One more Limit

Calculus Level 2

lim x 0 x 2 sin 1 x sin x = ? \large \lim_{x\to0} \dfrac{ x^2 \sin \frac1x } {\sin x} = \, ?


The answer is 0.00.

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5 solutions

Sandeep Bhardwaj
Feb 26, 2016

Since we know that lim x 0 x sin x = 1 \displaystyle \lim_{x \to 0} \dfrac{x}{\sin x}=1 , therefore \[ \begin{array}{} \displaystyle \lim_{x\to0} \left( \dfrac{ x^2 \sin \frac1x } {\sin x} \right) & = \displaystyle \lim_{x\to0} \left( x \cdot \sin \frac1x \right) \\ & = \displaystyle \lim_{x\to 0} \left( x \cdot \{ \text{Some value belonging to [-1,1]} \} \right) \\ & = 0. \square \end{array} \]

Moderator note:

Simple standard approach.

This is incomplete. Your penultimate step is not rigorous. You should show that lim x 0 x sin 1 x = 0 \displaystyle \lim_{x\to 0} x \sin\frac1x = 0 by Squeeze theorem , and to do so, it is better to start with a substitution of y = 1 x y = \frac1x , which will simplify your working greatly because you won't be dealing with indeterminate forms anymore.

Pi Han Goh - 5 years, 3 months ago

I don't understand why 0.0005?? Shouldnt we use Taylor/McLaurin developements to solve it? For x->0: sin (1/x) ~ 1/x+o (x^2) sin (x) ~ x+o (x^2) So limit x->0 of f (x)=1 Why do we get 0.00000???

Bile Carlos - 5 years, 3 months ago

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When x 0 x \to 0 , sin x x \sin x \to x . But you're considering when x 0 x \to 0 , sin ( 1 x ) 1 x \sin \left( \frac 1x \right) \to \frac 1x which is wrong. If you are considering that sin ( 1 x ) 1 x \sin \left( \frac 1x \right) \to \frac 1x , then 1 x \frac 1x should tend to 0 0 , not x x .

Sandeep Bhardwaj - 5 years, 3 months ago

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got it! Thanks!!!

Bile Carlos - 5 years, 3 months ago

When x tend to 0, Sen(x) tend to 0 too.

Alex Vidal - 5 years, 3 months ago

I eont understand, why it was stated that answer was to be given in decimals

Ashish Menon - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Why not? All integers are decimals too.

This reduces random guessing to a slight extent. I implement if for "easily guessed" answers.

Calvin Lin Staff - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Ok, thank you. I will surely employ it in my next question.

Ashish Menon - 5 years, 3 months ago

When I graphed the equation I got a two sided limit which was nearly equal to -0.005

Department 8 - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Did you graph it manually or using a calculation aid? In the case of the latter, do you know what it's limitations are?

Here is a Wolfram plot of the graph between 0.001 x 0.001 -0.001 \leq x \leq 0.001 . Even though we cannot simply conclude that the limit is not 0, it's clear that the limit is not -0.005.

Calvin Lin Staff - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Well I used desmos and now I found out where was my mistake, BTW thanks for your comment

Department 8 - 5 years, 3 months ago

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@Department 8 Great! When you use an external calculation aid, you have to be aware of it's limitations before arguing that it's conclusions are correct. Especially in cases with rounding error or dividing by (close to) zero.

