Infinite limit, small question

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SUMMARY

The limit of the expression \(\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4x}{\sqrt{2x^{2}+1}}\) evaluates to \(\sqrt{8}\) through algebraic manipulation rather than L'Hôpital's Rule. The initial application of L'Hôpital's Rule resulted in a more complex form that did not simplify the problem effectively. Instead, factoring out \(x^2\) from the radical allowed for a straightforward evaluation of the limit, confirming that L'Hôpital's Rule was not necessary in this case.

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Homework Statement



[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4x}{\sqrt{2x^{2}+1}}[/tex]


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



So at first glance I saw that this equation ends up at infinity/infinity so I tried to use L'hopital's rule and got:

[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4}{2x(2x^{2}+1)^{-1/2}}[/tex]

That seemed to have sent me in a wrong direction so I went back and just factored out the x^2 from the radical and it worked out such as:

[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4x}{\sqrt{x^{2}(2+1x^{-2})}}[/tex]

[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4x}{x\sqrt{2+1x^{-2}}}[/tex]

[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4}{\sqrt{2+1x^{-2}}}[/tex]

and with the limit applied:

[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4}{\sqrt{2+1x^{-2}}} = \frac {4}{\sqrt{2}} = \sqrt{8}[/tex]

which is correct, so my question is why didn't L'Hopital's Rule work when it was infinity/infinity or would it have worked out and I just stopped too soon?
 
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Asphyxiated said:

Homework Statement



[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4x}{\sqrt{2x^{2}+1}}[/tex]


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



So at first glance I saw that this equation ends up at infinity/infinity so I tried to use L'hopital's rule and got:

[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4}{2x(2x^{2}+1)^{-1/2}}[/tex]
It's MUCH simpler to factor x^2 out of both terms in the radical, which is where you eventually went.
The above can be written as
[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4\sqrt{2x^2 + 1}}{2x}}[/tex]

This is still the indeterminate form [inf/inf], and I think that repeated applications of L'Hopital's Rule won't be of any use.

Asphyxiated said:
That seemed to have sent me in a wrong direction so I went back and just factored out the x^2 from the radical and it worked out such as:

[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4x}{\sqrt{x^{2}(2+1x^{-2})}}[/tex]

[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4x}{x\sqrt{2+1x^{-2}}}[/tex]

[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4}{\sqrt{2+1x^{-2}}}[/tex]

and with the limit applied:

[tex]\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac {4}{\sqrt{2+1x^{-2}}} = \frac {4}{\sqrt{2}} = \sqrt{8}[/tex]

which is correct, so my question is why didn't L'Hopital's Rule work when it was infinity/infinity or would it have worked out and I just stopped too soon?
 

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