Infinite Limits and Limits at Infinity

Infinite limits and vertical asymptotes are used to describe the behavior of functions that are
unbounded near x = a. Limits at infinity and horizontal asymptotes are used to describe the
behavior of functions as x assumes arbitrarily large positive values or arbitrarily large negative
values.

Infinite Limits

Consider . For this function does not exist. There does not exist a real
number L that the values of approach as x approaches 1 from the right. Instead, as x
approaches 1 from the right, the values of are positive and become larger and larger; that
is, increases without bound. We express this behavior symbolically as
or as . (1)
Since is not a real number, the limit in (1) does not exist. We are using the symbol to
describe the manner in which the limit fails to exist, and we call this situation an infinite limit. If
x approaches 1 from the left, the values of are negative and become larger and larger in
absolute value; that is, decreases through negative values without bound. We express this
behavior symbolically as
or as . (2)

Definition (Infinite Limits and Vertical Asymptotes). The vertical line x = a is a vertical
asymptote for the graph of if
or as or .
[That is, if either increases or decreases without bound as x approaches a from the right or
from the left.]

Locating Vertical Asymptotes

Theorem 1 (Locating Vertical Asymptotes of Rational Functions). If is a

rational function, and , then the line x = c is a vertical asymptote of the graph
of f.

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Example 1 (Locating Vertical Asymptotes). Let . Describe the behavior of f
at each zero of the denominator. Use or when appropriate. Identify all vertical
asymptotes.

Solution. Let and . We see that denominator has two zeros:

and .
First, we consider . Since and , Theorem 1 tells us that
the line is a vertical asymptote. So at least one of the one-sided limits at must be
either or . The graph shows which is the case:
and .

Now we consider the other zero of d(x), . This time and Theorem 1 does
not apply. We use algebraic simplification to investigate the behavior of the function at :

Since the limit exists as x approaches 1, f does not have a vertical asymptote at .

Limits at Infinity

A line y = b is a horizontal asymptote of the graph of if approaches b as either

x increases without bound or x decreases without bound. Symbolically, y = b is a horizontal
asymptote if either
or .

Theorem 2 (Limits of Power Functions at Infinity). If p is a positive real number and k is any
real number except 0, then:
1) ;

2) ;

3) ;
4) ,
provided that is a real number for negative values of x. The limits in 3 and 4 will be either
or , depending on k and p.

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Example 2 (Limit of a Polynomial Function at Infinity). Let . Find the
limit of p(x) as x approaches and as x approaches .

Solution. Since limits of power functions of the form approach 0 as x approaches or

, it is convenient to work with these reciprocal forms whenever possible. If we factor out the
term involving the highest power of x, then we can write p(x) as

Using Theorem 2, we write

Similarly, we get
.
So the behavior of p(x) for large values is the same as the behavior of the highest-degree term,
.

The term with highest degree in a polynomial is called the leading term.

Theorem 3 (Limits of Polynomial Functions at Infinity). If

,
then

and
.
Each limit will be either or , depending on and n.

A polynomial of degree 0 is a constant function , and its limit as x approaches

or is the number . For any polynomial of degree 1 or greater, the limit as x approaches
or cannot be equal to a number. This means that polynomials of degree 1 or greater
never have horizontal asymptotes.

A description of the behavior of the limits of any function f at infinity is called the end
behavior of f. determines the right end behavior, and determines the left
end behavior.

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Finding Horizontal Asymptotes

Theorem 4 (Limits of Rational Functions at Infinity and Horizontal Asymptotes of

Rational Functions).

(A) If

then

and .

(B) There are three possible cases for these limits:

1) If , then , and the line (the x axis) is a horizontal

asymptote of ;

2) If , then , and the line is a horizontal

asymptote of ;
3) If , then each limit will be or , depending on m, n, , and , and
does not have a horizontal asymptote.

Example 3 (Finding Horizontal Asymptotes). Find all horizontal asymptotes, if any, of each
function:
(A) ; (B) ; (C) .

Solution. We will make use of Theorem 4.

(A) . The line is a horizontal asymptote

of ;

(B) . The line (the x axis) is a

horizontal asymptote of ;

(C) . The function has no

horizontal asymptote.