Thread: Limits question (multiple choice)

I'm not really sure what it is asking me

lim -->5+

The provided answers are

a.) not real
b.) 0
c.) 1
d.) none of these

I feel like it is 0. Since 5-5 is 0. Could someone help me here?

Is that all the informtion? I think it should give the value of x.

That might be what is confusing me it does have . The teacher said that is X from the positive side

so maybe the function is and its asking for the value of the function as it approaches to 5. if that's the case, the answer will be 0.

wait, im not really sure about this. there is also a possibility that the answer will not be 0, because if you will graph it:

That is a good point. I might just ask the teacher to clarify. I appreciate your help

Originally Posted by XIII13Thirteen

lim -->5+
The provided answers are
a.) not real b.) 0 c.) 1 d.) none of these

Strickly speaking the answer would have to be (d.).
The function is not even defined for (5+).
However given how sloppy things have gotten, the expected answer may be (a).

Graph:



It's a one sided limit. What does it approach while x goes to 5 from left? It doesn't approach anywhere because f(x) isn't defined for !

The limit does not exist. By definition, the limit must be a real number. I agree with Plato in that the correct choice must be (d). To say "such and such limit is not real" would be a very ambiguous statement. Is it implying that the limit exists, but is not a real number?. Or, is it implying that "not real" is the same thing as "does not exist"? Either way, it is still worth clarifying with your teacher what he/she thinks is the correct answer so you don't get points taken off of an exam for being "too correct". It comes down to semantics.