Lec 12: Continuity of functions

MATH 147 Section 2, Fall Term 2022

I Definitions for continuous functions

I Sequential characterization of continuity

Key references: Text book sec 2.1

Heuristic definition of continuous functions

How would you describe a continuous function?

What do you think of these suggestions?

1. The function value at any point is close to the value at nearby points.
2. You can draw its graph without lifting your pen off the page.
3. It doesn’t blow up (have vertical asymptotes) anywhere.
Definition of continuity at a point

Definition 1
Let f be a real-valued function defined on an open interval containing the point x0 . We say that f is continuous
at x0 if for all ε > 0, there exists δ > 0 such that |f (x) − f (x0 )| < ε for all x satisfying |x − x0 | < δ.
If f is defined on an open interval containing x0 and f is not continuous at x0 , then we say f is discontinuous at
x0 .

(We will address continuity at end points of an interval later.)

Remarks:
1. We can also use the following wording (equivalent to the definition above) for continuity at x0 : for all
ε > 0, there exists δ > 0 such that |f (x0 + h) − f (x0 )| < ε for all h satisfying |h| < δ.
2. We also write “f is continuous at x = x0 ”.
3. For the rest of the course, you may assume that “function” means “real-valued function” unless indicated
otherwise.
Example 1

Show that f : (0, ∞) → R defined by f (x) = 1/x is continuous at every x0 > 0.

Solution:
Fix any x0 > 0. To prove that f is continuous at x0 , we must show that, given ε > 0, there exists δ > 0 such
that |f (x) − f (x0 )| < ε for all x ∈ (x0 − δ, x0 + δ).
For any x > 0,
1 1 x0 − x 1
|f (x) − f (x0 )| = − = = |x − x0 |.
x x0 x0 x x0 x
Suppose |x − x0 | < x0 /2. Then x > x0 /2 > 0, which implies that x0 x > x02 /2. So,

2
|f (x) − f (x0 )| < |x − x0 |.
x02

If, in addition, |x − x0 | < εx02 /2, then

2 x02
|f (x) − f (x0 )| < ε = ε.
x02 2

So, the definition of continuity at x0 is satisfied with δ = min{εx02 /2, x0 /2}.

Example 2

Show that f : R → R defined by f (x) = x 3 for all x is continuous at every x0 ∈ R.

Hint:
Consider |f (x0 + h) − f (x0 )| for |h| < 1.
One-sided continuity at a point and continuity on an interval

Definition 2
Let f be a function defined on an interval of the form [x0 , x0 + δ0 ) for some x0 ∈ R and δ0 > 0. We say that f
is right continuous at x0 , or that f is continuous at x0 from the right if for all ε > 0, there exists δ > 0 such
that |f (x) − f (x0 )| < ε for all x ∈ [x0 , x0 + δ).
We have an analogous definition for left continuous/continuous from the left.
Let J be a proper interval on which the function f is defined. We say that f is continuous on J if f is:
1. continuous at every point in the interior of J,
2. right continuous at the left end point of J, if this point is in J, and
3. left continuous at the right end point of J, if this point is in J.

Example: From our previous working, f (x) = 1/x is continuous on (0, ∞). It is also continuous on
(−∞, 0).
Note: You may be used to thinking of f (x) = 1/x as being discontinuous at x = 0. It’s better to simply say
that this function is not defined at x = 0, since this implies that it cannot be continuous at x = 0.
Example 3

√
Show that f : [0, ∞) → R defined by f (x) = x is continuous at x = 0 from the right.
Solution:
√ √
We need to show that for all ε > 0, there exists δ > 0 such that | x − 0| < ε for x ∈ [0, δ).
Given an arbitrary ε > 0, define δ = ε2 .

Exercise
√
Show that f (x) = x is continuous at every x0 > 0.
Sequential characterization of continuity

Theorem 1 (The sequential characterization of continuity)

Let f be a function defined on an open interval containing the point x0 . Then f is continuous at x0 if and only
if for every sequence {xn } that converges to x0 we have
 
lim f (xn ) = f lim xn = f (x0 ).
n→∞ n→∞

Proof.
Forward direction:
Straight-forward application of definitions of continuity and limits.
Reverse direction:
We will prove the contrapositive: if f is not continuous at x0 , then there exists a sequence {xn } with
lim xn = x0 such that lim f (xn ) 6= f (x0 ).
n→∞ n→∞
Remarks and examples
There are two main ways we can use the sequential characterization of continuity:
1. Find limits of sequences involving continuous functions.
2. Show that a function is discontinuous at a point.
Example: Recall in Lecture 9, we tried to find the limit of a recursively defined sequence by writing
√
L = lim an+1 = lim an + 7
n→∞ n→∞
q
= lim an + 7
n→∞
√
= L + 7.
√
This is allowed because of the sequential characterization of continuity (since f (x) = x is continuous).

Exercise
1. Find lim cos(1/n).
n→∞ (
1, x ∈ Q,
2. Show that f (x) = is discontinuous at 0.
0, x ∈ R \ Q,

Warning: Finding a sequence {xn } satisfying lim xn = x0 and lim f (xn ) = f (x0 ) is not sufficient to prove
n→∞ n→∞
that the function f is continuous at x0 .