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Limit of root of x squared plus 5x minus x

Question

As x→∞x\to\infty, what does x2+5x−x\sqrt{x^2+5x}-x tend to?

Short answer

52\tfrac52. Rationalising, x2+5x−x=5xx2+5x+x=51+5/x+1→52\sqrt{x^2+5x}-x=\dfrac{5x}{\sqrt{x^2+5x}+x}=\dfrac{5}{\sqrt{1+5/x}+1}\to\tfrac52.

Adapted from Joshi, Denson & Downes, Quant Job Interview Questions and Answers, Q6.2, p.189; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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