Calculus: Early Transcendentals 8th Edition

Published by Cengage Learning
ISBN 10: 1285741552
ISBN 13: 978-1-28574-155-0

Chapter 4 - Section 4.4 - Indeterminate Forms and l''Hospital''s Rule - 4.4 Exercises - Page 314: 90

Answer

$\lim\limits_{h \to 0}\frac{f(x+h)-2f(x)+f(x-h)}{h^2} = f''(x)$

Work Step by Step

$\lim\limits_{h \to 0}\frac{f(x+h)-2f(x)+f(x-h)}{h^2} = \frac{f(x)-2f(x)+f(x)}{0} = \frac{0}{0}$ We can apply L'Hospital's Rule. $\lim\limits_{h \to 0}\frac{f'(x+h)-2f'(x)+f'(x-h)}{2h} =\frac{f'(x)-2f'(x)+f'(x)}{0} = \frac{0}{0}$ Note that: $\lim\limits_{h \to 0}\frac{f'(x+h)-2f'(x)+f'(x-h)}{2h} = \lim\limits_{h \to 0}\frac{f'(x+h)}{2h} +\lim\limits_{h \to 0}\frac{-2f'(x)+f'(x+h)}{2(-h)}$ We can apply L'Hospital's Rule. $\lim\limits_{h \to 0}\frac{f''(x+h)}{2} +\lim\limits_{h \to 0}\frac{-2f''(x)+f''(x+h)}{-2}$ $= \frac{f''(x)}{2} -\frac{-2f''(x)+f''(x)}{2}$ $ = \frac{2f''(x)}{2}$ $ = f''(x)$ Therefore: $\lim\limits_{h \to 0}\frac{f(x+h)-2f(x)+f(x-h)}{h^2} = f''(x)$
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