# Precalculus

You may think that precalculus is simply the course you take before calculus. You would be right, of course, but that definition doesn't mean anything unless you have some knowledge of what calculus is. Let's keep it simple, shall we? Calculus is a conceptual framework which provides systematic techniques for solving problems. These problems are appropriately applicable to analytic geometry and algebra. Therefore....precalculus gives you the background for the mathematical concepts, problems, issues and techniques that appear in calculus, including trigonometry, functions, complex numbers, vectors, matrices, and others. There you have it ladies and gentlemen....an introduction to precalculus!
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# Limits

Preview of the calculus topic of limits
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All content in “Limits”

## Limits basics

Limits are the core tool that we build upon for calculus. Many times, a function can be undefined at a point, but we can think about what the function "approaches" as it gets closer and closer to that point (this is the "limit"). Other times, the function may be defined at a point, but it may approach a different limit. There are many, many times where the function value is the same as the limit at a point. Either way, this is a powerful tool as we start thinking about slope of a tangent line to a curve. If you have a decent background in algebra (graphing and functions in particular), you'll hopefully enjoy this tutorial!

## Estimating limits from graphs

In this tutorial, we will build our ability to visualize limits by estimating them based on graphs of functions. We will look at both one-sided and two-sided limits.

## Estimating limits numerically

Estimate limits numerically, for example by filling out a table of values near a specific value of x.

## Finding limits algebraically

We often attempt to find the limit at a point where the function itself is not defined. In this tutorial, we will use algebra to "simplify" functions into ones where it is defined. Given that the original function and the simplified one may be identical except for the limit point in question, this is a useful way of finding limits.