Continuity

Md. Masum Billah

Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Department of Arts and Sciences
AUST
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Continuity of a Function
A function f is continuous at the point x = a if
the followings are true:

i ) f (a) is defined

ii ) lim f ( x) exists
x a

f(a)

iii ) lim f ( x) f (a)

x a

M. M. Billah

Example
Is the function f given by

f (x) x 2 5

continuous at x = 3? Why or why not?

1)

f (3) 32 5 9 5 4

2) By the Theorem on Limits of Rational Functions,

lim x 2 5 32 5 9 5 4
x3

3) Since f is continuous at x = 3.

lim f (x) f (3)

x3

M. M. Billah

Physical phenomena are usually continuous.

For instance, the displacement or velocity of a vehicle varies
continuously with time.

Geometrically, you can think of a function

that is continuous at every number in an
interval as a function whose graph has no
break in it.
The graph can be drawn without removing
your pen from the paper.

M. M. Billah

Properties of Continuous Functions

The constant function f (x) is continuous
everywhere.
Ex. f (x) = 10 is continuous everywhere.
The identity function f (x) = x is continuous
everywhere.

M. M. Billah

Properties of Continuous Functions

If f and g are continuous at x = a, then

f
f g , fg , and
g
at x a.

g (a) 0 are continuous

A polynomial function y = P(x) is continuous at everywhere.

p ( x)
R ( x)iscontinuous
q ( x)
at all x values in its domain.

A rational function

M. M. Billah

Problem

Show that f ( x ) sin x is continuous for every x.

Solution

f ( x) sin xand we take an arbitrary value of x say x=a.

f ( x ) exists or not.
Now, we have to check lim
x a

L.H.L. =

lim f ( x) lim f (a h)
xa

h0

lim sin( a h )
h 0

lim(sin a cosh cos a sinh)

h 0

sin a.1 cos a.0

sin a
M. M. Billah

R.H.L. =

lim f ( x) lim f (a h)
xa

h0

lim sin( a h)
h0

lim
(sin
a
cosh

cos
a
sinh)
h0

sin a.1 cos a.0

sin a
sin a = R.H.L.
lim f ( x) sin a ..........(i )
Since L.H.L.

x a

Now f ( x ) sin x
f a sin a .......... .(ii )
We observe that from (i) and (ii) that
lim x a f x f a
M. M. Billah of continuity, thus the function f(x) is continuous
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Since f(x) satisfies all conditions
at

A function f(x) is defined as follows:

Problem

cosx , if x 0
- cosx , if x < 0

f(x) =

Is f(x) is continuous at x = 0 ?

Solution
When x<0 then f(x) = - cos x
Now L.H.L= lim f ( x )
x 0

When x 0 then f(x) = cos x

Now R.H.L=

lim f ( x )
x0

lim
f
(
0

h
)
h0

lim
f
(
0

h
)
h0

lim f ( h )

lim f ( h)

h 0

h 0

lim cos( h)

lim
cos(
h
)
h0

lim cosh

cos 0
1

h0

h 0

M. M. Billah

Since L.H.L

R.H.L

So, lim f ( x ) does not exist.

x0

Thus, the function f(x) is not continuous at x = 0.

M. M. Billah

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Problem

Examine the continuity of the following function at x =

1

x
when
0

2
f ( x)
1
1 x when
x 1

Solution
When x 1 2 then f(x) = x
L.H.L=

lim f ( x )

Again, when x 1 2 then f(x) = 1 x

1
lim
f
(
x
)

lim
f
(
h)
R.H.L=
1
h 0
x

1
x
2

1
lim f ( h )
h 0
2

1
lim
( h)
h 0
2
1
1
0
2
2

lim
1

h0

lim
h
h0
2

M. M. Billah

1
2

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Since L.H.L = R.H.L.

lim f ( x )
x

1
2

1
2

Now, when x 1 2 then f(x) = 1 x

1 1
1
f 1
2 2
2

1
Again Since, lim f ( x) f
1
x
2
2
So f(x) is continuous at x =

M. M. Billah

1
2

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Problem

Determine whether the following function is continuous at x=4

2 x 3, x 4
f ( x ) 16
7 ,x 4

Solution
When

x4

Now L.H.L

then

f ( x) 2 x 3

lim f ( x)

When

x4

Now R.H.L

x4

then

f ( x ) (7 16 )
x

lim f ( x )
x 4

lim f ( 4 h)
h 0

lim f ( 4 h)
h 0

hlim
2
(
4

h
)

3
0

83

16

lim
7

h0
4h

= 7+4

11

= 11

Since L.H.L = R.H.L.

