Calculus &

Analytical
Geometry
(MATH- 101)
 Continuity

 Book: Thomas Calculus (14th Edition) by George B. Thomas, Maurice D. Weir, Joel R. Hass, Frank R.
Giordano
 Chapter: 2 (2.5)
Continuity Test
 Discontinuity
Following figure identifies three values of at which the graph of is not continuous. At all
other points in the interval , the graph of is uninterrupted and continuous.
 Discontinuity
In previous figure, it appears that continuity at can be destroyed by any one
of the following conditions.

1. The function is not defined at .

2. The limit of f(x) does not exist at .
3. The limit of exists at , but it is not equal to .

If none of the three conditions above is true, the function is called

continuous at
 Types of Discontinuities
 Consider an open interval that contains a real number .

 If a function is defined on (except possibly at ), and is not continuous at ,

then f is said to have a discontinuity at .

 Discontinuities fall into two categories: removable and nonremovable.

 A discontinuity at is called removable if can be made continuous by

appropriately defining (or redefining ).
 Types of Discontinuities
For instance, the functions shown in figures (a) and (c) have removable discontinuities at
and the function shown in (b) has a non-removable discontinuity at .
Removable Discontinuities:

(We can fill the hole.)

Nonremovable Discontinuities:

jump Infinite (Essential) oscillating

Types of Discontinuities
Examples
 Places to test for continuity
 Rational Expression
• Values that make denominator = 0
 Piecewise Functions
• Changes in interval
 Absolute Value Functions
• Use piecewise definition and test changes in interval
 Step Functions
• Test jumps from 1 step to next.
 Examples
Discuss the continuity of each of the following functions:
Solution (a)
Solution (b)
Solution (c)
Solution (d)
Continuity on an open interval
A function is continuous on an open interval if it is continuous on each
point in the interval. A function that is continuous on the entire real line
is every where continuous.

Example:
is continuous on
Continuity on a closed interval
The concept of a one-sided limit allows us to extend the definition of continuity
to closed intervals. A function is continuous on the closed interval if it is
continuous on the open interval and

i.e., the function is continuous from the right at and continuous from the left at .

Example:
is continuous on
 Example
The domain of the function is the set of all real numbers. is continuous on its
entire domain, as shown in figure.
 Example
Discuss the continuity of
Solution:
The domain of is the closed interval At all points in the open interval the
given function is continuous. Moreover,

and

This implies that is continuous on the closed

interval
 Example
Consider the function whose domain is the closed interval
Discuss the continuity of at and .

Solution:
 Example
Solution:
 Continuous Extension to a Point
A function (such as a rational function) may have a limit even at a point
where its denominator is zero. If is not defined, but
exists, we can dene a new function by the rule:

The function is continuous at . It is called the continuous

extension of to . For a rational function , continuous extensions are
usually found by canceling common factors.
 Example

Solution:
 Practice
Q#1: Discuss the continuity of the following functions:
1. .
2.

3.
4. .
 Continuity by Function Type
The list below summarizes the functions we have studied so far that are continuous at
every point in their domains.

With this summary, we can conclude that a wide variety of elementary functions are
continuous at every point in their domains.
 Continuity by Function Type
 Polynomials are continuous everywhere.
 Rational functions and other trigonometric functions are continuous except at the
values of , where their denominators equal zero.
o “Removable” discontinuity if factoring and canceling “removes” the
zero in the denominator.
o “Non-removable” otherwise.

 For piecewise functions, find the values of at the value of separating the regions
of the function.
 If the values of are equal, the function is continuous.
 Otherwise, there is a (non-removable) discontinuity at this point.
 Example
1. The function is continuous at every value of .
• If we have a polynomial.
• If we have another polynomial.
• Finally, at the origin,

2. The function is a continuous function on its entire domain because it is

continuous at every point of its domain. It has a point of discontinuity at
but does not belong to domain of
Properties of Continuous Functions
 Applying Properties of Continuous Functions

By using properties of continuous functions, it follows that each of the

functions below is continuous at every point in its domain.
Properties of Continuous Functions
 Continuity of a composite function
Let and . Discuss the continuity of the composite functions and
Solution:
The Intermediate Value Theorem
 The Intermediate Value Theorem
Following theorem is an important theorem concerning the
behavior of functions that are continuous on a closed interval.
 The Intermediate Value Theorem
• The Intermediate Value Theorem tells us that at least one number exists, but it
does not provide a method for finding . Such theorems are called existence
theorems.

• A proof of this theorem is based on a property of real numbers called

completeness.

• The Intermediate Value Theorem states that for a continuous function , if takes
on all values between and , must take on all values between and .
 The Intermediate Value Theorem
• As an example of the application of the Intermediate Value Theorem, consider a
person’s height. A girl is 4 feet 3 inches tall on her tenth birthday and 5 feet 5
inches tall on her fourteenth birthday.

