How do I solve this difficult L'Hopital problem using fractions and derivatives?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a limit problem involving L'Hopital's rule, specifically focusing on the expression (2 - x) raised to the power of tan(π/2 * x) as x approaches 1. Participants are exploring how to manipulate the expression into a suitable form for applying L'Hopital's rule.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss converting the limit into a fraction to apply L'Hopital's rule, questioning how to express the original limit correctly. There are suggestions to use logarithmic properties and to consider the indeterminate forms present in the limit.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with various approaches being suggested, including the use of logarithms and substitutions. Some participants have provided partial manipulations and hints but have not reached a consensus or complete solution.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of the limit being in an indeterminate form, and participants are considering how to resolve this through different mathematical techniques. The original poster expresses uncertainty about the derivative and the manipulation of the expression.

Frillth
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I got the following problem in my math class:

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/7508/limitdv4.jpg

I know that I'm supposed to use L'Hopital's rule, but I have 2 problems. First of all, I don't know how to make that into a fraction, besides putting it all over 1 or making tan negative and putting it under 1. Also, I have no idea how to even find the derivative of that mess.

I know that the answer is e^(2/pi), but I'd like to know how to get it.

Can anybody help me, please?
 
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Right now it is in indeterminate form, so first thing you will have to do is figure out how to fix that since L'Hopital only works for (inf/inf) and (0/0). You might try making some function i.e. L(x) equal to that limit. Then perhaps use log rules and such. I haven't actually worked it out to see if that would work since that is your job, but play around and you will get it.
 
Frillth said:
I got the following problem in my math class:

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/7508/limitdv4.jpg

I know that I'm supposed to use L'Hopital's rule, but I have 2 problems. First of all, I don't know how to make that into a fraction, besides putting it all over 1 or making tan negative and putting it under 1. Also, I have no idea how to even find the derivative of that mess.

I know that the answer is e^(2/pi), but I'd like to know how to get it.

Can anybody help me, please?
Ok, you can solve the problem like this:
Let: [tex]y = \lim_{x \rightarrow 1} (2 - x) ^ {\tan \left( \frac{\pi}{2} x \right)}[/tex]
Now, by taking log of both sides, and using the fact that the function ln(x) is continuous for all x > 0, we have:
[tex]\ln y = \ln \left( \lim_{x \rightarrow 1} (2 - x) ^ {\tan \left( \frac{\pi}{2} x \right)} \right) = \lim_{x \rightarrow 1} \left[ \ln \left( (2 - x) ^ {\tan \left( \frac{\pi}{2} x \right)} \right) \right] = \lim_{x \rightarrow 1} \left[ \tan \left( \frac{\pi}{2} x \right) \ln (2 - x) \right][/tex]
The limit in the right is in the Indeterminate form [tex]0 \times \infty[/tex]
Now, for it to have the form [tex]\frac{0}{0} \quad \mbox{or} \quad \frac{\infty}{\infty}[/tex], we can divide both numerator, and denominator by ln(2 - x), or tan(pi x / 2), like this:
[tex]\ln y = \lim_{x \rightarrow 1} \left[ \tan \left( \frac{\pi}{2} x \right) \ln (2 - x) \right] = \lim_{x \rightarrow 1} \frac{\tan \left( \frac{\pi}{2} x \right)}{\frac{1}{\ln (2 - x)}}[/tex]
Can you go from here?
After evaluating the limit in the right, can you find y, i.e the limit of the original problem? :)
 
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1. Make the sub

[tex]x=y+1[/tex]

2. Then

[tex]\lim_{y\rightarrow 0^{+}} (1-y)^{\frac{1}{y}\cdot \[y\tan\left(\frac{\pi}{2}(1+y)\right)}[/tex]

U can write it as e^(-lim...) and you may use (if you wish) l'H^opital's rule to evaluate the limit y/cos(pi/2(1+y)) as y tends to zero plus.

Daniel.
 

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