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Exercise 197Calculus › Single-variable calculus › LimitsHigh schoolAdded 1 Nov 2026

Sine over x at infinity

#squeeze theorem#limits at infinity

Statement

Compute
lim⁡x→+∞sin⁡xx.\lim_{x\to+\infty}\frac{\sin x}{x}.

Hint

You cannot say that sin⁡x\sin x has a limit, but you know a bound for it.

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Solution

Idea. The numerator oscillates and has no limit, but it is *bounded*: −1≤sin⁡x≤1-1\le\sin x\le1. The denominator grows without bound, which crushes the quotient. The tool for this is the squeeze (or sandwich) theorem.

Computation. For every x>0x>0,
−1x≤sin⁡xx≤1x.-\frac1x\le\frac{\sin x}{x}\le\frac1x.
Both bounds tend to 00 as x→+∞x\to+\infty, so by the squeeze theorem sin⁡xx→0\dfrac{\sin x}{x}\to0.

Remark. "Bounded divided by something tending to infinity tends to 00" is a rule worth remembering.