How do I find this limit?

Question

How would i find the limit as $\lim\limits_{x\to3}\frac{4x(x-3)}{|x-3|}$? that is the absolute value of x-3 in the denominator. I thought my professor told my class that we were able to omit the absolute value sign for whatever reason. If that is true can you tell me why? Thanks!

Answer 1

I guess you have to be told about the right and left limits: $$ r = \lim\limits_{x\to3+0}\frac{4x(x-3)}{|x-3|} = \lim\limits_{x\to3+0}\frac{4x(x-3)}{x-3} = 12 $$ $$ l = \lim\limits_{x\to3-0}\frac{4x(x-3)}{|x-3|} = \lim\limits_{x\to3-0}\frac{4x(x-3)}{-(x-3)} = -12 $$

The limit exists iff $r=l$ and in that case it is equal to each of them. That's not your case though.

Answer 2

You can find limits from each side. When taking the limit from the right, $x \gt 3$, so you can delete the absolute value signs. $$\lim_{x \to 3^+}\frac{4x(x-3)}{|x-3|}=\lim_{x \to 3^+}\frac{4x(x-3)}{x-3}=\lim_{x \to 3^+}4x=12$$ From the left, $x \lt 3$, so you must replace $|x-3|$ with $3-x$. $$\lim_{x \to 3^-}\frac{4x(x-3)}{|x-3|}=\lim_{x \to 3^-}\frac{4x(x-3)}{3-x}=\lim_{x \to 3^-}-4x=-12$$ As the left and right limits disagree, there is not a single limit.