In calculus, the squeeze theorem (also known as the sandwich theorem, among other names) is a theorem regarding the limit of a function that is trapped between two other functions.

The squeeze theorem is used in calculus and mathematical analysis, typically to confirm the limit of a function via comparison with two other functions whose limits are known. It was first used geometrically by the mathematicians Archimedes and Eudoxus in an effort to compute , and was formulated in modern terms by Carl Friedrich Gauss.

Statement 
The squeeze theorem is formally stated as follows.

 The functions  and  are said to be lower and upper bounds (respectively) of .
 Here,  is not required to lie in the interior of . Indeed, if  is an endpoint of , then the above limits are left- or right-hand limits.
 A similar statement holds for infinite intervals: for example, if , then the conclusion holds, taking the limits as .
This theorem is also valid for sequences. Let  be two sequences converging to , and  a sequence. If  we have , then  also converges to .

Proof
According to the above hypotheses we have, taking the limit inferior and superior:

so all the inequalities are indeed equalities, and the thesis immediately follows.

A direct proof, using the -definition of limit, would be to prove that for all real  there exists a real  such that for all  with  we have  Symbolically,

As

means that

and 

means that

then we have

We can choose . Then, if , combining () and (), we have

which completes the proof. Q.E.D

The proof for sequences is very similar, using the -definition of the limit of a sequence.

Examples

First example 

The limit

cannot be determined through the limit law

because

does not exist.

However, by the definition of the sine function,

It follows that

Since , by the squeeze theorem,  must also be 0.

Second example 
 

Probably the best-known examples of finding a limit by squeezing are the proofs of the equalities

The first limit follows by means of the squeeze theorem from the fact that

for  close enough to 0. The correctness of which for positive  can be seen by simple geometric reasoning (see drawing) that can be extended to negative  as well. The second limit follows from the squeeze theorem and the fact that

for  close enough to 0. This can be derived by replacing  in the earlier fact by  and squaring the resulting inequality.

These two limits are used in proofs of the fact that the derivative of the sine function is the cosine function.  That fact is relied on in other proofs of derivatives of trigonometric functions.

Third example 

It is possible to show that

by squeezing, as follows.

In the illustration at right, the area of the smaller of the two shaded sectors of the circle is

since the radius is  and the arc on the unit circle has length .  Similarly, the area of the larger of the two shaded sectors is

What is squeezed between them is the triangle whose base is the vertical segment whose endpoints are the two dots. The length of the base of the triangle is , and the height is 1. The area of the triangle is therefore

From the inequalities

we deduce that

provided , and the inequalities are reversed if .  Since the first and third expressions approach  as , and the middle expression approaches  the desired result follows.

Fourth example 

The squeeze theorem can still be used in multivariable calculus but the lower (and upper functions) must be below (and above) the target function not just along a path but around the entire neighborhood of the point of interest and it only works if the function really does have a limit there. It can, therefore, be used to prove that a function has a limit at a point, but it can never be used to prove that a function does not have a limit at a point.

cannot be found by taking any number of limits along paths that pass through the point, but since

 

therefore, by the squeeze theorem,

References

Notes

References

External links 
 
 Squeeze Theorem by Bruce Atwood (Beloit College) after work by, Selwyn Hollis (Armstrong Atlantic State University), the Wolfram Demonstrations Project.
 Squeeze Theorem on ProofWiki.

Limits (mathematics)
Functions and mappings
Articles containing proofs
Theorems in calculus
Theorems in real analysis