Lesson 3

Continuity
OBJECTIVES:

• to determine whether the function is continuous or

discontinuous
• to define Squeeze Theorem
DEFINITION: CONTINUITY OF A FUNCTION

If one or more of the above conditions fails to hold at C

the function is said to be discontinuous.
 TYPE OF DISCONTINUITIES

The figure above illustrates the
function not defined at x=c,
which violates the first condition.
The figure above illustrates that the limit
coming from the right and left both exist
but are not equal, thus the two-sided limit
does not exist which violates the second
condition. This kind of discontinuity is called
jump discontinuity.
The figure above illustrates that the limit
coming from the right and left of c are
both , thus the two-sided limit does

not exist which violates the second
condition. This kind of discontinuity is
called infinite discontinuity.
Figure 1.51 (p. 110)
The figure above illustrates the function
defined at c and that the limit coming from
the right and left of c both exist thus the two
sided limit exist. But
which violates the third )  lim f ( x )
f ( ccondition.
xc
This kind of discontinuity is called
removable discontinuity.
EXAMPLE
:

Solution:
 y






 x

Test for continuity: at x=3

1. f(3) is not defined; since the first

condition is not satisfied then f is
discontinuous at x=3.
EXAMPLE:

Question 8
 y







 x

REMOVABLE DISCONTINUITY
Test for continuity :
1. f 3  is defined and is equal to 2
x2  x  6
2. lim f ( x )  lim
x 3 x 3 x3
 lim
 x  3  x  2 
x 3 x3
 lim x  2 
x 3

32  5
3. lim f ( x )  5 and f ( 3 )  2
x 3

The lim it exists but lim f ( x )  f ( 3 )

x 3

therefore f is discontinuous at x  3
EXAMPL
E:

Question 8
 HA
Graph : lim
1

1
  lim
1
0
2
x 0 x 0 x  x 2
1
f ( x )  2 if x  0
x
1 1 1
x  0 is a VA lim    lim 0
x 0 x 2
0 x  x 2

Test for continuity :

 x  0 is a VA  y  0 is a HA
1. f (0)  2; defined
2. lim f ( x)    does not exist
x 0
Since the second condition
is not satisfied then f is
discontinuous at x  0
 y

-1 1 x

INFINITE DISCONTINUITY
EXAMPLE
Determine whether the function is continuous at x  2 ;
4:
x2  4
given f ( x) 
x2

y
y  f(x)
f(x)
x  2 x  2 
x  2 
f(x) x2
4 
f ( 2 )  2  2  4 ; but x  2
x thus f ( x ) is undefined at x  2
2 and hence discontinuous at x  2
EXAMPLE Determine whether the function is continuous at x  2 ;
5:
 x2  4
 , x2
given g ( x)   x  2
3, x2


y
y  g( x )
g( x ) 
x  2 x  2 
x  2 
g( x )  x  2
lim g ( x )  lim g ( x )  4
x2 x2
4
3
 thus lim g( x )  4
x2

g( 2 )  3
x sin ce the lim g ( x )  g ( 2 )
2 x2

hence discontinuous at x  2
Removable Discontinuity
EXAMPLE
Determine whether the function is continuous at x  2 ;
6:
 x2  4
 , x2
given h( x)   x  2
4, x2


y
h( x ) 
x  2 x  2 
x  2 
h( x )  x  2
lim h( x )  lim h( x )  4
x2 x2

4  thus lim h( x )  4
x2

h( 2 )  4
sin ce the lim h( x )  h( 2 )
x2
2 x
hence continuous at x  2
EXAMPLE
7:
 SQUEEZE THEOREM
LIMITS OF FUNCTIONS USING THE SQUEEZE
PRINCIPLE
The Squeeze Principle is used on limit problems where the
usual algebraic methods (factoring, conjugation, algebraic
manipulation, etc.) are not effective. However, it requires that
you be able to ``squeeze'' your problem in between two other
``simpler'' functions whose limits are easily computable and
equal. The use of the Squeeze Principle requires accurate
analysis, algebra skills, and careful use of inequalities. The
method of squeezing is used to prove that f(x)→L as x→c by
“trapping or squeezing” f between two functions, g and h, whose
limits as x→c are known with certainty to be L.
SQUEEZE PRINCIPLE :

Assume that functions f , g , and h satisfy g(x)  f(x)  h(x)

and lim g(x)  L  lim h(x)

x a x a

then lim f(x)  L

x a
EXAMPLE:

Evaluate the following limits.

tan x sin 2 x
1. lim 2. lim
x 0 x x 0 x
sin 3 x 2 - cos3x - cos4x
3. lim 4. lim
x 0 sin 5 x x 0 x
SOLUTION:
tan x  sin x 1  sin 2 x  sin 2 x 2 
1. lim  lim    2. lim  lim   
x 0 x x 0
 x cos x  x 0 x x 0
 x 2
 sin x  1 
 2 lim
sin 2 x
  lim  lim 
 x 0 x  x 0 cos x  x 0 2x
 11  1  2 1  2
  sin 3 x  2 - cos3x - cos4x
sin 3 x   4. lim
x 0
3. lim  lim  x  x
x 0 sin 5 x x 0  sin 5 x 
   lim
 1  1  cos 3 x  cos 4 x
 x  x 0 x
sin 3 x
3  1 - cos3x   1 - cos4x 
 lim 3x   lim 
  lim 
x 0 sin 5 x  x 0 x   x 0 x 
5
5x  1 - cos3x   1 - cos4x 
  3 lim    4 lim 
31 3  x 0 3x    4x 
 
x 0

5 1 5  3  0   4  0   0