Calvin Lin Staff - 5 years, 3 months ago
Ramez Hindi
Mar 2, 2016

Let u = 1 x u=\frac{1}{x} as x 0 , u x\to 0\,\,,\,\,u\to \infty

So lim x 0 x 2 sin 1 x sin x = lim u 1 u 2 sin u sin 1 u = lim u 1 u sin u u sin 1 u = lim u sin u u × lim u 1 u sin 1 u \underset{x\to 0}{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{{{x}^{2}}\sin \frac{1}{x}}{\sin x}=\underset{u\to \infty }{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{\frac{1}{{{u}^{2}}}\sin u}{\sin \frac{1}{u}}=\underset{u\to \infty }{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{\frac{1}{u}\frac{\sin u}{u}}{\sin \frac{1}{u}}=\underset{u\to \infty }{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{\sin u}{u}\times \underset{u\to \infty }{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{\frac{1}{u}}{\sin \frac{1}{u}}

We know that , 1 sin u 1 1 u 1 u sin u 1 u lim u 1 u lim u sin u u lim u 1 u -1\le \sin u\le 1\Leftrightarrow \frac{-1}{u}\le \frac{1}{u}\sin u\le \frac{1}{u}\Leftrightarrow \underset{u\to \infty }{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{-1}{u}\le \underset{u\to \infty }{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{\sin u}{u}\le \underset{u\to \infty }{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{1}{u}

As u , 1 u 0 u\to \infty \,\,\,,\,\,\frac{1}{u}\to 0 so by sandwish theorem lim u sin u u = 0 \underset{u\to \infty }{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{\sin u}{u}=0

Also lim u 1 u sin 1 u = lim 1 u 0 1 u sin 1 u = lim w 0 w 0 sin w sin ( 0 ) = 1 d d w ( sin w ) w = 0 = 1 cos 0 = 1 \underset{u\to \infty }{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{\frac{1}{u}}{\sin \frac{1}{u}}=\underset{\frac{1}{u}\to 0}{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{\frac{1}{u}}{\sin \frac{1}{u}}=\underset{w\to 0}{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{w-0}{\sin w-\sin \left( 0 \right)}=\frac{1}{\frac{d}{dw}{{\left( \sin w \right)}_{w=0}}}=\frac{1}{\cos 0}=1

Hence lim x 0 x 2 sin 1 x sin x = 1 × 0 = 0 \underset{x\to 0}{\mathop{\lim }}\,\frac{{{x}^{2}}\sin \frac{1}{x}}{\sin x}=1\times 0=0

Nick John
Feb 29, 2016

Sin(1/x)/sin(x) = "something"

So, it's the limit for x^2 × "something"

Substitute 0 in for x and you end up multiplying "something" by zero.

Works for me.

That is not true.

lim x 0 x 2 × 1 x 2 0 \lim_{x \rightarrow 0 } x^2 \times \frac{1}{x^2} \neq 0

even though it is of the form x^2 times "something". We have to be very careful with how quickly the "something" is approaching infinity.

Calvin Lin Staff - 5 years, 3 months ago
Ishtiaque Ahmed
Feb 28, 2016

consider this solution : (x/sinx)*(sin(1/x)/(1/x))=1

When x 0 x \to 0 , sin x x \sin x \to x . But you're considering when x 0 x \to 0 , sin ( 1 x ) 1 x \sin \left( \frac 1x \right) \to \frac 1x , which is wrong. If you are considering that sin ( 1 x ) 1 x \sin \left( \frac 1x \right) \to \frac 1x , then 1 x \frac 1x should tend to 0 0 , not x x .

Sandeep Bhardwaj - 5 years, 3 months ago
Benyamin Krisna
Feb 28, 2016

Isn't this supposed to be 1?

The exposed solution is right.. Note this: if it was the lim (x->infinite) x* sin(1/x) that should be the same as lim (1/x ->0 ) sin(1/x)/(1/x) ..Then it would be 1.. Cheers

Jose Sacramento - 5 years, 3 months ago

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When x 0 x \to 0 , sin x x \sin x \to x . But you're considering when x 0 x \to 0 , sin ( 1 x ) 1 x \sin \left( \frac 1x \right) \to \frac 1x which is wrong. If you are considering that sin ( 1 x ) 1 x \sin \left( \frac 1x \right) \to \frac 1x , then 1 x \frac 1x should tend to 0 0 , not x x .

Sandeep Bhardwaj - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Your solution is right..

Jose Sacramento - 5 years, 3 months ago

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