• Then, for any height between 4 feet 3 inches and 5 feet 5 inches, there must
have been a time when her height was exactly .

• This seems reasonable because human growth is continuous and a person’s height
does not abruptly change from one value to another.
 Example
• Let’s consider for -values between 1 and 5.
• Note that, is a smooth curve that has no rips, tears, or holes in it, so we call it
continuous.
• If we put into , it will produce and if we use , then we get .
• Thus, the Intermediate Value Theorem will guarantee that the given function
will produce all of the real numbers between 2 and 26.
• Furthermore, the Intermediate Value Theorem guarantees that these -values will
be produced by numbers chosen for between 1 and 5.
 The Intermediate Value Theorem
The Intermediate Value Theorem guarantees the existence of at least one number
in the closed interval .

There may, of course, be more than

one number such that ,
as shown in figure.
 Bolzano Theorem: A special case of IVT
The Intermediate Value Theorem (IVT) can often be used to locate the zeros of a
function that is continuous on a closed interval.
Specifically, if is continuous on and
and differ in sign, the Intermediate
Value Theorem guarantees the existence
of at least one zero of in the closed
interval
 Example
Use the Intermediate Value Theorem to show that the polynomial function has
a zero in the interval

Solution:

Note that is continuous on the closed interval . Since

it follows that and .

 Example
We can therefore apply the Intermediate
Value Theorem to conclude that there must be
some in such that

i.e.,

has a zero in the closed interval

 Example
Without graphing, show that has at least one zero between and .
Solution:
This function is continuous on the interval Moreover,

Since and differ in sign, therefore, somewhere between and , passes through .
 Example
For the function

a) use the Intermediate Value Theorem to show that the function has a zero on
the interval

b) find the value of "" guaranteed by the theorem such that

 Example
Solution:
The function is continuous on the interval Moreover,

Since and differ in sign, therefore, somewhere between and , passes through . Now

We choose not why???

 Example
Given f (x)  3x2  2x  5, Show that f (x)  0 has a solution on .
Solution:
Since
f (1)  4  0
f (2)  3  0
 is continuous (polynomial)

 By the Intermediate Value Theorem there exists a such that
 Example
1. Show that the polynomial function f x x 3  2 x 2  2x 4 has at least
one zero in the interval

2. find the value of " " guaranteed by the theorem such that:
 Example
Solution
• First, we must comment on the continuity of the function. Polynomial
functions are continuous on entire real line.

• Next, we must find and .

• f a  f -3 = (-3) 3  2(-3) 2  2(-3) 4 = -7 < 0.

• f b  f  3  = (3)3  2(3)2  2(3) 4 = 35 > 0

• Thus, Bolzano Theorem applies and somewhere between and , passes

through .
 Example
f c c3  2 c2  2c 4=0
 Example
Why does the IVT fail to hold for on

-2 2

-1

Not Continuous in interval!

Point of discontinuity at
 Practice Questions
Q#1: Discuss the continuity of the following functions:
1. .
2.
3. .

Q#2: Let and

Determine whether and are continuous at. If not continuous then what type of discontinuity
exists at this point?
 Practice Questions
Q#3: Show that the function
.
Q#4: Find the c, provided the function
is continuous for all
Q#5: Determine the c and , such that the function:

is continuous for all

 Practice Questions
Book: Thomas Calculus (14th Edition) by George B.
Thomas, Maurice D. Weir, Joel R. Hass, Frank R.
Giordano

• Chapter: 2

• Exercise: 2.6
Q # 1 – 46
 Introduction to Derivatives

 Book: Thomas Calculus (14th Edition) by George B. Thomas, Maurice D. Weir, Joel R. Hass, Frank R.
Giordano
 Chapter: 3 (3.1, 3.2)
Definition: Tangent
From geometry
a line in the plane of a circle
intersects in exactly one point

We wish to enlarge the idea to include

tangency to any function,
Tangency for curves
To define tangency for general curves, we need a dynamic approach that takes into
account the behavior of the secants through and nearby points as moves toward along
the curve. It goes like this:
• We start with what we can calculate, namely the slope of the secant .
• Investigate the limit of the secant slope as approaches along the curve.
• If the limit exists, take it to be the slope of the curve at and define the tangent to the
curve at to be the line through with this slope.
Slope of line tangent to a curve
Recall the concept of a limit and
Use the limit in this context
••

𝑓 (𝑥 0 +Δ 𝑥 )− 𝑓 (𝑥0 ) Δ𝑥
𝑚= lim
Δ 𝑥→ 0 Δ𝑥