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thennigar
Oct10-04, 12:29 PM
need someone to explain this law to me. i understand the fact that if a function exists between two other functions on a graph then it can be squeezed hence the "squeeze". What i dont understand is how it prooves this.

Galileo
Oct10-04, 12:54 PM
The squeeze theorem I`m familiar with says that if:
\lim_{x \rightarrow a}f(x)=b
\lim_{x \rightarrow a}g(x)=b
and f(x)>h(x)>g(x) for all x in a certain neighbourhood of a.
Then
\lim_{x \rightarrow a}h(x)=b

The proof follows easily from the definition of a limit.
If |g(x)-g(a)|<\epsilon and |f(x)-f(a)|<\epsilon,
what does that mean for h(x)?

thennigar
Oct10-04, 06:38 PM
ok. that makes sense. now how can you apply that to say g(x)=(xsin(1/x)) x cannot = 0.

would abs(x) be your two functions that squeezes g(x)? then if the limits of
-x and +x are the same then the limit g(x) must also be this?

and one last question, how do you know when to use this law?

Faiza
Oct10-04, 07:02 PM
its also callled the sandwich theorem lol

Galileo
Oct11-04, 09:14 AM
ok. that makes sense. now how can you apply that to say g(x)=(xsin(1/x)) x cannot = 0.

would abs(x) be your two functions that squeezes g(x)? then if the limits of
-x and +x are the same then the limit g(x) must also be this?

and one last question, how do you know when to use this law?

Not sure what you mean exactly, but I think you have the right idea.
Anyway, don't use \pm|x|, since it doesn't bound your function.
Suppose you want to show that lim_{x
\rightarrow 0}x^2\sin(1/x) =0
Because -1\leq sin(1/x) \leq 1, we have -x^2\leq x^2sin(1/x) \leq x^2.
Then apply the squeeze theorem.

There are no rules for when to use it. But it's commonly used when there's an oscillating and bounded term like here.