How to Find Limits Without Using L'Hopital's Rule?

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To find the limit of (sin x - tan x)/x³ as x approaches 0 without using L'Hôpital's Rule, users suggest employing Taylor expansions for sin x and tan x, leading to a simplification that reveals the limit approaches -1/2. For the second question regarding the existence of an interval where f(x) > 0 given that lim x→c f(x) = L > 0, it is established that for any h > 0, there exists an interval where the function remains close to L, ensuring it stays positive. The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding the behavior of functions near their limits and suggests using trigonometric identities to facilitate calculations. Overall, the conversation highlights techniques for evaluating limits and the implications of limit existence on function positivity.
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how do i find lim x→0 (sin x - tan x)/x³ without using l'hopitals rule?


also, can someone explain this to me, because I don't understand it.
given that lim x→c f(x)=L >0. Prove that there exists an open interval (a,b) containing c such that f(x) > 0 for all x ≠ c in (a,b).
 
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Hello, and welcome to Physics Forums. :smile:

I've moved this to our Homework section. Please post all homework-type questions here in the future. Also, please see the https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=4825 at the top of this Forum.

I'll pause for you to read it. :biggrin:

OK, now that you've read the notice, what have you done on this problem?
 
for the first one, I've tried to simplify sin x - tan x, but that didn't seem to work out.. and I don't know what else to try.
and for the second one, I've got no clue where to start.
 
vbplaya said:
how do i find lim x→0 (sin x - tan x)/x³ without using l'hopitals rule?


also, can someone explain this to me, because I don't understand it.
given that lim x→c f(x)=L >0. Prove that there exists an open interval (a,b) containing c such that f(x) > 0 for all x ≠ c in (a,b).
Trig is your friend
\frac{\sin(x)-\tan(x)}{x^3}=-\frac{\sin(x)}{x} \ \left(\frac{\sin\left(\frac{x}{2}\right)}{\left(\frac{x}{2}\right)}\right)^2 \ \frac{1}{2\cos(x)}

for this
given that lim x→c f(x)=L >0. Prove that there exists an open interval (a,b) containing c such that f(x) > 0 for all x ≠ c in (a,b)
The existence of a limit tells us something about a certain open interval
What is it?
 
Use the Taylor expansions of the trig functions around 0

\sin x\simeq x-\frac{x^{3}}{3!}

\tan x\simeq x+\frac{x^{3}}{3}

It should come up to -\frac{1}{2}.

Daniel.
 
lurflurf said:
Trig is your friend
\frac{\sin(x)-\tan(x)}{x^3}=-\frac{\sin(x)}{x} \ \left(\frac{\sin\left(\frac{x}{2}\right)}{\left(\frac{x}{2}\right)}\right)^2 \ \frac{1}{2\cos(x)}

i'm sorry, but i don't how u get from \frac{\sin(x)-\tan(x)}{x^3} to -\frac{\sin(x)}{x} \ \left(\frac{\sin\left(\frac{x}{2}\right)}{\left(\frac{x}{2}\right)}\right)^2 \ \frac{1}{2\cos(x)}
 
also for lim x→c f(x)= L >0. prove that there exists and open interal (a,b) containing c such that f(x)>0 for all x ≠ c in (a,b)

do I just pick out numbers and plug them in? because I don't know what else to do.
 
vbplaya said:
also for lim x→c f(x)= L >0. prove that there exists and open interal (a,b) containing c such that f(x)>0 for all x ≠ c in (a,b)

do I just pick out numbers and plug them in? because I don't know what else to do.
If the limit exist then for any h>0 there exist an open interval such that
|f(x)-L|<h for all x in the open interval
in particular if L>0 then there exist an open interval such that
|f(x)-L|<L for all x in the open interval
or equivalently
0<f(x)<2L so that
0<f(x) on some open interval
 
vbplaya said:
i'm sorry, but i don't how u get from \frac{\sin(x)-\tan(x)}{x^3} to -\frac{\sin(x)}{x} \ \left(\frac{\sin\left(\frac{x}{2}\right)}{\left(\frac{x}{2}\right)}\right)^2 \ \frac{1}{2\cos(x)}
use
sin(x)-tan(x)=sin(x)(cos(x)-1)/cos(x)
cos(x)-1=cos(x)-cos(0)=-2sin((x+0)/2)sin((x-0)/2)=-2(sin(x/2))^2
 
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