[Math] How do epsilon-delta proofs work for limits at negative infinity

epsilon-deltalimitsreal-analysis

How do I write a proof for a limit where $x$ tends to negative infinity, that is
$$\lim_{x\to-\infty} f(x) = L$$
using the epsilon-delta definition of limits?

Simply putting $-\infty$ in the definition does not seem to make sense: "$0<|x-(-\infty)|<\delta$"…

Best Answer

The limit of a function $f$ at $-\infty$ is $\ell$ if and only if $$ \forall\varepsilon\gt0,\ \exists x,\ \forall t,\ t\lt x\implies|f(t)-\ell|\lt\varepsilon. $$ This can artificially be rewritten in the epsilon-delta frame as $$ \forall\varepsilon\gt0,\ \exists \delta\gt0,\ \forall t,\ t\lt-1/\delta\implies|f(t)-\ell|\lt\varepsilon. $$