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Find $\lim_{x \to 0} \frac{x^2e^{x^4}-\sin(x^2)}{1-\cos(x^3)}$

By taylor polynomials we get: $e^{x^4}=1+x^4+\frac{x^8}{2}+\mathcal{O}(x^{12})$

$\sin(x^2)=x^2-\frac{x^6}{6}+\mathcal{O}(x^{10})$

$\cos(x^3)=1-\frac{x^6}{2}+\mathcal{O}(x^{12})$

so putting these together:

$$ \frac{x^2e^{x^4}-\sin(x^2)}{1-\cos(x^3)} = \frac{x^2+x^6+\frac{x^{10}}{2}-x^2+\frac{x^6}{6}-\mathcal{O}(x^{10})}{\frac{x^6}{2}-\mathcal{O}(x^{12})}=\frac{\frac{7}{6}x^6+\frac{1}{2}x^{10}-\mathcal{O}(x^{10})+\mathcal{O}({x^{12}})}{\frac{1}{2}x^6-\mathcal{O}(x^{12})}$$

Now I am not too familiar with the Big-Oh notation for limits so I am stuck here.
How does arithmetic work with them, can I simplify the oh's in the numerator and can I take $x$'s out?

  • Are sure the limit isn't $$x\to0?$$ – lab bhattacharjee Jan 01 '18 at 10:15
  • the expansion you have indicated are valid at 0 not at $\infty$ – user Jan 01 '18 at 10:16
  • @gimusi In fact, those power series for those trigonometric and exponential functions are valid in the whole real line as their radius of convergence is $;\infty;$ . – DonAntonio Jan 01 '18 at 10:23
  • @labbhattacharjee yes sorry my bad. – bigfocalchord Jan 01 '18 at 10:23
  • You solution is correct. Divide top and bottom by $x^6$ – Claude Leibovici Jan 01 '18 at 10:28
  • @DonAntonio yes of course, what I say is not correct. I meant that they are useless for limits at $\infty$ sice the reminder doesn't go to zero. – user Jan 01 '18 at 10:34
  • @dydxx You are almost correct, I prefer littel o notation but I think that there is not so much difference. It's important to handle correctly the big-O terms for example $-O(x^n)=+O(x^n)$ and $O(x^{10})+O(x^{12})=O(x^{10})$ for $x\to 0$. You should keep only one leading order for big-O. – user Jan 01 '18 at 10:38

4 Answers4

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As $\;x\to\infty\;$ :

$$\frac{x^2e^{x^4}-\sin x^2}{1-\cos x^3}\ge\frac{x^2e^{x^4}-1}2\xrightarrow[x\to\infty]{}\infty$$

DonAntonio
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From here you with some adjustment conclude:

$$...=\frac{\frac{7}{6}x^6+\frac{1}{2}x^{10}-\mathcal{O}(x^{10})+\mathcal{O}({x^{12}})}{\frac{1}{2}x^6-\mathcal{O}(x^{12})}=\frac{\frac{7}{6}x^6++\mathcal{O}(x^{10})}{\frac{1}{2}x^6+\mathcal{O}(x^{10})}=\frac73+\mathcal{O}(x^{4})\to\frac73$$

user
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Assuming the limr $x\to0$

$$\dfrac{\lim_{x\to0}\dfrac{e^{x^4}-1}{x^4}+\lim_{x\to0}\dfrac{x^2-\sin(x^2)}{x^6}}{\left(\lim_{x\to0}\dfrac{\sin x^3}{x^3}\right)^2}\cdot\lim_{x\to0}(1+\cos x^3)$$

$$=\dfrac{\left(1+\dfrac16\right)(1+\cos0)}{1^2}$$

using Are all limits solvable without L'Hôpital Rule or Series Expansion

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$\mathcal{O}(x^n)$ stands for an “unnamed” function $f(x)$ such that there exists a positive constant $M$ so that $|f(x)|\le M|x^n|$ for $x$ sufficiently close to $0$. In particular, $f(x)$ can be a function such that $\lim_{x\to0}f(x)/x^n$ is finite.

As a consequence, $\mathcal{O}(x^n)$ is also $\mathcal{O}(x^m)$ if $m\le n$: if you can find $M$ as before, then $$ |f(x)|\le M|x^n|=M|x^m|\,|x^{n-m}|\le M|x^m| $$ as soon as $|x|<1$.

Also needed here is that, if $f(x)$ is $\mathcal{O}(x^n)$, then $x^kf(x)$ is $\mathcal{O}(x^{n+k})$.

By the triangle inequality, the sum of two functions that are $\mathcal{O}(x^n)$ is also a function that is $\mathcal{O}(x^n)$.

For your numerator you can write $$ e^{x^4}=1+x^4+\mathcal{O}(x^8) $$ and so $$ x^2e^{x^4}=x^2+x^6+\mathcal{O}(x^{10}) $$ Therefore $$ x^2e^{x^4}=x^2+x^6-x^2+\frac{x^6}{6}+\mathcal{O}(x^{10})=\frac{7}{6}x^6+\mathcal{O}(x^{10}) $$ The denominator is $$ 1-1+\frac{1}{2}x^6+\mathcal{O}(x^{12})=\frac{1}{2}x^6+\mathcal{O}(x^{10}) $$

Finally, you can prove that if $n>m$ and $f(x)$ is $\mathcal{O}(x^n)$, then $f(x)/x^m$ is $\mathcal{O}(x^{n-m})$.


You may want to use the “small o” notation; roughly speaking, $o(x^n)$ means you disregard terms with order larger than $x^n$. In this case $$ x^2e^{x^4}-\sin(x^2)= x^2(1+x^4+o(x^4))-\left(x^2-\frac{1}{6}x^6+o(x^6)\right)=\frac{7}{6}x^6+o(x^6) $$ and $$ 1-\cos(x^3)=1-1+\frac{1}{2}x^6+o(x^6) $$ so your limit becomes $$ \lim_{x\to0}\frac{\frac{7}{6}x^6+o(x^6)}{\frac{1}{2}x^6+o(x^6)} = \lim_{x\to0}\frac{\frac{7}{6}+o(x^0)}{\frac{1}{2}+o(x^0)} $$ and you're done because $\lim_{x\to0}o(x^0)=0$.

egreg
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