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Ch. 7 - Transcendental Functions
Hass - Thomas' Calculus 15th Edition
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7장, 문제 7.PE.110a

110. Does f grow faster, slower, or at the same rate as g as x→∞? Give reasons for your answers.
a. f(x) = 3^(-x), g(x) = 2^(-x)

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1
Identify the behavior of each function as \( x \to \infty \). For \( f(x) = 3^{-x} \), rewrite it as \( f(x) = \left( \frac{1}{3} \right)^x \). Similarly, for \( g(x) = 2^{-x} \), rewrite it as \( g(x) = \left( \frac{1}{2} \right)^x \).
Recognize that both functions are exponential decay functions because their bases \( \frac{1}{3} \) and \( \frac{1}{2} \) are between 0 and 1, so both approach 0 as \( x \to \infty \).
To compare their rates of decay, consider the bases: \( \frac{1}{3} \approx 0.333 \) and \( \frac{1}{2} = 0.5 \). Since \( 0.333 < 0.5 \), \( f(x) \) decreases faster than \( g(x) \).
Another way to compare growth rates is to look at the limit of their ratio as \( x \to \infty \): calculate \( \lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)} = \lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{(1/3)^x}{(1/2)^x} = \lim_{x \to \infty} \left( \frac{1/3}{1/2} \right)^x = \lim_{x \to \infty} \left( \frac{2}{3} \right)^x \).
Since \( \frac{2}{3} < 1 \), this limit approaches 0, which confirms that \( f(x) \) goes to zero faster than \( g(x) \) as \( x \to \infty \). Therefore, \( f \) grows slower (decays faster) than \( g \) as \( x \to \infty \).

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주요 개념

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