Lecture 9

Continuity of a function
 Lecture9
Continuity of a function
Let a be a real number in the domain
of a function f. Informally, the function
f is continuous at x  a if you can draw
the graph of f at and near the point
(a, f (a)) without lifting your pencil from
the paper. For example, each of the
following graphs is the graph of a
function that continuous at x  a .
Thus, a function is continuous at x  a if
its graph around the point (a, f (a )) is
connected and unbroken.
On the other hand, none of the
functions whose graphs are shown
below is continuous at x  a .
 Each of the functions is discontinuous,
that is, not continuous at x  a because
you cannot draw the graph of f at and
near the point ( a, f ( a )) without
lifting your pencil from the paper. In
other words, a function f is not
continuous at x  a if its graph has a
jump, break, gap, or hole when x  a .
 Now we state the following formal
definition of continuity.
Definition: A function y  f (x) is said to
be continuous at a point a if it is
defined in a neighbourhood of the of
the point a and lim
x a
f ( x)  f (a) .
This definition we can restate as
follows.
 Definition: A function y  f (x) is said
to be continuous at a point a under the
following conditions:
1. f (a) is defined
2. lim f ( x) exists
xa
3. lim
x a
f ( x)  f (a) .
Here is another equivalent definition
of continuity:
Definition: A function y  f (x) is said to
be continuous at a point a if for given
any   0, there is   0 such that for all
the values of x satisfying the condition
x  a   the inequality f ( x)  f (a)   is
fulfilled.
 Properties of continuous functions
Theorem. If the functions f and g are
continuous at x  a , then each of the
following functions
• The sum function f +g
• The difference function f  g
• The product function f g
• f
The quotient function , g (a)  0
g
is also continuous at x  a .
 Continuity of special functions
Theorem 1. Every polynomial function,
n n 1
that is , f ( x )  a 0 x  a n x  ...  a n
is continuous at every real number.
Theorem 2. Every rational function,
that is n n 1
a0 x  a1 x  ...  a n
f ( x) 
b0 x m  b1 x m1  ...  bm
is continuous at every real number in
its domain.
Theorem 3. Every exponential function
x
ya is continuous at every real number.
Theorem 4. Every logarithmic function
y  log a x is continuous at every positive
real number.
Theorem 5. The trigonometric function
f ( x)  sin x and g ( x)  cos x are continuous
at every real number.
Theorem 6. The trigonometric function
f ( x)  tan x and g ( x)  cot x are continuous
at every real number in its domain.
 Definition. A function f is said to be
continuous on an interval if it is
continuous at every point of that
interval.
It can be shown that all the basic
elementary functions are continuous
on the intervals where they are
defined.
Points of discontinuity of a function
Definition. If, for a functiony  f (x) , the
condition of continuity, at a point a, is
violated, a is called a point of
discontinuity of the function.
For better understanding, we introduce
the following more precise definition.
y  f (x)
Definition. If, for a function , at least
one of the conditions of continuity, at a
point a,
1. f (a ) is defined
2. limx a
f ( x) exists
lim f ( x )  f ( a )
3. xa
is violated, a is called a point of
discontinuity of the function.
It is clear, that the condition of continuity is
violated if one of the following cases takes
place: lim f ( x)
x a
I. The limit exists
f (a )but does not
 lim f ( x) with
coincide  f (a) i.e.
x a
II. The limit entering into condition of
continuity is infinite or does not exist at
all (a function must not necessarily be
defined at its point of discontinuity).
Let us state the following definition.
f (x)
Definition. If a function possesses
the left-hand and the right-hand  f (limits
a  0)
at itspoint
f (a of
0) discontinuity a i.e.
and this point a is called
point of discontinuity of the fist kind.
 Definition. All the points of discontinuity
which are not the points of discontinuity
of the first kind are referred to as the
points of discontinuity of the second
kind.
lim f ( x)
If the limit exists xa but the function

value f(a) is different

lim f ( x)  f (a ) (i.e.
x a ) or function f is even not
defined at point a we say that function f
has a removable discontinuity at a.
If the limit limx a
f ( x) exist but the
function f is not defined at point a,
we say that function f has a gap at
a. A function f has a finite jump at a
if both one-sided limits f ( a  0)
and f (a  0) exist and they are
different.The magnitude f (a  0)  f (a  0)
is called a jump of the function at a.
Theorem. For a function f to be
continuous at a point x=a it is
necessary and sufficient that .
f (a  0)  f (a  0)  f (a )
Example 1. Let function f be given by
formula 2
x  2x  3
f ( x) 
x 1
In this case, f is not defined at x=1, but
lim f x   4 .
x 1
Thus, function f has a gap at point x=1.
This is a removable discontinuity, since
we can define a function g with
 f ( x) for x  1
g ( x)  
4 for x  1
Which is continuous at point x=1
Example 2. Consider a function f given
by the formula x  1 for x  0
f ( x)  
x  1 for x  0
It is clear, that f is not defined at x=0.
We have f (a  0)  lim f ( x)  1
x  0
f (a  0)  lim f ( x)  1
x  0

It follows that the limit lim f ( x) , does

x0
exist.
Thus, function f has a jump at x=0
(discontinuity of the first kind) and the
jump is equal to f (0  0)  f (0  0)  2 .
Example 3. Consider a function f given
by the formula
sin x
f ( x) 
We have x

sin x sin x
f (0)  lim f ( x)  lim  lim 1
x  0 x  0 x x  0 x
 sin x sin x
f (0)  lim f ( x)  lim  lim  1
x  0 x  0 x x  0  x

Hence, function f has a jump at x=0

(discontinuity of the first kind) and the
jump is equal to 2.
1
Example 4. The function f ( x)  x is not
defined at x=0 and has the discontinuity
of the second kind at x=0 since lim 1
x 0 x
does not exist.
Basic properties of functions continuous on a closed interval

Theorem 1. (Weierstrass theorem)

A continuous function on a closed interval is
bounded. i.e. f is continuous on [a,b]  f is
bounded on [a,b]
Theorem 2. (Weierstrass theorem)
A continuous function on a closed interval
attains its bounds.
In other words, this theorem means that if a
function is continuous on a closed interval
there exist at least one point at which the
function assumes the greatest value and at
least one point at which it assumes the least
value on that interval.
Theorem 3. (Bolrano-Cauchy theorem) If a
function f is continuous on a closed interval
and assumes value of different signs at its end
points there exists at least one point lying
inside the interval at which the function turns