My proof ɛ-δ Definition of a limit only disproves the limit... What have I done wrong?

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Whilst attempting to prove that $$\lim_{x\to8} \sqrt[3]{(3x+3)} = 3 $$ I came up with the following as my proof: $$\lim_{x\to8} \sqrt[3]{(3x+3)} = 3 ⇔ (∀ε>0)(∃δ>0)(∀x)|x-8|<δ⇒|\sqrt[3]{(3x+3)}-\sqrt[3]{(27)}|≤ε⇒$$ $$|\sqrt[3]{(3x-24)}|≤ε⇒|\sqrt[3]{(3(x-8))}|≤ε∴|\sqrt[3]{(3δ)}|≤ε□$$ But that's when I realized that even though $$If δ=9, \;then \;ε≥3∵(f(x_{0}-δ)≤y_{0}-ε)$$ that $$If δ=9, \;then \;ε≥3※∵¬(f(x_{0}+δ)≤y_{0}+ε)$$ and thus my proof falls apart. Where did I make a mistake? (or maybe I am misunderstanding, and my proof is correct?)

Thank you in advance!

Note: I am not 100% certain that I used all of these mathematical symbols correctly...

EDIT: Thanks to the comments that the wonderful people of math.stackexchange.com have provided below, I have concluded that $$|\sqrt[3]{a}-\sqrt[3]{b}| ≠ |\sqrt[3]{(a-b)}|$$ Even so, the expression could be true, but they are not always equal. Therefore, I must re-evaluate this problem, and I will update this question if I find another (correct) solution.

If anyone knows how to find the correct proof, please let me know what it is!

Thank you!

SECOND EDIT: I have refined my proof to this: $$\lim_{x\to8} \sqrt[3]{(3x+3)} = 3 ⇔ (∀ε>0)(∃δ>0)(∀x)|x-8|<δ⇒|\sqrt[3]{(3x+3)}-\sqrt[3]{(27)}|≤ε⇒$$ $$|\sqrt[3]{(3x-24)}-\sqrt[3]{27}+\sqrt[3]{27}|≤ε⇒|\sqrt[3]{(3x-24)}|≤ε⇒$$ $$|\sqrt[3]{(3(x-8))}|≤ε∴|\sqrt[3]{(3δ)}|≤ε□$$ Yet I come out to the same answer. Unless $$\sqrt[3]{(3x+3)}-\sqrt[3]{27} ≠ \sqrt[3]{3x+3}-\sqrt[3]{27}+\sqrt[3]{27}$$ I have no idea what's still wrong about it!

Again, thank you for helping!

THIRD EDIT: I figured it out! The attempt above has the same problem as the first, I just made the mistake in a different way. Here's the real answer, which actually works. $$\lim_{x\to8} \sqrt[3]{(3x+3)} = 3 ⇔ (∀ε>0)(∃δ>0)(∀x)|x-8|<δ⇒|\sqrt[3]{(3x+3)}-3|≤ε⇒$$ $$|\sqrt[3]{3x-24+27}-3|≤ε⇒|\sqrt[3]{3(x-8)+27}-3|≤ε∴\sqrt[3]{3δ+27}-3≤ε□$$ And that's it! It works! Thank you!

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As pointed out in the comments,

your mistake was in going from $|\sqrt[3]{3x+3}-\sqrt[3]{27}|\le\epsilon$ to $|\sqrt[3]{3x-24}|\le\epsilon$.


One way to find a $\delta$ that will work for a given $\epsilon>0$ is to use

$\displaystyle\sqrt[3]{A}-\sqrt[3]{B}=\frac{A-B}{A^{2/3}+A^{1/3}B^{1/3}+B^{2/3}}\;\;$ with $A=3x+3$ and $B=27$

This gives $\displaystyle\big|\sqrt[3]{3x+3}-3\big|=\left|\frac{3x-24}{(3x+3)^{2/3}+(3x+3)^{1/3}3^{1/3}+3^{2/3}}\right|=\frac{3|x-8|}{|(3x+3)^{2/3}+(3x+3)^{1/3}3^{1/3}+3^{2/3}|}$.

If we choose $\delta\le9$, then $|x-8|<\delta\implies x>-1\implies 3x+3>0$,

so then $\displaystyle\big|\sqrt[3]{3x+3}-3\big|<\frac{3|x-8|}{3^{2/3}}<3|x-8|$. Therefore we also need to choose $\delta$ so that $3\delta<\epsilon$.


An alternate approach would be to use

$\big|\sqrt[3]{3x+3}-3\big|<\epsilon\iff3-\epsilon<\sqrt[3]{3x+3}<3+\epsilon\iff (3-\epsilon)^3<3x+3<(3+\epsilon)^3\iff$

$27-27\epsilon+9\epsilon^2-\epsilon^3<3x+3<27+27\epsilon+9\epsilon^2+\epsilon^3\iff$

$24-27\epsilon+9\epsilon^2-\epsilon^3<3x<24+27\epsilon+9\epsilon^2+\epsilon^3\iff$

$8-9\epsilon+3\epsilon^2-\frac{\epsilon^3}{3}<x<8+9\epsilon+3\epsilon^2+\frac{\epsilon^3}{3}$

Now if we let $d_1=8-(8-9\epsilon+3\epsilon^2-\frac{\epsilon^3}{3})=9\epsilon-3\epsilon^2+\frac{\epsilon^3}{3}$

$\hspace{.6 in}$and $d_2=(8+9\epsilon+3\epsilon^2+\frac{\epsilon^3}{3})-8=9\epsilon+3\epsilon^2+\frac{\epsilon^3}{3}$,

then we can check that $d_2>d_1>0$; so letting $\delta=d_1=9\epsilon-3\epsilon^2+\frac{\epsilon^3}{3}$

gives a $\delta>0$ such that $0<|x-8|<\delta\implies |\sqrt[3]{3x+3}-3|<\epsilon$