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Limits (Real Scalar Fields)#

In the case of real scalar fields, the definition of a limit reduces to the following.

Definition: Limit of a Real Scalar Field

Let \(f: \mathcal{D} \subseteq \mathbb{R}^n \to \mathbb{R}\) be a real scalar field and let \(\mathbf{a} \in \mathbb{R}^n\) be an accumulation point of \(\mathcal{D}\).

A numbers \(L \in \mathbb{R}\) is the limit of \(f\) for \(\mathbf{x} \to \mathbf{a}\) if and only if for each \(\varepsilon \gt 0\) there exists some open ball \(B_{\delta}(\mathbf{a})\) around \(\mathbf{a}\) such that for all \(\mathbf{x} \in \mathcal{D}\) different from \(\mathbf{a}\),

\[ \mathbf{x} \in B_{\delta}(\mathbf{a}) \implies |f(\mathbf{x}) - L| \lt \varepsilon \]

Notation

\[ \lim_{\mathbf{x}\to \mathbf{a}} f(\mathbf{x}) = L \]

Theorem: Heine Definition of Convergence

Let \(f: \mathcal{D}_f \subseteq \mathbb{R}^n \to \mathbb{R}\) be a real scalar field and let \(\mathbf{p} \in \mathbb{R}^n\) be an accumulation point of \(\mathcal{D}_f\).

The limit of \(f\) at \(\mathbf{p}\) is \(L \in \mathbb{R}\) if and only if for each real vector sequence \((\mathbf{x}_k)_{k \in \mathcal{I}}\) in \(\mathcal{D}_f \setminus \{\mathbf{p}\}\) which converges to \(\mathbf{p}\), the sequence \((f(\mathbf{x}_k))_{k \in \mathcal{I}}\) converges to \(L\).

Proof

TODO

Theorem: Algebraic Properties

Let \(f, g: \mathcal{D} \subseteq \mathbb{R}^n \to \mathbb{R}\) be real scalar fields.

If the limits of \(f\) and \(g\) for \(\mathbf{x} \to \mathbf{a}\) exist, then

\[ \lim_{\mathbf{x} \to \mathbf{a}} [f(\mathbf{x}) g(\mathbf{x})] = \left(\lim_{\mathbf{x} \to \mathbf{a}} f(\mathbf{x}) \right) \cdot \left( \lim_{\mathbf{x} \to \mathbf{a}} g(\mathbf{x}) \right) \]

Furthermore, if \(g(\mathbf{x}) \ne 0\) for all \(\mathbf{x} \in \mathcal{D}\) and \(\displaystyle \lim_{\mathbf{x} \to \mathbf{a}} g(\mathbf{x}) \ne 0\), then

\[ \lim_{ \mathbf{x} \to \mathbf{a} } \frac{ f(\mathbf{x}) }{ g(\mathbf{x}) } = \frac{ \displaystyle \lim_{ \mathbf{x} \to \mathbf{a} } f(\mathbf{x}) }{ \displaystyle \lim_{ \mathbf{x} \to \mathbf{a} } g(\mathbf{x}) } \]
Proof

TODO