A limit positive integer and real number

quasar987
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Gold Member
Messages
4,796
Reaction score
32
[SOLVED] A limit

Homework Statement


How do you show that

\lim_{x\rightarrow a}\frac{e^{-a^2/(a^2-x^2)}}{(a^2-x^2)^{2m}(x-a)}=0

for 'm' a positive integer and 'a' a real number >0??This is a type 0/0 indeterminate form but l'Hospital's rule is not helpful because when you differentiate the denominator, you make the degree 4m+1 polynomial of the denominator drop 1 degree, but you make a (-2xa²)/(a²-x²)² appear in the numerator.

And Mapple says "undefined" when I plug a=3
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
Try a change of variables.
 
Last edited:
It seems I tried every change of variable possible but none help... :/
 
How about taking your new variable to be what's in the exponential. You'll be left with something like:

\lim_{u \rightarrow \infty} e^{-u} p(u) f(u)

where p(u) is a polynomial, and f(u) is something that looks like a polynomial for large u. It shouldn't be too hard from here.
 
Got it. I had made an error in calculating.

Thanks StatusX.
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
Back
Top