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Re: Help with limit problem?
Posted:
Sep 11, 2007 1:34 PM
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On Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:12:49 -0500, <me@privacy.net> wrote
in <news:u2jde3p58p2g8b6lchak0ipm3mtf2rsunf@4ax.com> in
alt.math.undergrad:
> ooo <x@x.invalid> wrote:
>>If this is the limit,
>> lim[x -> 0] (x^4 - 1) / (x^3 - 1)
>>why do you want to factor it?
> Its the function of x
> Need limit value as it approaches zero
What ooo is getting at is that in this problem there's no
need to factor the numerator or the denominator: the limit
as x approaches 0 can be obtained directly from the fraction
(x^4 - 1)/(x^3 - 1) without any manipulation.
If you were taking the limit as x approaches 1, it would be
another story: then the numerator and denominator would both
be approaching 0, and you *would* have to find a common
factor of x^4 - 1 and x^3 - 1 to cancel. (As Arturo has
already pointed out, x - 1 is such a factor.)
> VERY new to all the lingo so bear with me. <G>
Brian
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