Question Sheet 2, Continuity v2.
1. Sketch the following functions of x ∈ R and indicate their discontinu-
ities.
(i) [x] , the greatest integer less than or equal to x,
1
(ii) x − [x] − ,
2
√
(iii) x , x > 0,
p
(iv) [x], x > 0,
1
(v) 1 , 0 < x ≤ 1.
x
2. Let
x2 − 2x − 15
f (x) = , x 6= −3.
x+3
How should f (−3) be defined so that f is continuous at −3?
3. Prove, by verifying the ε − δ definition that h (x) = |x| is continuous
at x = 0.
Deduce that h is continuous on R.
4. Prove, by verifying the ε − δ definition that
(i) f (x) = x2 is continuous on R,
√
(ii) g (x) = x is continuous on (0, ∞) .
(iii)
x2 + x
√ for x ≤ 1
h (x) =
x+3 for x > 1,
is continuous at x = 1.
(iv)
1
x2 +1
is continuous on R.
1
5. Are the following functions continuous on the domains given or not?
Either prove that they are by using the appropriate continuity rules,
or show they are not.
i)
x+2
f (x) = on R.
x2 + 1
ii)
3 + 2x
g (x) = ,
x2 − 1
firstly on [−1/2, 1/2], secondly on [−2, 2] .
iii)
x2 + x − 2
h (x) = on R.
(x2 + 1) (x − 1)
iv)
x+2 if x < −1
j (x) = x2 if − 1 ≤ x ≤ 1 .
x−2 if x > 1
v)
sin x x 6= 0
k (x) = x .
1 x=0
vi)
1 − sin x
` (x) = on R.
ex
6. Using
cos (x + y) = cos x cos y − sin x sin y,
for all x, y ∈ R, prove that
(i) cos x is continuous on R,
(ii) tan x is continuous for all x 6= π/2 + kπ, k ∈ Z.
7. Show that the hyperbolic functions sinh x, cosh x and tanh x are con-
tinuous on R.
2
8. State the Composite Rule for functions.
(i) Evaluate
sin x
lim exp .
x→0 x
(ii) Prove that
x+2
x2 + 1
is continuous on R.
9. State the Intermediate Value Theorem
Give an example of a strictly increasing function f on [0, 1] and a value
γ : f (0) < γ < f (1) for which there is not a c ∈ [0, 1] with f (c) = γ.
10. Show that
i)
1
ex =
x
has a solution in [0, 1] .
ii) ex = 4x2 has at least three real solutions
iii)
2 cos2 x + 3 cos x + 1 = 2x2 + 3x + 1
has a solution in [0, π/2] .
iv)
x 1
+ =π
sin x cos x
has a solution with x ∈ (0, π/2) .
11. i) Prove a version of the Fixed Point Theorem. If f, g : [a, b] → [a, b]
are continuous functions such that f (a) ≥ g (a) and f (b) ≤ g (b) then
there exists c ∈ [a, b] such that f (c) = g (c).
Hint: Consider h (x) = f (x) − g (x).
3
12. Recall the result in the notes that a continuous function on a closed
interval is bounded.
Give examples of
i) A function on a closed interval that is not bounded.
ii) A continuous function on (−1, 1) with range (−∞, ∞), (and
thus is not bounded).
iii) A function on [0, 1] that does not attain its bounds.
13. (i) Show that
1
f (x) =
x2 +1
is bounded for all x ∈ R. Does it attain its bounds?
(ii) Show that
x
f (x) =
x2 +1
is bounded for all x ∈ R. Does it attain its bounds?
(iii) Sketch the graphs of both functions.
Hint: Expand and rearrange the inequalities
(x − 1)2 ≥ 0 and (x + 1)2 ≥ 0.
14. Prove that
(i) for all n ∈ N, with n even, then xn is strictly increasing on [0, ∞),
(ii) for all n ∈ N, with n even, then xn is not strictly increasing on R,
(iii) for all n ∈ N, with n odd, then xn is strictly increasing on R.
Hint: use the factorization
xn1 − xn2 = (x1 − x2 ) x1n−1 + x2 xn−2 + x22 x1n−3 + ... + x2n−2 x1 + xn−1
1 2
and show that if x1 > x2 then both factors on the right are of the
same sign and neither is zero. In (iii) it might help to look at 3 cases,
x1 > x2 ≥ 0, x1 > 0 > x2 and 0 ≥ x1 > x2 .
4
15. Prove that the hyperbolic functions sinh x and tanh x are strictly in-
creasing on R while cosh x is strictly increasing on [0, ∞).
Hint. Prove that
sinh (x + y) > sinh x
for all x ∈ R and y > 0, and
cosh (x + y) > cosh x
for all x, y > 0.
16. State the Inverse Function Theorem.
Explain how to define the inverse functions
i) sinh−1 : R → R,
ii) cosh−1 : [1, ∞) → [0, ∞).
iii) tanh−1 : (−1, 1) → R.
17. Prove that the natural logarithm, defined as the inverse of the expo-
nential function, satisfies
ln a + ln b = ln ab
for all a, b > 0.
(As throughout this course you may assume that ex ey = ex+y for all
x, y ∈ R.)
