How do you find the limit of (x-2)/(x^2+x-6) x as it approaches pi/2?

1 Answer
Sep 14, 2015

Because pi/2 does not make the denominator 0, you can find the limit by substitution, but the arithmetic is simpler if we reduce first.

Explanation:

(x-2)/(x^2+x-6) = (x-2)/((x+3)(x-2)) = 1/(x+3).

So,

lim_(xrarrpi/2) (x-2)/(x^2+x-6) = lim_(xrarrpi/2)1/(x+3) = 1/(pi/2+3) = 2/(pi+6)

Direct substitution will get the same answer, but making it look like this requires some algebra.

(pi/2-2)/(pi^2/4+pi/2-6) = (2pi-8)/(pi^2+2pi-24) " " (multiply by 4/4)

= (2(pi-4))/((pi+6)(pi-4))

= 2/(pi+6)