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Summary: Continuity: Definition of Continuity at A Point

Continuity is defined as a function being equal to its limit at a point. There are two types of discontinuities: jump, where the left and right limits differ; and removable, where the limit exists but does not equal the function value. Continuous functions are continuous at every point in their domain. Common continuous functions include polynomials, exponentials, trigonometric functions, and logarithms. Limit laws ensure sums, differences, products, and quotients of continuous functions are also continuous. The Intermediate Value Theorem states that if a function is continuous on an interval, every value between its endpoints must occur as a function value within the interval.

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85 views3 pages

Summary: Continuity: Definition of Continuity at A Point

Continuity is defined as a function being equal to its limit at a point. There are two types of discontinuities: jump, where the left and right limits differ; and removable, where the limit exists but does not equal the function value. Continuous functions are continuous at every point in their domain. Common continuous functions include polynomials, exponentials, trigonometric functions, and logarithms. Limit laws ensure sums, differences, products, and quotients of continuous functions are also continuous. The Intermediate Value Theorem states that if a function is continuous on an interval, every value between its endpoints must occur as a function value within the interval.

Uploaded by

Regine
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Summary: Continuity

Definition of continuity at a point


We say that a function f is continuous at a point x = a if

lim f (x) = f (a).


x→a

In particular, if either f (a) or lim f (x) fails to exist, then f is discontinuous at


x→a
a.
We say that a function f is right-continuous at a point x = a if

lim f (x) = f (a).


x→a+

We say that a function f is left-continuous at a point x = a if

lim f (x) = f (a).


x→a−

Types of Discontinuities
It is sometimes useful to classify certain types of discontinuities.
If the left-hand limit lim− f (x) and the right-hand limit lim+ f (x) both exist
x→a x→a
at a point x = a, but they are not equal, then we say that f has a jump
discontinuity at x = a.

f (x)

a x

1
If the overall limit lim f (x) exists (i.e., the left- and right-hand limits agree),
x→a
but the overall limit does not equal f (a), then we say that f has a removable
discontinuity at x = a.

f (x)

x
a

Definition of continuous functions


A function f (x) is continuous if for every point c in the domain of f (x), the
function f is continuous at the point x = c.

Basic Continuous Functions


Note: we have not proven all of the following facts, but you should feel free to use
them.
The following functions are continuous at all real numbers:

• all polynomials
√
• 3x

• |x|

• cos x and sin x

• exponential functions ax with base a > 0

The following functions are continuous at the specified values of x:


√
• x, for x > 0

• tan x, at all x where it is defined

• logarithmic functions loga x with base a > 0, for x > 0

2
Limit laws and continuity
If the functions f and g are continuous everywhere, then:

• f + g is continuous everywhere.

• f − g is continuous everywhere.

• f · g is continuous everywhere.
f
• is continuous where it is defined.
g

Intermediate Value Theorem


If f is a function which is continuous on the interval [a, b], and M lies between
the values of f (a) and f (b), then there is at least one point c between a and b
such that f (c) = M.
(A function f is continuous on a closed interval [a, b] if it is right-
continuous at a, left-continuous at b, and continuous at all points between a and
b.)

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