Infinity times zero

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Assuming the multiplication property of limits I can do the following:

$\lim \limits_{x \to ∞}f(a)f(b)=\lim \limits_{x \to ∞}f(a)\lim \limits_{x \to ∞}f(b)$

Why cannot do this? The second one is obviously wrong, but I am missing something:

$\lim \limits_{x \to ∞}\frac{n+1}{n+4}=1$

$\lim \limits_{x \to ∞}{n+1}\lim \limits_{x \to ∞}\frac{1}{n+4}=∞*0$

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The expression $$\lim_{x\to\infty} f(a)f(b)$$

is sloppy, you are sending $x$ to $\infty$, but $x$ doesn't appear later.


Similarly, $$\lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{n+1}{n+4}=1$$ is not true. The limit is equal to $\frac{n+1}{n+4}$.


What you are probably asking is if $$\lim_{x\to\infty} f(x)g(x) = \lim_{x\to\infty}f(x)\lim_{x\to\infty}g(x)$$

and this property is true if both right-hand limits exist.

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You can write

$$\lim_{n\to\infty}(n+1)\frac1{n+4}=\lim_{n\to\infty}\frac{n+1}n\frac n{n+4}=\lim_{n\to\infty}\left(1+\frac1n\right)\frac1{1+\dfrac4n}=\\ \lim_{n\to\infty}\left(1+\frac1n\right)\lim_{n\to\infty}\frac1{1+\dfrac4n}=1\cdot1.$$

Now all terms are defined.


You could also use the rule

$$\lim\frac{f}{g}=\frac{\lim f}{\lim g}$$ which holds provided the limits are defined and $g$ doesn't tend to zero.