Title: Limits, Continuity & Derivability

Chapter: Limits, Continuity & Derivability

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Worksheet Compiled By: Prashant Jain (PJ Sir)

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Continuity & Derivability :

A function f(x) is said to be continuous at x = c, if Limit
xc
f(x) = f(c)
i.e. f is continuous at x = c
if Limit f(c  h) = Limit f(c+h) = f(c).
h 0 h 0

If a function f (x) is continuous at x = c, the graph of f (x) at the corresponding point ( c,

f (c)) will not be broken. But if f (x) is discontinuous at x = c, the graph will be broken
when x = c

(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)

((i), (ii) and (iii) are discontinuous at x = c)

((iv) is continuous at x = c)

A function f can be discontinuous due to any of the following three reasons :

(i) Limit f(x) does not exist i.e. Limit f(x)  Limit f (x) [figure (i)]
x c x  c x c

(ii) f (x) is not defined at x = c [figure (ii)]

(iii) Limit f(x)  f (c) [figure (iii)]

x c

Geometrically, the graph of the function will exhibit a break at x= c.

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 cos 2x , x  1
Example # 27 : If f(x) =  , then find whether f(x) is continuous or not at x =
 [x] , x 1
1, where [ . ] is greatest integer function.
cos 2x , x  1
Solution : f(x) = 
 [x] , x 1
For continuity at x = 1, we determine f(1) , lim f(x) and lim f(x).
x 1– x 1

Now, f(1) = [1] = 1

lim f(x) = lim cos 2x = cos 2 = 1
x 1– x 1–

and lim f(x) = lim [x] = 1

x 1 x 1

so f(1) = lim f(x) = lim f(x) = 1

x 1– x 1

 f(x) is continuous at x = 1

Self practice problems :


(12) If possible find value of  for which f(x) is continuous at x =
2
 1  sin x 
 1  cos 2x , x
2

 
f(x) =  , x
 2
 (2x  )2 
 , x
 tan 2x 2

(13) Find the values of p and q such that the function


 x  p sin x ; 0  4x  
  
f(x)   2x cot x  q ;   4x  2 is continuous at x = and x=
 p 4 2
 cos 2x  qsin x ; 2  4x  4
 2
 
Ans. (12) discontinuous (13) p= ,q=
3 2 12

Theorems on Continuity :
(i) If f & g are two functions which are continuous at x = c, then the functions defined
by:
F1(x) = f(x)  g(x) ; F2(x) = K f(x), K is any real number ; F3(x) = f(x).g(x) are
f(x)
also continuous at x = c. Further, if g (c) is not zero, then F4(x) = is also
g(x)
continuous at x = c.
(ii) If f(x) is continuous & g(x) is discontinuous at x = a, then the product function 
(x) = f(x). g(x) may or may not be continuous but sum or difference function
(x) = f(x)  g(x) will necessarily be discontinuous at x = a.

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 sin  x0
e.g. f (x) = x & g(x) =  x
0 x0
(iii) If f (x) and g(x) both are discontinuous at x = a, then the product function(x) =
f(x). g(x) is not necessarily be discontinuous at x = a.
 1 , x0
e.g. f (x) = g(x) = 
 1 , x  0
and atmost one out of f(x) + g(x) and f(x) – g(x) is continuous at x = a.


Example # 28 : If f(x) = [sin(x–1)] – {sin(x–1)}. Comment on continuity of f(x) at x = 1
2

(where [ . ] denotes G.I.F. and { . } denotes fractional part function).

Solution : f(x) = [sin (x – 1)] – {sin (x – 1)}
Let g(x) = [ sin (x – 1)] + {sin (x – 1)} = sin (x – 1)

which is continuous at x = + 1
2

as [sin (x – 1)] and { sin (x – 1)} both are discontinuous at x = +1
2

 At most one of f(x) or g(x) can be continuous at x = +1
2

As g(x) is continuous at x = + 1, therefore, f(x) must be discontinuous
2

Alternatively, check the continuity of f(x) by evaluating lim f(x) and f.   1

x  1  2 
2

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 Exercise – 1
Section (A) : Continuity at a point
1. Determine the values of a, b & c for which the function f (x) =
 sin (a  1) x  sin x
 x for x  0

 c for x  0
 (x  bx2 )1/2  x1/2
 for x  0
 b x3/2
is continuous at x = 0.

 1  sin3 x , x  /2
 3 cos2 x

2. Find the values of ' a ' & ' b ' so that the function, f (x) =  a , x  /2 is
 b (1  sin x)
 , x  /2
 (   2 x)
2

continuous at x = /2.

3. If f(x) = {x} & g(x) = [x] (where {. } & [.] denotes the fractional part and the integral part
functions respectively), then discuss the continuity of :
(i) h(x) = f(x). g(x) at x = 1 and 2 (ii) h(x) = f(x) + g(x) at x = 1
(iii) h(x) = f(x) – g(x) at x = 1 (iv) h(x) = g(x) + f(x) at x = 1 and 2

 f(x)
, x3
4. Suppose that f(x) = x3  3x2  4x + 12 and h(x) =  x  3 , then
 K , x3
(a) find all zeros of f
(b) find the value of K that makes h continuous at x = 3
(c) using the value of K found in (b), determine whether h is an even function.

sin3x  A sin 2x  B sin x

5. If f(x) = (x  0) is continuous at x = 0. Find A & B. Also find
x5
f (0).

6. If graph of function y = f(x) is

2
1

0 1 2 3
and graph of function
y = g(x)is

1 2
then discuss the continuity of f(x) g(x) at x = 1 and x = 2.

