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Limit at infinity involving a radical difference

Consider the function h(x)=x−x2+3xh(x) = x - \sqrt{x^2 + 3x}.

Find lim⁡x→+∞(x−x2+3x).\lim_{x \to +\infty} \left(x - \sqrt{x^2 + 3x}\right). What horizontal asymptote, if any, does this tell you about for the graph of h(x)h(x) as x→+∞x \to +\infty?

Hint

This is a ∞−∞\infty - \infty form. Multiply and divide by the conjugate x+x2+3xx + \sqrt{x^2+3x} to combine into a single fraction, then divide numerator and denominator by xx (the highest power of xx appearing) to evaluate the limit.

Step-by-step solution

Multiply by the conjugate over itself: x−x2+3x=(x−x2+3x)(x+x2+3x)x+x2+3x=x2−(x2+3x)x+x2+3x=−3xx+x2+3x.x - \sqrt{x^2+3x} = \frac{\left(x-\sqrt{x^2+3x}\right)\left(x+\sqrt{x^2+3x}\right)}{x+\sqrt{x^2+3x}} = \frac{x^2 - (x^2+3x)}{x+\sqrt{x^2+3x}} = \frac{-3x}{x+\sqrt{x^2+3x}}. This removes the difference-of-radicals issue and turns the expression into a single rational-looking fraction.

Divide numerator and denominator by xx (valid since x→+∞x \to +\infty means x>0x>0, so x=x2x = \sqrt{x^2}): −3xx+x2+3x=−31+1+3/x.\frac{-3x}{x+\sqrt{x^2+3x}} = \frac{-3}{1+\sqrt{1+3/x}}. As x→+∞x \to +\infty, 3/x→03/x \to 0, so the denominator approaches 1+1=21+\sqrt{1} = 2. Thus the limit is −3/2-3/2, meaning y=−3/2y=-3/2 is a horizontal asymptote of h(x)h(x) as x→+∞x\to+\infty.

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