Precise Definition of a Limit at Negative Infinity

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the formal definition of limits as \( x \) approaches negative infinity, specifically in the context of calculus as presented in Stewart's Calculus. The original poster seeks clarification on the correctness of their proposed definition for limits of the form \( \lim_{x \to -\infty} f(x) = L \).

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to define the limit at negative infinity and questions whether their definition is accurate. Some participants provide feedback on the proposed definition, noting a potential typo in the expression.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with some participants affirming the original poster's definition while others point out a minor error in notation. There is no explicit consensus yet, but the feedback suggests a productive exploration of the topic.

Contextual Notes

The original poster references a lack of definitions found in common resources for limits at negative infinity, indicating a potential gap in available materials for this specific topic.

Tsunoyukami
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I'm working through some problems from Stewart's Calulus, 6ed. and am having some difficulty with certain limit proofs. In particular, there is no definition provided for limits of the form:

$$ \lim_{x \to - \infty} f(x) = L $$

One of the exercises is to come up with a formal definition for such a proof - which I did and used successfully a few times about a month ago when I was working through that section - but I want to make sure that my definition is really correct and not just lucky for those two problems.


I would suspect the definition of such a limit to be something like:

We say

$$ \lim_{x \to - \infty} f(x) = L $$

if for every ##\epsilon>0## there exists ##N## such that ##x < N \implies |f(x) - L| < \epsilon##.


Is this the correct precise definition of such a limit? I was unable to find an answer browsing google - most websites seem to provide the precise definition for "normal" limits and for limits at positive infinity but not at negative infinity.
 
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Sounds good.
 
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Thank you for your prompt reply!
 
Would sound even better if you had written ##x > N##, but I'm pretty sure the < was just a typo...
 
BvU said:
Would sound even better if you had written ##x > N##, but I'm pretty sure the < was just a typo...
The OP wrote it correctly because the limit is for ##x## going to ##-\infty##.
 
My apologies. Couldn't imagine such a quirk; proves how rusty one can get with old age... :redface:
 

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