How can I simplify this limit to infinity problem?

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    Infinity Limit
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around simplifying a limit as \( x \) approaches infinity for the expression \( \frac{2x + 1}{\sqrt{x^2 + 2x + 1} + x} \). Participants explore different approaches to manipulate the expression and clarify the steps involved in reaching a limit.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents the limit problem and suggests a simplification to \( \frac{2x}{\sqrt{x^2} + x} \), claiming it leads to a limit of 1.
  • Another participant strongly disagrees with the simplification, asserting that the two expressions are not equal and provides a detailed manipulation of the original expression to show the correct approach.
  • This second participant emphasizes the importance of recognizing that \( \sqrt{x^2} = x \) for positive \( x \) as \( x \) approaches infinity.
  • A third participant reiterates the disagreement and follows up with a similar manipulation, questioning the outcome as \( x \) approaches infinity.
  • A fourth participant explains the reasoning behind manipulating the expression by pulling out \( x^2 \) from under the square root, suggesting that this technique helps in simplifying terms as \( x \) approaches infinity.
  • A fifth participant presents their own method of simplification, arriving at a limit of 1 but cautions that this is not a general method for calculating limits.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the simplification of the limit. There are multiple competing views on the correct approach to the problem, with some participants challenging the validity of proposed steps and others providing alternative methods.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the manipulation of terms and the implications of their approaches. There are unresolved mathematical steps and differing interpretations of the limit process.

tmt1
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I have this problem

$$\lim_{{x}\to{\infty}} \frac{2x + 1}{ \sqrt{x^2 + 2x + 1} + x}$$

How do I get from there to this step?

$$\lim_{{x}\to{\infty}} \frac{2x}{ \sqrt{x^2 } + x}$$

From the last step I can calculate them limit as 1.
 
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tmt said:
I have this problem

$$\lim_{{x}\to{\infty}} \frac{2x + 1}{ \sqrt{x^2 + 2x + 1} + x}$$

How do I get from there to this step?

$$\lim_{{x}\to{\infty}} \frac{2x}{ \sqrt{x^2 } + x}$$

You CAN'T! These things are not equal!

First notice that since we are approaching infinity, x is clearly positive, so we can treat $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sqrt{x^2} = x \end{align*}$.

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \frac{2x + 1}{\sqrt{ x^2 + 2x + 1 } + x } &= \frac{\frac{2x+1}{x}}{\frac{\sqrt{x^2 + 2x + 1} + x}{x}} \\ &= \frac{2 + \frac{1}{x}}{\frac{\sqrt{x^2 + 2x + 1}}{\sqrt{x^2}} + \frac{x}{x} } \\ &= \frac{ 2 + \frac{1}{x}}{ \sqrt{ 1 + \frac{2}{x} + \frac{1}{x^2}} + 1 } \end{align*}$

Now what happens as $\displaystyle \begin{align*} x \to \infty \end{align*}$?
 
Prove It said:
You CAN'T! These things are not equal!

First notice that since we are approaching infinity, x is clearly positive, so we can treat $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sqrt{x^2} = x \end{align*}$.

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \frac{2x + 1}{\sqrt{ x^2 + 2x + 1 } + x } &= \frac{\frac{2x+1}{x}}{\frac{\sqrt{x^2 + 2x + 1} + x}{x}} \\ &= \frac{2 + \frac{1}{x}}{\frac{\sqrt{x^2 + 2x + 1}}{\sqrt{x^2}} + \frac{x}{x} } \\ &= \frac{ 2 + \frac{1}{x}}{ \sqrt{ 1 + \frac{2}{x} + \frac{1}{x^2}} + 1 } \end{align*}$

Now what happens as $\displaystyle \begin{align*} x \to \infty \end{align*}$?

I understand this problem even less than I thought I did so now I am a bit unprepared. Is it:

$$\frac{2}{\sqrt{1} + 1}$$
 
What Prove It is doing is showing you how you have to manipulate expressions in order to find limits. It looks weird at first but there is a reason to doing so.

For example look at this to start with: $$\frac{2x+1}{\sqrt{x^2+2x+1}+x}$$

Just for the heck of it, let's pull out an $x^2$ from the terms under the square-root.

$$\sqrt{x^2+2x+1}=\sqrt{x^2 \left(1+\frac{2}{x}+\frac{1}{x^2} \right)}$$

Why do this you might ask? Well it comes down to something similar to the last thread you made. Those two fractions we now have are going to drop off to $0$ as $x \rightarrow \infty$, leaving us with just $\sqrt{x^2}$. This is a technique you are going to have to use when working with limits at infinity to try to cancel some things and simplify some terms.

Does that help some?
 
tmt said:
I have this problem

$$\lim_{{x}\to{\infty}} \frac{2x + 1}{ \sqrt{x^2 + 2x + 1} + x}$$

...

Good morning,

your problem gives me the opportunity to show off - thanks:

$$\lim_{{x}\to{\infty}} \frac{2x + 1}{ \sqrt{x^2 + 2x + 1} + x} = \lim_{{x}\to{\infty}} \frac{2x + 1}{ \sqrt{(x+1)^2} + x} = \lim_{{x}\to{\infty}} \frac{2x + 1}{ x+1 + x} = \lim_{{x}\to{\infty}}( 1)$$

But be careful: This is not the general way to calculate limits!
 

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