What's the Issue with the Second Approach to Solving the Limit of Sinx /x?

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In summary, there are two approaches to extracting the limit of lim_{x→∞} \frac{sinx}{x}. The first approach, using the sandwich rule, shows that the limit is 0. However, the second approach, using the definition of sinx and dealing with it as a polynomial, results in an undefined limit due to ignoring the tail of the polynomial. This is because the limit of the terms in the tail do not approach 0 as x approaches infinity.
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ChrisVer
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Hello, I am just having a small confusion in extraction of the limit:
[itex] lim_{x→∞} \frac{sinx}{x}[/itex]

One way to do it is by the sandwich rule:
[itex] - \frac{1}{x} ≤ \frac{sinx}{x}≤ \frac{1}{x}[/itex]
from where you get that by taking the limit on both sides:
[itex] lim_{x→∞} \frac{sinx}{x}=0[/itex]

Now on the other hand I'd like to write the sin through one of its definitions:
[itex]sinx=∑_{n=0} (-1)^{n} \frac{x^{2n+1}}{(2n+1)!}[/itex]
and deal it as a polynomial... In that case, by taking the limit of x approaching infinity, I will get infinity instead, since every [itex]x^{k}, k>1[/itex] will cancel out the denominator...
In fact it will be like:
[itex]lim_{x→∞} \frac{1}{x} ∑_{n=0} (-1)^{n} \frac{x^{2n+1}}{(2n+1)!}[/itex]
[itex]lim_{x→∞} \frac{x-x^{3}/6 + ...}{x}[/itex]
[itex]lim_{x→∞} (1-x^{2}/6 + ...)[/itex]
which in fact is undefined...What is the problem of the 2nd approach?
 
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ChrisVer said:
Hello, I am just having a small confusion in extraction of the limit:
[itex] lim_{x→∞} \frac{sinx}{x}[/itex]

One way to do it is by the sandwich rule:
[itex] - \frac{1}{x} ≤ \frac{sinx}{x}≤ \frac{1}{x}[/itex]
from where you get that by taking the limit on both sides:
[itex] lim_{x→∞} \frac{sinx}{x}=0[/itex]

Now on the other hand I'd like to write the sin through one of its definitions:
[itex]sinx=∑_{n=0} (-1)^{n} \frac{x^{2n+1}}{(2n+1)!}[/itex]
and deal it as a polynomial... In that case, by taking the limit of x approaching infinity, I will get infinity instead, since every [itex]x^{k}, k>1[/itex] will cancel out the denominator...
In fact it will be like:
[itex]lim_{x→∞} \frac{1}{x} ∑_{n=0} (-1)^{n} \frac{x^{2n+1}}{(2n+1)!}[/itex]
[itex]lim_{x→∞} \frac{x-x^{3}/6 + ...}{x}[/itex]
[itex]lim_{x→∞} (1-x^{2}/6 + ...)[/itex]
which in fact is undefined...


What is the problem of the 2nd approach?

The problem with the second approach is that if [itex]x[/itex] is sufficiently large then
[tex]
\frac{x^n}{n!} < \frac{x^{n+2}}{(n+2)!}
[/tex]
so you can't ignore the tail.

EDIT: more precisely,
[tex]
\lim_{x \to \infty} \lim_{N \to \infty} \sum_{n=0}^N \frac{x^{2n}}{(2n+1)!} = 0
[/tex]
but
[tex]
\lim_{N \to \infty} \lim_{x \to \infty} \sum_{n=0}^N \frac{x^{2n}}{(2n+1)!}
[/tex]
does not exist.
 
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1. What is the limit of Sinx/x as x approaches 0?

The limit of Sinx/x as x approaches 0 is equal to 1. This is because as x gets closer and closer to 0, the value of Sinx also gets closer and closer to 0. And since anything divided by 0 is undefined, we can use L'Hopital's rule to simplify the expression and get the limit of 1.

2. How is the Sinx/x limit related to the derivative of Sinx?

The Sinx/x limit is directly related to the derivative of Sinx. In fact, the limit of Sinx/x as x approaches 0 is the same as the derivative of Sinx at x=0. This is because the derivative of Sinx is equal to Cosx, and when x=0, Cos0=1. So, the limit of Sinx/x as x approaches 0 is equal to Cos0=1.

3. Can the Sinx/x limit be evaluated using a graph?

Yes, the Sinx/x limit can be evaluated using a graph. When we graph the function y=Sinx/x, we can see that as x approaches 0, the graph approaches the value of 1. This is because as x gets closer to 0, the value of Sinx also gets closer to 0, resulting in a slope of 1 at x=0.

4. Is the Sinx/x limit continuous at x=0?

Yes, the Sinx/x limit is continuous at x=0. This means that the limit value at x=0 is equal to the actual value of the function at x=0. Since the limit of Sinx/x as x approaches 0 is equal to 1, the function y=Sinx/x is also equal to 1 at x=0, making it continuous.

5. How can the Sinx/x limit be used in real-life applications?

The Sinx/x limit has many real-life applications, especially in physics and engineering. For example, it can be used to calculate the slope of a curve at a specific point, which is essential in understanding the motion of objects. It can also be used to determine the rate of change in various systems, such as electrical circuits and chemical reactions.

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