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Mathematics 17 Online
OpenStudy (baldymcgee6):

Find discontinuities of this function...

OpenStudy (baldymcgee6):

\[y = \ln(\frac{ x^3 -x^2 }{ x-1 })\]

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Calculus?

OpenStudy (baldymcgee6):

sure

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Well you'll clearly have one at 0.

OpenStudy (anonymous):

You COULD have one at 1, but if you do the limit, it converges to 1, which is okay. So it appears to only be discontinuous at x = 0.

OpenStudy (baldymcgee6):

what is your reasoning?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

ln is undefined at 0. Try to make the numerator not 0. There will be a kink or crease there at x = 0.

OpenStudy (baldymcgee6):

at wouldn't it be undefined at 1 as well?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

The only other value that could make that 0 is 1, but there you get ln(0/0), which is indeterminiate

OpenStudy (anonymous):

So work the limit, you'll see it actually converges on 1.

OpenStudy (baldymcgee6):

k thanks.

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Or ln(1) which is 0, but point being...it's defined.

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