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Started basics of calculus as a high school student , and Limits already confuse me . Can somebody explain it to me why limits actually work . If the value of x tends to infinity ,which is undefined then how we can find out the exact value of the function?

Like , in differentiation , after taking the limit, h approaches to 0 , but h cannot be zero , but after removing it from denominator we take it as 0? How does that even work and how it does not affects our actual answer?

Also while calculating the area of a circle . Is it approximately πr² or exactly πr²? Even if we sliced the circle in infinite parts , there are always some irregularities for it to be a parllelogram , So πr² should be approximation?

Basically , why do limits work so well ? I dont get the logic and mechanism behind them. Help real confused here, Please someone explain to me like I am a kid.

J.D
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preesha
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    The area of a circle with radius $r$ is EXACTLY $\pi r^2$ , not just approximately. Do you know the $\epsilon-\delta$ formalism ? This is the usual approach to deal with limits. First try simple cases : For example why do we have $$\lim_{x\to 0} \frac{x}{x}=1$$ ? – Peter Jun 10 '24 at 19:13
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    Well, limits are what they are. They are well-defined, when they exist. How you interpret them is a completely different issue. We don't mean for them to be "the exact values of a function" in total generality (but if you learn about continuous functions, then it does work like that for these). The area of a circle is $\pi r^2$ exactly, but if you really want to dig into that you'll need a precise definition of area and this is fiddly – FShrike Jun 10 '24 at 19:21
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    A classic thought experiment: You want to exit a room, so you walk half the distance towards the doorway; then, half the remaining distance; then, half of that remaining distance; etc, etc, etc. Two observations: (1) You'll never get beyond the doorway; (2) you'll eventually pass any point before the doorway. So, if we wanted to assign meaning to "where you are after infinitely-many steps", the only place left is the doorway itself; you can philosophize about whether you ever actually arrive, but the trip is definitely headed to that precise spot. That's (one version of) a limit! – Blue Jun 10 '24 at 19:32
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    Also did you google this before? https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/1324860/conceptual-understanding-behind-a-limit?rq=1 and https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/714663/why-limits-work?rq=1 – FShrike Jun 10 '24 at 19:34
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    I like to summarize that thought experiment by saying: A limit is about the journey, not the destination. (See this related answer of mine.) – Blue Jun 10 '24 at 19:37
  • Does this answer your question? Why limits work – MJD Jun 10 '24 at 20:00
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    Well... it all begins with Zeno..... Zeno was wrong. But how do we talk of measurements at instantaneous points? I hear the frustration in you voice. Is it any consolation to know that whether we fail to communicate or not, they do and must work? "Please someone explain to me like I am a kid." Well, that's kind of the problem. A kid wouldn't get the subtleties. That's kind of why it took millennia to develop them. – fleablood Jun 10 '24 at 22:13
  • Thank you all , I am understanding or "approaching" the idea behind limits . yes I did google that but really couldnt understand anything . And I am currently not aware about the Epsilon formalism , but surely will try in sometime! – preesha Jun 12 '24 at 07:05

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Limits are well-defined by logical formula.

For example, if you want to express a function to tend to $l$ when $x \to \infty$, one will express as follow:

$$ \forall \epsilon>0, \exists A>0, (x>A\implies f(x)\in[l-\epsilon,l+\epsilon]) $$

What it says for that case, is sayint that $f$ tends to $l$ when $x$ is becoming bigger and bigger, means that if you take a small intervall around the limit $l$, you can find a number, above which $x$ is such that $f(x)$ is close to $l$ with a $\epsilon$ uncertainty.*So the notion of limit here stands with getting closer and closer to a value, and when working with infinity, talking about $\infty$ and $\lim$ without recalling the definition above becomes an habit.

Concerning $\pi$

$\pi$ is irrationnal, which means it has an infinite number of digit, and the sequence of its digit isn't periodic. So in practice, real concret world, we cannot "get" the infinite number of all digits of $\pi$ exactly (we can calculate each digit, but in our finite world, we do not have enough time to have all (infinite number) of digits of $\pi$). Yet the mathematical object of $\pi$ being a real irrational number $(\in \mathbb{R} -\mathbb{Q}$ if you use those symbols for now) is perfectly define and is an exact number in the abstract world of math.

For example one definition of $\pi$ can be :

$$\pi \ \text{is such number that for any circle of radius} \ R > 0,\ \pi=\dfrac{\text{Perimeter}}{\text{Diameter}} $$

Conclusion and opening

Limits work so well because they are a mathematical creation. As you see in the first definition of a limit when $x$ goes to $+\infty$, there is no symbol $+\infty$. In other words, here, we define a limit as a process to get closer and closer to a value, but in general, as you see in the definition above, we do not write $x=+\infty$. They are branch of mathematics where you can write it, but at this step it isn't relevant or correct in fact.

If you want to open your knowledge on this notion of exactitude, computability of a number, you can explore the difference between the following set of numbers, and ask yourself, which one of you can write all the digit of all the elements :

  • Positive Integer $ \mathbb{N}$
  • Integers numbers $ \mathbb{Z}$
  • Decimal numbers $ \mathbb{D}$
  • Rational numbers $ \mathbb{Q}$
  • Real numbers $ \mathbb{R}$
  • Irrational numbers $ \mathbb{R}-\mathbb{Q}$

At last if you feel very comfortable, with all the current infinity notions, and want to focus on even more subtle notion of "is a number that we know existing reachable in practice (theoretically or practically)" (only if you feel already well with the answers to your current questions), then look at the computable number definition and it's link with Turing's machine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computable_number

EDX
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