lim f ( x) 11

M. M. Billah

x 4

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Now, when x 4 then f(x) = 2x+3

f 4 2 4 3
11
Again Since, lim f ( x) f 4
x 4

So f(x) is continuous at x = 4

M. M. Billah

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Compute the value for the constant of k, that will make

the following function continuous at x=1

Problem

Solution
When

x 1

Now L.H.L

then

7 x 2, x 1
f ( x)
2
kx
,x 1

f ( x) 7 x 2
When x 1 then

lim f ( x)
x 1

Now R.H.L

f ( x) kx 2

lim f ( x)
x 1

lim f (1 h)
h 0

lim f (1 h)
h 0

lim{7(1 h) 2
h0

2
lim
k
(
1

h
)
h 0

5
M. M. Billah

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When

x 1

then

f ( x) 7 x 2

f (1) 7 1 2 5
If the function is continuous than

lim f ( x ) lim f ( x) 5
x 1

x 1

So, k = 5.

M. M. Billah

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Problem

Discuss the continuity of the function

x; 2 x 0

f ( x) x; 0 x 1
3 x; 1 x 2

At x = 0 and x = 1.

M. M. Billah

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Now, lets see how to detect discontinuities when a function

is defined by a formula.

Where are each of the

following functions
discontinuous?

x2 x 2
f ( x)
x2

M. M. Billah

1
2
f ( x) x
1

if x 0
if x 0

x2 x 2
if x 2

f ( x) x 2
1
if x 2

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x2 x 2
f ( x)
x2
Notice that f(2) is not defined.
So, f is discontinuous at 2.

The kind of discontinuity illustrated here

is called removable.

We could remove the discontinuity by redefining f

at just the single number 2.
The function

g(x) x 1
M. M. Billah

is continuous.

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f ( x) x 2
1

if x 0
if x 0

Here, f(0) = 1 is defined.

However,

1
lim f ( x) lim 2
x 0
x 0 x

does not exist.

So, f is discontinuous at 0.

M. M. Billah

The discontinuity is called

an infinite discontinuity.

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 x2 x 2
if x 2

f ( x) x 2
1
if x 2

Here, f(2) = 1 is defined and

2

x x2
lim f ( x) lim
x 2
x 2
x2
( x 2)( x 1)
lim
x 2
x2
lim( x 1) 3 exists.
x 2

lim f ( x) f (2)

The kind of
discontinuity
illustrated here
is called removable.

x 2

So, f is not continuous at 2.

M. M. Billah

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The function jumps from one value to another.

These discontinuities are called jump discontinuities.

M. M. Billah

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From the appearance of the graphs of the sine and cosine functions, we would
certainly guess that they are continuous.

M. M. Billah

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sin x
tan x
cos x

is continuous except where cos x = 0.

This happens when x is an odd integer

multiple of .2

So, y = tan x has infinite discontinuities

when

2,

2,

2,

and so on.

M. M. Billah

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Differentiability
A function f(x) is said to be differentiable at a point x = a if

f a hlim
0

f (a h) f (a )
exist.
h

f ( a h) f ( a )
Again f a lim
will exist if
h 0
h
f ( a h) f (a )
lim
h 0
h

and

f (a h ) f (a )
lim
h0
h

f ( a h) f ( a )
is called Left Hand Derivative [L f a ].
h0
h
f ( a h) f ( a )
lim
is called Right Hand Derivative [R f a ].
h 0
h

In this case, lim

and

M. M. Billah

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Problem Show that f(x) is continuous at x=0, but not differentiable at x=0.

3 2 x, 23 x 0
f ( x)
3 2 x,0 x 3 2

Solution
When

x0

Now L.H.D

then

f ( x) 3 2 x

Lf (0)

When

x0

Now R.H.D

then

f ( x) 3 2 x

Rf (0)

f (0 h) f (0)
lim
h0
h

f ( 0 h ) f (0 )
lim
h0
h

f ( h ) f ( 0)
lim
h 0
h

f (h) f (0)
lim
h 0
h

(3 2h) (3 2.0)
lim
h 0
h

2h
hlim
2
0
h
M. M. Billah

(3 2h) (3 2.0)
lim
h 0
h
lim
h 0

2h
2
h
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Since Lf 0 Rf 0
The function f(x) is not differentiable at x = 0.

M. M. Billah

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Problem

Show that f(x) is differentiable at x = 0 but f(x) is not

continuous at x = 0

2 1
x sin , if x 0
f ( x)
x
0, if x 0

Solution
Now L.H.D

Lf (0)

f (0 h) f (0)
lim
h0
h
h sin 1 0
2

h
h

lim
h 0

Now R.H.D

Rf (0)
f ( 0 h ) f (0 )
lim
h0
h
1
h 2 sin 0
h
lim
h 0
h

1
lim h sin
h0
h
0 any valu between 1 to 1

1
lim h sin
h0
h
0 any valu between 1 to 1

0
M. M. Billah

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Since Lf 0 Rf 0
The function f(x) is differentiable at x = 0.

M. M. Billah

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