Math 0420 Homework 4

Exercise 3.2.1 Using the definition of continuity directly prove that f :

R R defined by f (x) := x2 is continuous.
Scratch Work: we know, |x c| < ,
|f (x) f (c)| = |x2 c2 |
= |x c||x + c|
(|x| + |c|)|x c|
(|c| + 1 + |c|)|x c|
In the last step, we let 1
Now we might hope that (|c| + 1 + |c|)|x c| < (2|c| + 1) = .
That is,

= min{1,
}
2|c| + 1

},
Proof. For any c R, let  > 0, choose = min{1. 2|c|+1
Then for any x such that |x c| < , we have |x c| < 1 then,

|x| |c| |x c| < 1 |x| < |c| + 1

Therefore,
|f (x) f (c)| = |x2 c2 |
= |x c||x + c|
(|x| + |c|)|x c|
(|c| + 1 + |c|)|x c|
< (2|c| + 1)
= (2|c| + 1)


2|c| + 1

=
By the definition of continuity, we can f (x) is continuous.
x if x is rational
using
x2 if x is irrational
the definition of continuity directly prove that f if continuous at 1 and discontinuous at 2.
Exercise 3.2.3 let f : R Rdefined byf (x) := {

Scratch Work: To show the continuity at 1, we need to find appropriate

.
if x is rational, |f (x) f (1)| = |x 1| < , we only need = .
if x is irrational, |f (x) f (1)| = |x2 1| = |x 1||x + 1| |x 1|(|x| + 1) <
3|x 1| = 3, we need = min{1, 3 }(The idea here is similar to exercise 3.2.1)

Thus, we want = min{1, , 3 }.

Proof. For the continuity at 1, Let  > 0, choose = min{1, 3 }, then,
|x 1| < = |x + 1| |x 1| + 2 < 3
Hence,
|f (x) 1| = {

if x is rational |x 1|
3|x 1| < 3 = 
if x is irrational |x2 1| = |x + 1||x 1|

By the definition of continuity, we have f (x) is continuous at 1.

For the discontinuity at 2, First let me write the definition of discontinuity
here.
Definition: f : R R is discontinuous at c, if there exists  > 0, for any
> 0, there exists x satifying |x c| < , |f (x) f (c)| .
Now take  = 1, then for any , we can find a irrational number x in (2, 2+),
then we have,
|f (x) f (2)| = |x2 2| = x2 2 > 22 2 = 4 2 = 2 > 1
Then, by the definition of discontinuity, we have f is discontinuous at 2.
Exercise 3.2.9 Give an example of functions f : R R and g : R R
such that the function defined by h(x) := f (x) + g(x) is continuous but f and
g are not continuous. Can you find f and g that are nowhere continuous, but h
is a continuous function.
0 if x > 0
1 if x > 0
Solution : let f (x) := {
and g(x) := {
1 if x 0
0 if x 0
Then both f (x) and g(x) are discontinuous at 0, However, h(x) := f (x) +
g(x) = 1 for all x. which is continuous everywhere.
1 if x is rational
1 if x is rational
and g(x) := {
0 if x is irrational
0 if x is irrational
Then both f (x) and g(x) are discontinuous everywhere, However, h(x) :=
f (x) + g(x) = 0 for all x. which is continuous everywhere.
let f (x) := {

Exercise 3.2.10 let functions f : R R and g : R R be continuous

functions. Suppose for all rational numbers r, f (r) = g(r). Show that f (x) =
g(x) for all x.
Proof. Let c R, Consider the sequence of intervals [c, c + n1 ] for all n
N. Select a rational number xn from each interval and we will get a rational
sequence {xn } which converges to c.

Then f (xn ) = g(xn ) for all n N.

Also by the continuity of f (x) and g(x), we have
lim f (xn ) = lim f (x) = f (c)

xc

and
lim g(xn ) = lim g(x) = g(c).

xc

Therefore, f (c) = g(c), c R.