MHB Limit as x approaches negative infinity.

AI Thread Summary
The limit as x approaches negative infinity for the function is calculated as $$\lim_{{x}\to{-\infty}}\frac {x} {\sqrt{x^2}} = -1$$ because as x becomes increasingly negative, the expression simplifies to the sign function. The confusion arises from the square root of x squared, which is defined as the absolute value, leading to $$\sqrt{x^2} = |x|$$. For negative values of x, this results in $$|x| = -x$$, confirming that the limit evaluates to -1. Thus, the limit correctly reflects the behavior of the function as x approaches negative infinity.
tmt1
Messages
230
Reaction score
0
For this function:

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

Why is this correct?

If x is equal to -1, for example, -1 square is 1. And the square root of 1 is 1. So should the answer be 1?
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
If $x=-1$, then you have:

$$\frac{-1}{1}=-1$$

The expression in the limit is one way to define the sign function:

$$\text{sgn}(x)\equiv\frac{x}{|x|}$$ where $$x\ne0$$

This is equivalent to the piecewise definition:

$$\text{sgn}(x)\equiv\begin{cases}-1, & x<0 \\[3pt] 1, & 0<x \\ \end{cases}$$
 
MarkFL said:
If $x=-1$, then you have:

$$\frac{-1}{1}=-1$$

The expression in the limit is one way to define the sign function:

$$\text{sgn}(x)\equiv\frac{x}{|x|}$$ where $$x\ne0$$

This is equivalent to the piecewise definition:

$$\text{sgn}(x)\equiv\begin{cases}-1, & x<0 \\[3pt] 1, & 0<x \\ \end{cases}$$

so $$\sqrt{ (-x)^2} = x$$?
 
tmt said:
so $$\sqrt{ (-x)^2} = x$$?

No, what we have is:

$$\sqrt{(-x)^2}=\sqrt{x^2}\equiv|x|$$

Recall that:

$$|x|\equiv\begin{cases}-x, & x<0 \\[3pt] x, & 0\le x \\ \end{cases}$$
 
Suppose ,instead of the usual x,y coordinate system with an I basis vector along the x -axis and a corresponding j basis vector along the y-axis we instead have a different pair of basis vectors ,call them e and f along their respective axes. I have seen that this is an important subject in maths My question is what physical applications does such a model apply to? I am asking here because I have devoted quite a lot of time in the past to understanding convectors and the dual...
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. In Dirac’s Principles of Quantum Mechanics published in 1930 he introduced a “convenient notation” he referred to as a “delta function” which he treated as a continuum analog to the discrete Kronecker delta. The Kronecker delta is simply the indexed components of the identity operator in matrix algebra Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/what-exactly-is-diracs-delta-function/ by...
Back
Top