Limit of Trig Function | Solving Without L'Hospital

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around evaluating the limit of a trigonometric function as \( x \) approaches \( \frac{\pi}{2} \). The original poster attempts to simplify the expression \(\lim_{x\rightarrow \frac{\pi}{2}}\frac{\sin \left(x\cos x\right)}{\cos \left(x \sin x\right)}\) without using L'Hospital's rule.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss various methods to approach the limit, including the use of Taylor expansions and approximations of sine and cosine functions near \( \frac{\pi}{2} \). Some suggest converting cosine to sine to facilitate simplification, while others question the validity of certain trigonometric identities used in the discussion.

Discussion Status

The conversation is ongoing, with several participants providing insights and alternative approaches. There is no explicit consensus on the best method, but multiple lines of reasoning are being explored, including the use of expansions and approximations.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the restriction against using L'Hospital's rule, which influences the suggested methods for solving the limit. There is also discussion about the behavior of sine and cosine functions around the limit point, indicating a focus on local approximations.

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[tex]\lim_{x\rightarrow \frac{\pi}{2}}\frac{\sin \left(x\cos x\right)}{\cos \left(x \sin x\right)}[/tex]

My Try:: [tex]\lim_{x\rightarrow \frac{\pi}{2}} \frac{\sin \left(x\cos x\right)}{x\cos x}.\frac{\frac{\pi}{2} - x\sin x}{\sin \left(\frac{\pi}{2} - x \sin x\right)}.\frac{x \cos x}{\frac{\pi}{2}-x \sin x}[/tex]

Now Using The limit [tex]\lim_{y \rightarrow 0}\frac{\sin y}{y} = \lim_{y \rightarrow 0}\frac{y}{\sin y} = 1[/tex]

So our Limit is Convert into [tex]\lim_{x \rightarrow \frac{\pi}{2}}\frac{x \cos x}{\frac{\pi}{2}-x \sin x}[/tex]

Now Without Using L. Hospital , How Can I solve after That,

please Help me

Thanks
 
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##\cos(x)=\sin(\pi/2+x)## :wink:
 
Pranav-Arora said:
##\cos(x)=\sin(\pi/2+x)## :wink:

You mean ##\cos(x)=\sin(\pi/2-x)##
 
haruspex said:
You mean ##\cos(x)=\sin(\pi/2-x)##

No. Is it wrong to say ##\cos(x)=\sin(\pi/2+x)##? I don't see anything wrong here.
 
Pranav-Arora said:
No. Is it wrong to say ##\cos(x)=\sin(\pi/2+x)##? I don't see anything wrong here.

[strike]Cosine is negative in the second quadrant.[/strike] (sorry, I also didn't see it)

Juantheron: Using the linear approximations, cos(x) ≈ -x, sin(x) ≈ 0. I think this is easiest (I don't know how else to do it).
 
You should expand the numerator and denominator each around [itex]x=\pi/2[/itex]. Your simplification is correct. So you can apply this idea to your simpler limit.

This is, however, not really different from using de L'Hospital's rule. Are you explicitly forbidden to use it?

@verty: The correct expansion of sine and cos around 0 is
[tex]\sin x = x-\frac{x^3}{3!} +\mathcal{O}(x^5), \quad \cos x=1-\frac{x^2}{2!}+\mathcal{O}(x^4),[/tex]
but this doesn't help here.
 
vanhees71 said:
You should expand the numerator and denominator each around [itex]x=\pi/2[/itex]. Your simplification is correct. So you can apply this idea to your simpler limit.

This is, however, not really different from using de L'Hospital's rule. Are you explicitly forbidden to use it?

@verty: The correct expansion of sine and cos around 0 is
[tex]\sin x = x-\frac{x^3}{3!} +\mathcal{O}(x^5), \quad \cos x=1-\frac{x^2}{2!}+\mathcal{O}(x^4),[/tex]
but this doesn't help here.

