CALCULUS: LECTURE 1

Calculus Goals
 Find the tangent to a curve at a  Find the area under a curve,
point. between two points.

Tangent Problem
 𝑃𝑄 is a tangent line. Two points are
needed for a line.
 As 𝑃 approaches 𝑄 the second line gets
closely approximates a tangent.
 If we get let 𝑄 get really, really, really close
to 𝑃 , the secant will be identical to the
tangent.

EXAMPLE

Find the equation of the tangent line to 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 on the point (1,1)

So starting from that I can take other point from the grap so 𝑄 = (𝑥, 𝑥 2 )

𝑦 − 𝑦1 = 𝑚 (𝑥 − 𝑥1 )
𝑦 − 𝑦1 = 𝑚𝑡𝑎𝑛 (𝑥 − 𝑥1 )
𝑦 −𝑦
𝑚 = 𝑥2−𝑥1
2 1

𝑥 2 −1
𝑚= 𝑥−1

As 𝑄 → 𝑃 so 𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑐 → 𝑚𝑡𝑎𝑛 ∨ 𝑥 ≠ 1
𝑥2 − 1 (𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 1)
𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑐 = = , 𝑥 ≠ 1 → 𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑐 = 𝑥 + 1
𝑥−1 (𝑥 − 1)
As 𝑥 → 1
𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑐 → 2
So 𝑚𝑡𝑎𝑛 = 2
𝑦 − 1 = 2 (𝑥 − 1) → 𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 1
Area Problem
Limits: what does the function do as the variable approaches a given value?
Example: 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 what happens as 𝑥 → 2
x 1.5 1.9 1.99 2 2.001 2.1 2.5
f(x) 2.25 3.61 3.961 4.004 4.41 6.25

The functions must approach the same value from left and right for limits to
exist.

lim 𝑥 2 = 4
𝑥→2

In general

lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝐿
𝑥→𝑎

EXAMPLE
𝑥−1
lim
𝑥→1 𝑥 2 − 1

x 0.5 0.9 0.99 1 1.001 1.1 1.5

f(x) 0.667 0.5263 0.5025 0.4997 0.4751 0.4

One-sided limits:

lim 𝑓 (𝑥) =?
𝑥→2

Right-sided lim + 𝑓(𝑥)

𝑥→𝑎

lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 1
𝑥→2+

Left-sided lim− 𝑓(𝑥)

𝑥→𝑎

lim 𝑓 (𝑥) = −1
𝑥→2+

For a limit to exist at ´´𝑎´´

lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝐿
𝑥→𝑎

There must be

lim 𝑓(𝑥) = lim+ 𝑓(𝑥)

𝑥→𝑎− 𝑥→𝑎
Example
Right-sided lim + 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑥→𝑎

lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 3
𝑥→2+

Left-sided lim− 𝑓(𝑥)

𝑥→𝑎

lim 𝑓 (𝑥) = 1
𝑥→2−

The exact
lim 𝑓 (𝑥) = 𝐷𝑁𝐸
𝑥→2

We do not care about the point on (2,1) we just care about what happens
when the function approaches that number, even if there is a point the limit
into that point does not exist.
Example
Right-sided lim + 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑥→𝑎

lim ℎ(𝑥) = 3
𝑥→5+

Left-sided lim− 𝑓(𝑥)

𝑥→𝑎

lim ℎ(𝑥) = 3
𝑥→5−

The exact
lim ℎ(𝑥) = 𝐷𝑁𝐸
𝑥→5

Example
1
Find the limit of 𝑓(𝑥) = as 𝑥 → 0
𝑥

x -0.5 -0.01 -0.001 0 0.001 0.01 0.5

f(x) -2 -100 1000 1000 100 2

1
The lim+ = +∞
𝑥→0 𝑥
1
The lim− = −∞
𝑥→0 𝑥

If
lim 𝑓(𝑥) = ±∞
𝑥→𝑎±

That usually express an asymptote

There are four cases of these limits

(a) lim 𝑓(𝑥) = ∞

𝑥→𝑎−
(b) lim + 𝑓(𝑥) = ∞
𝑥→𝑎
(c) lim − 𝑓(𝑥) = −∞
𝑥→𝑎
(d) lim − 𝑓(𝑥) = −∞
𝑥→𝑎