Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-BHU), Varanasi

MA101 Engineering Mathematics I: Even Semester 2022-23

Tutorial sheet 4: Limit and continuity

Exercise 1: Using the precise definition of limit, prove that

x3 −4
(i) limx→2 x2 +1 = 45 .
 −1 −1
(ii) limx→0+ e x + 1 = 1.

(iii) limx→β f (x) = β α where α, β > 0 and

(
xα if x ̸= β,
f (x) =
2 if x = β.

Exercise 2: Consider the function f : R+ → R defined by

(√
x − a if x ∈ R \ Q+
f (x) = √
b − x if x ∈ Q+ .
Show that

1. limx→( a+b )2 f (x) exists.

2

a+b 2


2. limx→c f (x) does not exists for any 0 < c ̸= 2 .

Exercise 3: Suppose a function f : (−a, a) \ {0} → (0, ∞) satisfies

 
1
lim f (x) + = 2.
x→0 f (x)
Show that limx→0 f (x) = 1.
Exercise 4: Let f√(x) = g(x)h(x) where g(x) = ⌈x2 ⌉ and h(x) = sin 2πx. Check the continuity of f , g and h
at x = 2 and x = 2.
Exercise 5:

(a) Let f, g : R → R be continuous such that given any two points x1 < x2 , there exists a point x3 such that
x1 < x3 < x2 such that f (x3 ) = g(x3 ). Show that f (x) = g(x) for all x ∈ R.
(b) Let f : R → R be a continuous function such that f (x) = f (x2 ) for all x ∈ R. Show that f is a constant
function.
(c) Suppose f : [0, ∞) → R is continuous and limx→∞ f (x) exists. Show that f is bounded on [0, ∞).
(d) Let f : [0, 1] → R be continuous such that f (0) = f (1). Show that there exists x0 ∈ [0, 21 ] such that
f (x0 ) = f (x0 + 12 ).
(e) Let f : [0, 2] → R be a continuous function and f (0) = f (2). Prove that there exist real numbers x1 , x2
in [0, 2] such that x2 − x1 = 1 and f (x2 ) = f (x1 ).
(f) Let I := [a, b] and f : I → R be a continuous function on I such that for each x ∈ I there exists a y ∈ I
such that
1
|f (y)| ≤ |f (x)|.
2
Prove that there exists a point c ∈ I such that f (c) = 0.
(g) Let f : [0, 1] → R is a continuous function such that Range(f ) ⊂ Q. Prove f is a constant function.

Exercise 6: Find the points of discontinuity of the function f defined by

sin2 (n!πx)
 
f (x) = lim lim
x→∞ t→0 sin2 (n!πx) + t2