How to calculate this limit? f:[0,1]#->RR#,f(x)=x#sqrt(1-x^2)# Calculate #lim_(x->0)1/x^2int_0^xf(t)dt#

1 Answer
Mar 25, 2017

#lim_(xrarr0)1/x^2int_0^xf(t)dt=1/2#

Explanation:

#lim_(xrarr0)1/x^2int_0^xtsqrt(1-t^2)dt#

As #x# approaches #0#, note that there are two things happening: #1/x^2# becomes #1/0# and the integral approaches #int_0^0f(t)dt#, which is also #0#.

Therefore the limit is in the form #0/0#, which means that l'Hopital's rule applies.

We can then treat it as:

#lim_(xrarr0)(int_0^xtsqrt(1-t^2)dt)/x^2#

And then using l'Hopital's rule:

#=lim_(xrarr0)(d/dxint_0^xtsqrt(1-t^2)dt)/(d/dxx^2)#

The derivative of the numerator can be found through the Second Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. The derivative of the denominator is #2x#:

#=lim_(xrarr0)(xsqrt(1-x^2))/(2x)=lim_(xrarr0)sqrt(1-x^2)/2=1/2#