Differential and Integral Calculus by Feliciano and Uy, Exercise 1.3, Problem 7

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PROBLEM:

Evaluate \displaystyle \lim\limits_{x\to 1}\:\frac{x-1}{\sqrt{x+3}-2}.


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 SOLUTION:

A straight substitution of  x=1 leads to the indeterminate form \frac{0}{0} which is meaningless.

Therefore, to evaluate the limit of the given function, we proceed as follows

\begin{align*}
\\
\lim\limits_{x\to 1}\:\frac{x-1}{\sqrt{x+3}-2}& =\lim\limits_{x\to \:1}\:\frac{x-1}{\sqrt{x+3}-2}\cdot \frac{\sqrt{x+3}+2}{\sqrt{x+3}+2}\\
\\
& =\lim\limits_{x\to 1}\frac{\left(x-1\right)\left(\sqrt{x+3}+2\right)}{\left(x+3\right)-2^2}\\
\\
& =\lim\limits_{x\to 1}\frac{\left(x-1\right)\left(\sqrt{x+3}+2\right)}{x-1}\\
\\
& =\lim\limits_{x\to 1}\sqrt{x+3}+2&\\
\\
& =\sqrt{1+3}+2\\
\\
&=\sqrt{4}+2\\
\\
& =2+2\\
\\
& =4 \ \qquad \ \color{DarkOrange} \left( \text{Answer} \right)\\
\\
\end{align*}

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