Yes but cos at ##π \over 2## looks just like -sin at 0, and sin at ##π \over 2## looks just like -cos at 0. Knowing that sin and cos have the same shape is the proof. It is ad hoc but one could always do the Taylor expansion at ##π \over 2##.
 
juantheron said:
[tex]\lim_{x\rightarrow \frac{\pi}{2}}\frac{\sin \left(x\cos x\right)}{\cos \left(x \sin x\right)}[/tex]

My Try:: [tex]\lim_{x\rightarrow \frac{\pi}{2}} \frac{\sin \left(x\cos x\right)}{x\cos x}.\frac{\frac{\pi}{2} - x\sin x}{\sin \left(\frac{\pi}{2} - x \sin x\right)}.\frac{x \cos x}{\frac{\pi}{2}-x \sin x}[/tex]

Now Using The limit [tex]\lim_{y \rightarrow 0}\frac{\sin y}{y} = \lim_{y \rightarrow 0}\frac{y}{\sin y} = 1[/tex]

So our Limit is Convert into [tex]\lim_{x \rightarrow \frac{\pi}{2}}\frac{x \cos x}{\frac{\pi}{2}-x \sin x}[/tex]

Now Without Using L. Hospital , How Can I solve after That,

please Help me

Thanks

L' Hopital's is the most direct approach, of course. But if you can't use it, try putting converting every cosine to sine using ##\displaystyle \cos y = \sin(\frac{\pi}{2} - y)##. You can employ this whenever the resulting sine argument becomes zero at the limit. The reason you do this is because sine has an easy approximation around zero. You then employ ##\displaystyle \sin z## ~ ##\displaystyle z## when ##\displaystyle z \to 0##. This approach is even quicker than L' Hopital's.

I'll start you off.

##\displaystyle \frac{\sin(x\cos x)}{\cos(x\sin x)}##~ ##\displaystyle \frac{x\cos x}{\frac{\pi}{2} - x\sin x}##

Can you proceed from there?
 
Last edited:
Curious3141 said:
I'll start you off.

##\displaystyle \frac{\sin(x\cos x)}{\cos(x\sin x)}##~ ##\displaystyle \frac{x\cos x}{\frac{\pi}{2} - x\sin x}##

OP already reached that. He was stuck here so I suggested to use ##\cos(x)=\sin(\pi/2+x)## instead of ##\cos(x)=\sin(\pi/2-x)##. That gives the answer in a few steps.
 
  • #10
Pranav-Arora said:
OP already reached that. He was stuck here so I suggested to use ##\cos(x)=\sin(\pi/2+x)## instead of ##\cos(x)=\sin(\pi/2-x)##. That gives the answer in a few steps.

You don't have to change tack midstream here. Just apply the same thing iteratively while simplifying ##\sin x## ~ ##1##.

I've edited out what I posted earlier as it is a complete solution. The OP should easily be able to get it from this point.
 
  • #11
I don't know, why you don't just follow the idea to do the expansion of numerator and denominator around [itex]x=\pi/2[/itex].

Since [itex]\cos(\pi/2)=0[/itex] you have
[tex]\sin(x \cos x)=x \cos x + \mathcal{O}(x^2 \cos^2 x).[/tex]
Further you can use
[tex]\cos x=-(x-\pi/2) + \mathcal{O}[(x-\pi/2)^3],[/tex]
and for the denominator
[tex]\sin x=1+\mathcal{O}[(x-\pi/2)^2].[/tex]
Now plugging all this in your limit
[tex]\lim_{x\rightarrow \frac{\pi}{2}}\frac{\sin \left(x\cos x\right)}{\cos \left(x \sin x\right)}[/tex]
it should be straight forward to find this limit!

Of course, using de L'Hospital is much less effort after all, but if this is forbidden to use, what can we do...

You can also set [itex]x=\pi/2-x'[/itex] and take the limit [itex]x' \rightarrow 0[/itex]. This has the advantage that you can use
[tex]\sin x=\sin(\pi/2-x')=\cos x'=1+\mathcal{O}(x'^2), \quad \cos x=\cos(\pi/2-x')=\sin x'=x'+\mathcal{O}(x'^3).[/tex]
 

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