<s>[INST] Calculate $\lim_{x \to \infty} (\sqrt{x^2 + 3x} - \sqrt{x^2 + 1})$ without using L'Hospital's rule Question:
Calculate
$$\lim_{x \to \infty} (\sqrt{x^2 + 3x} - \sqrt{x^2 + 1})$$
without using L'Hospital's rule.
Attempted solution:
First we multiply with the conjugate expression:
$$\lim_{x \to \infty} (\sqrt{x^2 + 3x} - \sqrt{x^2 + 1}) = \lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{x^2 + 3x - (x^2 + 1)}{\sqrt{x^2 + 3x} + \sqrt{x^2 + 1}}$$
Simplifying gives:
$$\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{3x - 1}{\sqrt{x^2 + 3x} + \sqrt{x^2 + 1}}$$
Breaking out $\sqrt{x^2}$ from the denominator and $x$ from the numerator gives:
$$\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{x(3 - \frac{1}{x})}{x(\sqrt{1 + 3x} + \sqrt{1 + 1})} = \lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{3 - \frac{1}{x}}{\sqrt{1 + 3x} + \sqrt{2}}$$
The result turns out to be $\frac{3}{2}$, but unsure how to proceed from here.
 [/INST] $$
\sqrt{x^2+3x} - \sqrt{x^2+1} = x\sqrt{1+\frac{3}{x}} - x\sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x^2}} = x\left(\sqrt{1+\frac{3}{x}} -\sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x^2}} \right)
$$
expand the radicals we find
$$
\sqrt{1+\frac{3}{x}} = 1 + \frac{3}{2x} + O(x^{-2})\\
\sqrt{1+\frac{1}{x^2}}  = 1 + O(x^{-2})
$$
put it all together
$$
\lim_{x\to\infty}\left(\sqrt{x^2+3x} - \sqrt{x^2+1}\right) \to x\left(1 + \frac{3}{2x}-1\right) = \frac{3}{2}
$$
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