[Math] How to answer the question from Calculus by Michael Spivak Chapter 5 Problem 14

calculuslimits

  1. Prove that if $\lim\limits_{x\rightarrow0}{\frac{f(x)}x}=l$ and $b\neq 0$, then $\lim\limits_{x\rightarrow0}{\frac{f(bx)}x}=bl$. Hint: Write $\frac{f(bx)}x=b\frac{f(bx)}{bx}$
  2. What happens if $b=0$?
  3. Part 1 enables us to find $\lim\limits_{x\rightarrow0}{\frac{\sin{2x}}{x}}$ in terms of $\lim\limits_{x\to0}\frac{\sin x}x$. Find this limit in another way.

This is a question from Calculus by Michael Spivak Chapter 5 Problem 14.

Best Answer

I was writing this as a comment, but that you-are-out-of-characters alert was on my nerve, so here it is:

Basically I'm new to proofs so I don't know where to start, can you give me a hint on how >to start a question regarding limits?

That's okay. First, learn basics and keep them in your mind. For example, in this question it's necessary to know that if $x \to 0$, then $bx \to 0$ if $b$ is a real nonzero constant. After that, try to rephrase the problem and use the hints. In this case you just need to understand there's no difference between $x$ and $bx$ when $x$ goes to zero. That is, let $g(x) = \frac{f(x)}{x}$. Then what is $g(bx)$? Assume $\lim_{x\to 0} g(x)=l$. Then it is clear that you can change $x$ into $bx$ and get $\lim_{bx\to 0} g(bx)=l$ Note that we haven't used the phrase "$x\to 0$ implies $bx \to 0$" yet, we are just putting a different value in $g$. To understand this, as in my comment, let $bx = y$ and $\lim_{bx\to 0} g(bx)=l$ becomes $\lim_{y\to 0} g(y)=l$, which is the same as our first assumption ($\lim_{x\to 0} g(x)=l$).

So we have $\lim_{bx\to 0} g(bx)=l$. Now use "$x\to 0$ implies $bx \to 0$". Thus $\lim_{x\to 0} g(bx)=l$. So, using the definition of $g$, we have $\lim_{x\to 0} \frac{f(bx)}{bx}=l$, which means $\lim_{x\to 0} \frac{f(bx)}{x}=bl$.

For $b=0$, the fraction $\frac{f(bx)}{bx}$ is not defined, and so the limit doesn't exist.

For part (c), set $g(x)=\sin x$.