MATH 162, Winter 2019

SCRIPT 8: Continuous Functions

Additional Exercise

1. Let X ⊂ R. Prove that X is both open and closed in X.

Proof:

Let there exist set A such that A ∩ X = X. Then, if A is open, then X is open in X. If A
is closed, then X is closed in X. Since A ∩ X = X then X ⊆ A, and so X is both open and
closed in X. QED.

2. (a) Let X ⊂ R be a closed set. Show that A ⊂ X is closed in X if and only if A is closed in
R.
(b) Let X ⊂ R be an open set. Show that A ⊂ X is open in X if and only if A is open in R.

3. Suppose f : X → R. Show that f is continuous at x ∈ X if and only if for every open set U
containing f (x), there is a set V that is open in X such that x ∈ V and f (V ) ⊂ U.

4. Let X ⊂ R and let f : X −→ R. Let A, B ⊂ R. Either prove or give a counterexample to each

of the following:

a) f (A ∪ B) = f (A) ∪ f (B)

Proof:

Let x ∈ f (A ∪ B), then there exists a y ∈ A ∪ B such that f (y) = x. If y ∈ A,

then x ∈ f (A), and if y ∈ B, then x ∈ f (B), and so in both cases x ∈ f (A ∪ B), so
f (A ∪ B) ⊆ f (A) ∪ f (B).
Let x ∈ f (A) ∪ f (B). If x ∈ f (A), then there exists a y ∈ A such that f (y) = x. Since
y ∈ A, then y ∈ A ∪ B, so f (y) = x ∈ f (A ∪ B). If x ∈ f (B), the proof is very similar.
Therefore, f (A) ∪ f (B) ⊆ f (A ∪ B).
Therefore, both inclusions have been shown, so f (A ∪ B) = f (A) ∪ f (B).
QED.
b) f (A ∩ B) = f (A) ∩ f (B)

Proof:

Let f (x) = x2 , A = [−1, 0], B = [0, 1]. Then, f (A ∩ B) = f ({0}) = 0. However,

f (A) ∩ f (B) = [0, 1]. Therefore, this is not true. QED.

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 c) f (A \ B) = f (A) \ f (B)

Proof:

Let A = {0}, B = {1}, f (0) = 2 and f (1) = 2. Then, A \ B = {0}, so f (A \ B) = {2}.

However, f (A) = 2 and f (B) = 2 so f (A) \ f (B) = ∅. Therefore, this is not true. QED.
d) f (X) = R.
Let f (x) = x2 , then for every x ∈ X, f (x) must be positive. Therefore, f (x) 6= R. QED.

5. Let A ⊂ R be an open set and define χA : R → R by

(
1, if x ∈ A,
χA (x) =
0, if x ∈
/ A.

(a) Show that χA is continuous at every point in A.

Proof:

Let x ∈ A. Then, any region R containing χA (x) also contains χA (x). Therefore, 1 ∈ R.
Since χA (a) = 1 for all a ∈ A, then A ⊂ χ−1 −1
A (R). Since A ∩ R = A, then A ∩ R ⊂ χA (R).
A is open, so, by definition, χA is continuous at x. QED.
(b) Where else is χA continuous?

Proof:

A is continuous at any point x ∈ R \ A where x ∈ / LP (A). Since x is not a limit point of

A, then there is some region T containing x such that T ∩ A = ∅. Therefore, since there
are no points both in T and A, then T ⊂ R \ A. Since x ∈ / A, then χA (x) = 0. Also, for
any y ∈ R \ A, χA (y) = 0, so y ∈ χ−1 A (T ). Therefore, R \ A ⊂ χ−1 A (T ). As T ⊂ R \ A,
−1 −1
R \ A ⊂ χA (T ) and T = T ∩ R, which means that T ∩ R ⊂ χA (T ). By definition, χA
is continuous at x.
As x is a limit point of A, for all regions t, T ∩ A 6= ∅. Therefore, there is some
a ∈ A ∈ T . Therefore, t * R \ A. Let S be an open set containing x. Then, there must
be a region U such thta x ∈ U ⊂ S. Since U contains x, then U is not a subset of R \ A.
Since U ⊂ S, then S * R \ A, and so there is no open set containing x which is a subset
of R \ A. This must be true for all regions containing χA (x). Now, let R contain 0 but
not 1. As 0 ∈ R then all points in R \ A are in χ−1A (R). As 1 ∈ / R, then no points in A
are in χ−1
A (R). Therefore, χ −1
A (R) ∈ R \ A. Therefore, there is no open set S containing
−1
x where S ⊂ R \ A. Also, since χA (R) = R \ A, there is no open set S containing x
where S ⊂ χ−1 A (R). This means there is also no open set S where S ∩ R ⊂ χA −1(R).
As such, χA is not continuous at x.
QED.

6. Suppose that A, B ⊂ R are connected.

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 (a) Show that A ∩ B is connected.

Proof:

Let a, b ∈ A ∩ B. Without loss of generality, let a < b. Since a, b ∈ A and A is connected,

then by 8.15, (a, b) ⊂ A and (a, b) ⊂ B. This means that every point in (a, b) is in A
and B. Therefore, (a, b) ⊂ A ∩ B. By 8.15, A ∩ B is connected.
(b) Give a non-trivial1 condition on A and B so that A ∪ B is connected.

Let a, b, x ∈ A ∪ B and, without loss of generality, a < b. My condition is that A and

B share an element x. Then, I will prove three cases: x < a < b, a < x < b, and
a < b < x. First, let a < b < x. It must be that a is eithr in A or in B. Without loss of
generality, let a be in A. We know that x ∈ A. Since A is connected, then (a, x) ⊂ A,
since (a, b) ⊂ (a, x), and A ⊂ A ∪ B, then (a, b) ⊂ A ∪ B, and so A ∪ B is connected.
The proof is trivially similar for x < a < b. And, if a < x < b, then x ∈ (a, b) and
(a, b) ⊂ A ∪ B. QED.

7. Suppose that f : (a, b) −→ R is a continuous function. Prove that for any x1 , x2 , . . . xn ∈ (a, b)
there exists t ∈ (a, b), such that

f (x1 ) + f (x2 ) + . . . + f (xn )

f (t) = .
n

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I.e. you may not use the condition A = B or the condition that either A or B is empty.