Calculating the Limit of a Complex Expression

In summary, when calculating the limit of a rational function as x goes to infinity, you only need to consider the highest degree term in the numerator and denominator. This can be found by looking at the coefficients of the terms in each polynomial. If the degrees are the same, the limit is the ratio of the leading coefficients. This is similar to using L'Hopital's rule, where the leading coefficients are multiplied by the factorial of the degree. However, L'Hopital's rule is not applicable in this case as it has not been learned yet.
  • #1
gipc
69
0
How do I calculate the limit:
[itex]lim x-> infinity ((2x+1)^13(3x-7)^17)/((3x+5)^30) [/itex]

Should I use the binomial theorem to open it up?
 
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  • #2
"[URL rule[/URL]
 
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  • #3
I can't use L'Hopital becuase we didn't learn it yet. That's what making this question troubling. The power is 30 in the numerator and the denominator so I'm not sure how to work around it.
 
  • #4
When taking the limit of a rational function as x goes to infinity you only need to consider the highest degree term in the denominator and the numerator, because the rest of the terms don't grow as fast
 
  • #5
Well that's exactly the problem, the denominator and the numerator's power is 30 so it's obviously the same degree. What do I do from this point?
 
  • #6
If you had to find the limit as x goes to infinity of [tex] \frac{5x^7}{12x^7}[/tex], it's obviously 5/12 right? Same deal, find what the coefficient of each term is and that's your limit
 
  • #7
Well, that method is a lot faster than mine!
 
  • #8
If you do l'hopital's rule, at the end you'll just get the ratio of the leading coefficients, with each being multiplied by n! where n was the degree of the numerator and denominator, so it's easy to see how L'hopital implies this method
 

Related to Calculating the Limit of a Complex Expression

1. What is the process for calculating the limit of a complex expression?

The process for calculating the limit of a complex expression involves plugging in values that approach the desired limit into the expression and simplifying the resulting expression until a single value is obtained.

2. How do you determine if a limit of a complex expression exists?

A limit of a complex expression exists if the values approaching the limit from both sides of the expression result in the same value. This is known as the limit being "approachable" from both directions.

3. Can a limit of a complex expression be undefined?

Yes, a limit of a complex expression can be undefined if the values approaching the limit from both sides of the expression result in different values or if the expression has a vertical asymptote at the desired limit.

4. What is the significance of a limit of a complex expression?

The limit of a complex expression helps us understand the behavior of the expression at a certain point and can also be used to find the value of a function at a specific point.

5. Are there any special rules or techniques for calculating limits of complex expressions?

Yes, there are special rules and techniques such as using algebraic manipulation, factoring, and L'Hopital's rule that can be used to simplify and calculate limits of complex expressions.

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