Section 2.3 Worksheet:

Assigned problems: Exercises pp. 91-93, #2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 21, 34, 38, 46, 47 (due Friday)

1. State the mathematical expression

   

   in words.

2. Read ``Newton and Limits'', p. 87. What's the best thing the black plague ever did? How did Newton explain the main idea behind limits?

3. The author asserts that limits are particularly easy to compute for polynomials and rational functions (what are those again?). Why is that?

4. How is it that the two functions in Figure 2, p. 88, can have the same limit as ?

5. Explain in your own words the Squeeze theorem (Note: I'll call it the Pinching theorem in class).

Notes:

1. Make note of the greatest integer function, introduced on page 90. Another handy function, especially for computer scientists.
2. These limit laws all make intuitive sense, I think: for that reason, they're easy to memorize! Check out the ``English translations'' of the limit laws on the top of page 85. This is how I remember them....