Lim, abbreviation for
limit, used in
Calculus and other advanced
Mathematics.
The
formula for finding a
derivative is:
lim f(x+h)-f(x)
h->0 h
The limit is used to
evaluate what a
function,
sequence,
series, et. al. is approaching as a certain
variable, in this case h, approaches a certain
number, in this case 0. Since a 0 in the
denominator usually makes a fraction undefined, the limit is used to make it
infinitely close to 0, or
approaching 0, without actually reaching it.
Limits are essential to learning
Calculus, and are the basis of further topics such as
L'Hopital's Rule and
Simpson's Rule.
And remember, the limit as x goes to
infinity of
1/
x is 0, but the limit as x goes to 0 of
1/
x is
infinity. What a crazy
world we live in.