TITLE: Limits at infinity by rationalizing
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: I am trying to evaluate this limit for an assignment. 
$$\lim_{x \to \infty} \sqrt{x^2-6x +1}-x$$
I have tried to rationalize the function:
$$=\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{(\sqrt{x^2-6x +1}-x)(\sqrt{x^2-6x +1}+x)}{\sqrt{x^2-6x +1}+x}$$
$$=\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{-6x+1}{\sqrt{x^2-6x +1}+x}$$
Then I multiply the function by $$\frac{(\frac{1}{x})}{(\frac{1}{x})}$$
Leading to 
$$=\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{-6+(\frac{1}{x})}{\sqrt{(\frac{-6}{x})+(\frac{1}{x^2})}+1}$$
Taking the limit, I see that all x terms tend to zero, leaving -6 as the answer. But -6 is not the answer. Why is that?

REPLY [4 votes]: Your error is here:
$$\frac{\sqrt{x^2-6x +1}-x}{x}=\sqrt{1-\frac{6}{x}+\frac{1}{x^2}}+1$$

REPLY [2 votes]: It leads to
$$=\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{-6+(\frac{1}{x})}{\sqrt{1-(\frac{6}{x})+(\frac{1}{x^2})}+1}$$
And so the limit is $-3$