Calculating Limit: Need Help Evaluating √x-√a/(x-a)

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Homework Statement



Evaluate the limit

Lim (√x-√a)/(x-a)
x→a



I am not sure how to solve this. I asked my classmates and they do not know either. Help would be much appreciated!
 
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Looks like you have type zero-over-zero, thus permitting use of L'Hospital's rule, which says you can take the derivative of the top and the derivative of the bottom and then evaluate the limit.
 
TyChi said:

Homework Statement



Evaluate the limit

Lim (√x-√a)/(x-a)
x→a

I am not sure how to solve this. I asked my classmates and they do not know either. Help would be much appreciated!
You might consider rationalizing numerator. Then there's no need to use L'Hôpital's rule.
 
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...

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