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Calculus For Dummies, 2nd Edition
book

Calculus For Dummies, 2nd Edition

by Mark Ryan
June 2014
Beginner to intermediate
384 pages
8h 24m
English
For Dummies
Content preview from Calculus For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 7

Limits and Continuity

In This Chapter

arrow Taking a look at limits

arrow Evaluating functions with holes — break out the mothballs

arrow Exploring continuity and discontinuity

Limits are fundamental for both differential and integral calculus. The formal definition of a derivative involves a limit as does the definition of a definite integral. (If you’re a real go-getter and can’t wait to read the actual definitions, check out Chapters 9 and 13.) Now, it turns out that after you learn the shortcuts for calculating derivatives and integrals, you won’t need to use the longer limit methods anymore. But understanding the mathematics of limits is nonetheless important because it forms the foundation upon which the vast architecture of calculus is built (Okay, so I got a bit carried away). In this chapter, I lay the groundwork for differentiation and integration by exploring limits and the closely related topic, continuity.

Take It to the Limit — NOT

Limits can be tricky. Don’t worry if you don’t grasp the concept right away.

criticalcalcconcept.eps Informal definition of limit (the formal definition is in a few pages): ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9781118791332Purchase book