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Lecture 3 - Continuity: AMA140/150 Calculus

This document discusses continuity and related concepts from calculus. It defines continuous functions as those where the limit of the function as x approaches a equals the function value at a. It lists properties of continuous functions, such as sums, products, and composites of continuous functions also being continuous. The Intermediate Value Theorem is introduced, stating that if a continuous function takes on values between two numbers on an interval, it must take on one of those intermediate values. Examples are provided to illustrate these concepts.

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Luis Aguilar Capcha
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30 views

Lecture 3 - Continuity: AMA140/150 Calculus

This document discusses continuity and related concepts from calculus. It defines continuous functions as those where the limit of the function as x approaches a equals the function value at a. It lists properties of continuous functions, such as sums, products, and composites of continuous functions also being continuous. The Intermediate Value Theorem is introduced, stating that if a continuous function takes on values between two numbers on an interval, it must take on one of those intermediate values. Examples are provided to illustrate these concepts.

Uploaded by

Luis Aguilar Capcha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture 3 - Continuity

AMA140/150 Calculus

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 3 - Continuity

Outline

Continuous functions
Properties for continuous functions
Intermediate Value Theorem

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 3 - Continuity

Continuous functions
Continuous functions
A function f with domain D is continuous at a point a in D if
lim f (x ) = f (a).

x a

If a is a boundary point of D, then only one-sided limits is considered.


A function is said to be continuous if it is continuous at every point in its
domain.
A function f is continuous at a point a when
1

f (a) is well-defined,
lim f (x ) exists, and

x a

(Both lim f (x ) and lim f (x ) exist and they have the same limit value.)
x a+

x a

lim f (x ) = f (a).

x a

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 3 - Continuity

Continuous functions

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 3 - Continuity

Continuous functions

Example 3.1
The function f : defined by
f (x ) = x
is continuous everywhere as for
every a ,
lim f (x ) = lim x = a = f (a).

x a

x a

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 3 - Continuity

Continuous functions
Example 3.2 For every real number x , we define [x ] to be the greatest
integer less than or equal to x . Define the function f : by
f (x ) = [x ]

for all x .

Then f is continuous for non-integer a


since
lim f (x ) = [a] = f (a).

x a

However, when a is an integer, as


lim f (x ) = a

x a+

while
lim f (x ) = a 1,

x a

the limit lim f (x ) does not exist and


x a

hence f is NOT continuous at a.

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 3 - Continuity

Properties of continuous functions


Properties of continuous functions
Suppose f and g are continuous at a. Then
f g,

f g,

and

f
g

are continuous at a. We assume g(a) 6= 0 in the quotient case.


Constant functions are continuous functions.
All polynomials P(x ) = a0 + a1 x + + an x n are continuous functions.
P(x )
, with polynomials P and Q, is
Q(x )
continuous at x for all x such that Q(x ) 6= 0.
Any rational function f (x ) =

The functions sin x and cos x are continuous everywhere.

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 3 - Continuity

Composite function

Composite function
Suppose g is continuous at b and lim f (x ) = b, then
x a

lim g f (x ) = lim g (f (x )) = g

x a

x a

lim f (x ) = g(b).

x a

Continuity of composite function


Suppose f is continuous at a and g is continuous at f (a). Then g f is
continuous at a.
Example 3.3
f (x ) = sin(x 3 )

and

g(x ) = ln(2 + cos x )

are continuous functions.

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 3 - Continuity

Continuity
Example 3.4 Define the function f : by

f (x ) =

2
x 3x + 2

x 6= 1,

x = 1.

x 1

Clearly, the function f is continuous for all x 6= 1.


It remains to consider the case when x = 1. Notice that
lim f (x ) = lim

x 1

x 1

x 2 3x + 2
= lim x 2 = 1 6= f (1).
x 1
x 1

Thus, f is not continuous at x = 1.

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 3 - Continuity

Continuity
Example 3.5 Let
f (x ) =

2
x + 2

x > 2,

x 2.

2x + b

What should be the value for b if f is continuous everywhere?


Solution. Clearly, f is continuous everywhere except possibly a = 2.
Notice that
lim f (x )

lim f (x )

f (2)

x 2+

x 2

lim x 2 + 2 = 6,

x 2+

lim 2x + b = 4 + b,

x 2

4+b

Therefore, f is continuous only when


lim f (x ) = lim f (x ) = f (2)
x 2+

x 2

6 = 4 + b.

Thus, b = 2.
AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 3 - Continuity

Intermediate Value Theorem


Intermediate Value Theorem
Let f be a continuous function on [a, b]. If is a number between f (a) and
f (b), then there is c [a, b] such that
f (c) = .
Further, c (a, b) if is not equal to f (a) and f (b).

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 3 - Continuity

Intermediate Value Theorem


Example 3.6 Show that there is a root of the equation
4x 3 6x 2 + 3x 2 = 0
between 1 and 2.
Solution. Let
f (x ) = 4x 3 6x 2 + 3x 2.
Clearly, f is continuous on [1, 2]. Notice that
f (1) = 1 < 0

and

f (2) = 12 > 0.

By Intermediate Value Theorem, there is c (1, 2) such that


f (c) = 0.
Thus, f (x ) = 0 has a solution between 1 and 2.

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 3 - Continuity

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