Continuous and

Discontinuous
Sonny C. Tesnado lll
Stem 11B
Continuous

 A function is continuous when its graph is a single unbroken curve ... ... that you
could draw without lifting your pen from the paper. That is not a formal
definition, but it helps you understand the idea.
 A function is continuous when its graph is a single unbroken curve .
 Here is a continuous function:
 Examples

 So what is not continuous (also called discontinuous) ?

 Look out for holes, jumps or vertical asymptotes (where the function heads
up/down towards infinity).

Not Continuous   Not Continuous   Not Continuous

(vertical
(hole)   (jump)   asymptote)
Domain

 A function has a Domain.

 In its simplest form the domain is all the values that go into a function.
 Example:

Example:
1/(x-1)
At x=1 we have:
1/(1-1) = 1/0 = undefined
So there is a "discontinuity" at x=1

f(x) = 1/(x-1)
So f(x) = 1/(x-1) over all Real Numbers is NOT continuous
 
Let's change the domain to x>1

g(x) = 1/(x-1) for x>1

So g(x) IS continuous
 
In other words g(x) does not include the value x=1, so it is continuous.

When a function is continuous within its

Domain, it is a continuous function.
We can define continuous using Limits (it helps to read that page first):
A function f is continuous when, for every value c in its Domain:

f(c) is defined,
and
limx→cf(x) = f(c)
as x approaches c (from left)
"the limit of f(x) as x approaches c equals f(c)"  
then f(x) approaches f(c)

The limit says:    

"as x gets closer and closer to c AND
then f(x) gets closer and closer to f(c)" as x approaches c (from right)  
then f(x) approaches f(c)
And we have to check from both directions:
                                                                                                          

If we get different values from left and right (a "jump"), then the limit does not exist!
And remember this has to be true for every value c in the domain.
 Example

How to Use:
Make sure that, for all x values:
•f(x) is defined
•and the limit at x equals f(x)

Here are some examples:

Example: f(x) = (x2-1)/(x-1) for all Real Numbers

    
The function is undefined when x=1:

(x2-1)/(x-1) = (12-1)/(1-1) = 0/0

So it is not a continuous function

Let us change the domain:

Example: g(x) = (x2-1)/(x-1) over the interval x<1

Almost the same function, but now it is over an interval that does not include x=1.

So now it is a continuous function (does not include the "hole")

Example: How about this piecewise function:

that looks like this:

It is defined at x=1, because h(1)=2 (no "hole")

But at x=1 you can't say what the limit is, because there are two competing answers:
•"2" from the left, and
•"1" from the right

so in fact the limit does not exist at x=1 (there is a "jump")

And so the function is not continuous.
Example: How about the piecewise function absolute value:

                                            

    

At x=0 it has a very pointy change!

But it is still defined at x=0, because f(0)=0 (so no "hole"),

And the limit as you approach x=0 (from either side) is also 0 (so no "jump"),

So it is in fact continuous.

(But it is not differentiable.)
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