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Section (B) : Continuity at a point
cos(sin x)  cos x
1. A function f(x) is defined as below f(x) = , x  0 and f(0) = a
x2
f(x) is continuous at x = 0 if 'a' equals
(A) 0 (B) 4 (C) 5 (D) 6

Let f(x) =  x   [x] , when – 2  x  2. where [ . ] represents greatest integer function.

1
2.
 2
Then
(A) f(x) is continuous at x = 2 (B) f(x) is continuous at x = 1
(C) f(x) is continuous at x = – 1 (D) f(x) is discontinuous at x = 0

3. The function f(x) is defined by f(x) =



log( 4x  3) x 2  2x  5  , if 3 
4
x  1 or x  1
 4 , if x  1
(A) is continuous at x = 1
(B) is discontinuous at x = 1 since f(1 + ) does not exist though f(1  ) exists
(C) is discontinuous at x = 1 since f(1  ) does not exist though f(1 + ) exists
(D) is discontinuous since neither f(1  ) nor f(1 + ) exists.

 
4. If f(x) = x sin   x  2[x]   , then f(x)is {where [.] denotes GIF}
2 
(A) Discontinuous at x = 2 (B) Discontinuous at x = 1
(C) Continuous at x = 1 (D) Continuous at x = 3

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 Answer Key
Section (A) : Continuity at a point
3 1 1
1. a= , b  0, c = 2. a= ,b=4
2 2 2
3. (i) continuous at x = 1 (ii) continuous
(iii) discontinuous (iv) continuous at x = 1, 2
4. (a) 2, 2, 3 (b) K=5 (c) even
5. A =  4, B = 5, f(0) = 1 6. Continuous at x = 1 but discontinuous at x = 2

Section (B) : Continuity at a point

1. (A) 2. (D) 3. (D) 4. (B)

Solution
Section (A) : Continuity at a point
1. f (x) is continuous at x = 0 therefore
 (a  1 ) sin (a  1)x sin x 
lim f(x) = f (0) = lim f (x) ; lim f(x) = lim    =
x  0– x  0 x 0–
x 0 
 (a  1)x x 
a+2
1
(1  bx) 2  1 1
and lim f (x) = lim = here b should not be equal to zero.
x  0 x 0 bx 2
so a + 2 =c = 1/2 and b  0

1  sin3 x 1  cos3 h   
2. lim f(x) = lim = lim put x  2  h j [ kusi j 
x

x


3cos2 x h0 3 sin2 h  
2 2
3
 h2 h4 
1  1   .... 
 2 ! 4 !  = 1
= lim 2
h0 3h 2
b(1  sin x) b(1  cosh) b
and lim f (x) = lim = lim =
x

x
 (   2x) 2 h 0 4h2 8
2 2

1 b
so = =a
2 8

3. (i) h(x) = {x} [x]

at x = 1 h(1) = 0 LHL = 0 RHL = 0
at x = 2 h(2) = 0 LHL = 1 RHL = 0
(ii) h(x) = {x} + [x] = x at x = 1 continuous
(iii) h(x) = {x} – [x] = x – 2[x] discontinuous at x = 1

(iv) h(x) = {x} + [x]

at x = 1 h(1) = 1 LHL = 1 RHL = 1
at x = 2 h(2) = 2 LHL = 2 RHL = 2

4. f (x) = (x + 2) (x – 2) (x – 3)
(x  2) (x  2) , x  3
h (x) =  for continuity k = lim h(x) = 5
k , x 3 x 3

h(x) = (x + 2) (x – 2) = x2 – 4 which is even  x  R

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 sin3x  A sin 2x  B sin x
5. lim =1
x 0 x5
1  (3x)3 (3x)5 (3x)7   (2x)3 (2x)5 (2x)7   x3 x5 x7 
lim 5  3x     ...   A  2x     ...   B  x     ...  
x 0 x  3 ! 5 ! 7 !   3 ! 5 ! 7 !   3 ! 5 ! 7 ! 
1 1 1
lim (3  2A  B)  2 (27  8A  B)  (243  32A  B) – term containing x
x 0 x4 x 3 ! 5 !
this Limit exist ans finite if
3 +2A + B = 0 and 27 +8A + B = 0
1
In this case lim f(x)  (243  32A  B) A = – 4, B = 5
x0 5 !
and for continuity f(0) = lim
x 0
f(x)  1

1 x  2
6. f(x) g(x) = 
2 x  2
Section (B) : Continuity at a point
1. lim f(x)  f(0)
x 0

cos(sin x)  cos x 2  sin x  x   x  sin x 

lim  a  2 sin   sin  a
x0 x2 x  2   2 
 sin x  x   x  sin x 
sin   sin   1 sin x  x x  sin x
 a  lim 2.  2 .  2 .   
= 2.1.1
1
(1 + 1) (1 – 1) = 0
x0 sin x  x x  sin x 4  x 
 x 
 4
2 2

 1
2. f(x) =  x  2  [x] =
 
1
f(x) is discontinuous at x = –1, 0, , 1, 2
2

n [(1  h)2  2(1  h)  5]

3. lim f(x) = lim f(1 – h) = lim
x 1 h 0 h0 n [1  4h]
does not exist as denominator is tending to zero.
similarly lim f(x) also does not exist.
n 1

   x  
4. lim x sin  (x  2)   lim   x  sin    1 and lim x sin  (x  0)   1
x 1 2  x 1  2  x 1 2 

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