Suppose that f(a)=g(a)=0 and that f and g are differentiable on an open interval I containing a. Suppose also that g'(x)/=0 on I if x/=a. Then
$ \lim_{x \to\ a}\frac{f(x)}{g(x)}= \lim_{x \to\ a}\frac{f'(x)}{g'(x)} $,
if the limis on the right exists (or is $ \infty $ or -$ \infty $
).
This is Elizabeth's favorite theorem.