One of the main reasons why this module was created is to ensure that it will assist

you to understand the concept and know how to determine whether a function is
continuous or not.
When you finish this module, you will be able to:
1. Illustrate the continuity of a function at a number and an interval. (STEM_BC1)
2. Determine whether a function is continuous at a number or not. (STEM_BC2)
3. Solve problems involving continuity of a function.
One of the main reasons why this module was created is to ensure that it will assist
you to understand the concept and know how to determine whether a function is
continuous or not.
When you finish this module, you will be able to:
1. Illustrate the continuity of a function at a number and an interval. (STEM_BC1)
2. Determine whether a function is continuous at a number or not. (STEM_BC2)
3. Solve problems involving continuity of a function.

Basic Calculus
Lesson 2: Continuity of a Function

Continuous Function
At the basic level, teachers tend to describe continuous functions as those whose
graphs can be traced without lifting your pencil. While it is generally true that continuous
functions have such graphs, this is not a very precise or practical way to define
continuity. Many graphs and functions are continuous, or connected, in some places,
and discontinuous, or broken, in other places. There are even functions containing too
many variables to be graphed by hand. Therefore, it's necessary to have a more precise
definition of continuity, one that doesn't rely on our ability to graph and trace a function.

Limits - A Quick Reminder

The definition of continuity in calculus relies heavily on the concept of limits. In
case you are a little fuzzy on limits: The limit of a function refers to the value of f(x) that
the function approaches near a certain value of x.
The limit of a function as x approaches a real number a from the left is written like this:

The limit of a function as x approaches a real number a from the right is written like this:

If the left limit and the right limit exist (are not infinity) and are equal, then we say the
limit of the function as x approaches a exists and is equal to the one-sided limits. We
write it like this:

What Is Continuity?
In calculus, a function is continuous at x = a if - and only if - all three of the following
conditions are met:

1. The function is defined at x = a; that is, f(a) equals a real number

2. The limit of the function as x approaches a exists
3. The limit of the function as x approaches a is equal to the function value at x = a

There are three basic types of discontinuities:

 1. Removable (point) discontinuity - the graph has a hole at a single x-value.
Imagine you're walking down the road, and someone has removed a manhole
cover (Careful! Don't fall in!). This function will satisfy condition #2 (limit exists)
but fail condition #3 (limit does not equal function value).
2. Infinite discontinuity - the function goes toward positive or negative infinity.
Imagine a road getting closer and closer to a river with no bridge to the other side
3. Jump discontinuity - the graph jumps from one place to another. Imagine a
superhero going for a walk: he reaches a dead end and, because he can, flies to
another road.

Both infinite and jump discontinuities fail condition #2 (limit does not exist), but how
they fail is different. Recall for a limit to exist, the left and right limits must exist (be finite)
and be equal. Infinite discontinuities have infinite left and right limits. Jump
discontinuities have finite left and right limits that are not equal.

Examples Using Graphs

Let's go through some examples using this graph to represent the function of f(x):

Example 1

Is f(x) continuous at x = 0?

To check for continuity at x = 0, we check the three conditions:

1. Is the function defined at x = 0? Yes, f(0) = 2

2. Does the limit of the function as x approaches 0 exist? Yes
3. Does the limit of the function as x approaches 0 equal the function value at x =
0? Yes

Since all three conditions are met, f(x) is continuous at x = 0.

Example 2
Is f(x) continuous at x = -4?
To check for continuity at x = -4, we check the same three conditions:

1. The function is defined; f(-4) = 2

2. The limit exists
3. The function value does not equal the limit; point discontinuity at x = 4

Example 3

Is f(x) continuous at x = -2?