a way to simplify it. Can anyone see a way to simplify this and get a value?
  
  Thanks for any help!
  
  $lim_{x->1}\frac{x^3+x^2}{x-1}$
  
  Also, sorry for the dumb looking "approaches" arrow in the limit, I couldn't find the code for a good arrow in the LaTeX tutorial. :(
  
  $lim_{x \rightarrow 1^+} \frac{x^3+x^2}{x-1} = + \infty$
  
  $lim_{x \rightarrow 1^-} \frac{x^3+x^2}{x-1} = - \infty$
  
  Since the left hand and right hand limits are not equal, the limit does not exist.
  • Jun 5th 2009, 10:50 PM
  Kasper
  Ah right, I was looking at it all wrong. I keep trying to just simplify f(x) to find a way to sub in x and try to algebraically find an answer, I gotta start working on thinking of how the limit approaches rather than trying to find it when it's at the point in question.
  
  Thanks for the clarification!