Math Group
Question:
calculate lim ((x(sin x)^1/2) - x^1/2 tan x)) / (x^4 x^1/2) as x->0
Answers:
-
eNotes Editor
Posted by neela on Sunday November 8, 2009 at 4:04 AMTo calculate the limit of {x(sinx)^(1/2)-x^(1/2)*tanx}/x^4*x^(1/2)} as x approaches zero.
Solution:
x has to approach zero only from positive. The expression is imaginary for negative values of x.So we consider the limit from positive x approaching zero.
Let f(x) = {x(sinx)^(1/2)-x^(1/2)*tanx}/x^4*x^(1/2)}
=(sinx)^(1/2)/x^(3.5) - tanx/x^4.
We use Maclaurin's expansion of sin x and tan x.
Sinx =x-x^3/3!+x^5/5!-x^7/7!+.....
Tanx= x+x^3/3+2x^5/15+17x^7/315+.....
Therefore,
f(x)=(1/x^3.5){x-x^3/6+x^5/120 -....}^(1/2) -
(1/x^4){x+x^3/3+(2x^5/15)+17x^7/315)+....}
<x/x^3.5 - x/x^4
=1/x^2.5-1/x^3
=x^2.5(x^.5-1)/x^5.5
=(x^0.5-1)/x^3
=- infinity as x approaches 0 from right.
f(x) is imaginary when x is -ve.
For the existence of a limit, right limit and left limit should exist and be equal. And this condition is not satisfied by f(x).Hence there is no limit as x approaches zero.
