The expression you've provided is a limit problem. It represents:

$\lim_{{x \to -1}} f(x) = 3$

This notation means that as $x$ approaches $-1$, the function $f(x)$ approaches the value 3. In other words, the value of $f(x)$ gets arbitrarily close to 3 as $x$ gets closer and closer to $-1$.

Key points:

• $\lim$ stands for the "limit."
• $x \to -1$ indicates that $x$ is approaching $-1$.
• The limit is equal to 3, which means the function approaches 3 as $x$ gets closer to $-1$.

Would you like more details on the steps for evaluating limits or examples of how they work?

Related Questions:

1. What happens if the limit does not exist?
2. How do we calculate limits for more complex functions?
3. What is the difference between a one-sided and two-sided limit?
4. How do you handle limits approaching infinity?
5. What are some common limit rules used for calculations?

Tip: When evaluating limits, always check if direct substitution can be applied. If it leads to an indeterminate form like $\frac{0}{0}$, further steps such as factoring or using L'Hopital's Rule may be needed.