Chapter 2: Problem 5
Find the limit of each function (a) as \(x \rightarrow \infty\) and (b) as \(x \rightarrow-\infty\). (You may wish to visualize your answer with a graphing calculator or computer.) $$g(x)=\frac{1}{2+(1 / x)}$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
As \( x \to \pm \infty \), \( g(x) \to \frac{1}{2} \).
Step by step solution
01
Understanding the Function
The given function is \( g(x) = \frac{1}{2 + (1/x)} \). As \( x \to \infty \) and \( x \to -\infty \), the \( 1/x \) term becomes negligible, simplifying our calculations.
02
Simplifying as x approaches infinity
As \( x \to \infty \), the term \( \frac{1}{x} \) approaches 0. This means the expression simplifies to \( g(x) = \frac{1}{2 + 0} = \frac{1}{2} \).
03
Renaming x indefinitely for clarity
For both positive and negative infinity, recalling that \( \frac{1}{x} \) approaches 0 regardless of the sign of x helps treat the denominator as \( 2 + 0 \), making \( g(x) = \frac{1}{2} \).
04
Simplifying as x approaches negative infinity
As \( x \to -\infty \), the term \( \frac{1}{x} \) also approaches 0. Hence, the function simplifies to \( g(x) = \frac{1}{2 + 0} = \frac{1}{2} \).
05
Graph Analysis Recommendation
Visualizing \( g(x) \) on a graphing calculator will show that the function approaches a horizontal asymptote at \( y = \frac{1}{2} \) as \( x \) tends towards both positive and negative infinity.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Infinity in Calculus
Infinity in calculus is an essential concept that plays a vital role in understanding functions and their behavior. Key Ideas To Remember:
- When we say a variable approaches infinity, we're talking about what happens as the variable grows larger and larger. For example, as \( x \to \infty \), \( x \) becomes a very large positive number.
- Similarly, \( x \to -\infty \) indicates \( x \) becoming a very large negative number.
- Infinity itself is not a number, but rather a way to express that values can grow without bound in either the positive or negative direction.
- In calculus, considering limits as \( x \) approaches infinity helps us determine the long-term behavior of a function.
Horizontal Asymptotes
Horizontal asymptotes are lines that a graph approaches as \( x \) goes towards plus or minus infinity but never quite touches.Important Aspects:
- If a function has a horizontal asymptote, it's like having a boundary that the function nears but doesn't cross.
- In our example, as \( x \) moves towards infinity in both directions, \( g(x) = \frac{1}{2 + (1/x)} \) tends to the horizontal line \( y = \frac{1}{2} \).
- This happens because the term \( 1/x \) approaches zero when \( x \) is very large, effectively simplifying the function to \( g(x) = \frac{1}{2} \) for both positive and negative infinity.
- Graphically, plotting shows that \( g(x) \) rounds off at \( y = \frac{1}{2} \), demonstrating the horizontal asymptote's graphical aspect.
Function Simplification
Function simplification is about making functions easier to analyze by reducing them to their core components.Steps and Tricks:
- In calculus, we often simplify functions as a strategy to find their limits or asymptotes, especially at infinity.
- With the function \( g(x) = \frac{1}{2 + (1/x)} \), as \( x \to \pm \infty \), \( \frac{1}{x} \) becomes so small that it's negligible.
- This simplification turns the complex expression into a simple fraction \( \frac{1}{2} \), offering a clearer view of the function's long-term behavior.
- The simplification removes minor influences (like \( 1/x \)) to focus on significant behaviors and limits.