MATH1131 Calculus

Chapter 3

Properties of continuous
functions

1
Continuity at a point (revision)

Definition 3.1
Suppose that f is defined on an open interval containing the
point a.

We say that f is continuous at a if

◮ lim f (x) exists, and
x→a

◮ lim f (x) = f (a).

x→a

To check if f is continuous at a or not

◮ Is f defined at a?
◮ Does lim f (x) exist?
x→a
◮ Does the limit equal f (a)?

2
Combining Continuous Functions

Proposition 3.1
If the functions f and g are continuous at a, then
◮ f ± g is continuous at a
◮ fg is continuous at a
f
◮ is continuous at a, provided g(a) 6= 0
g

3
Proof of continuity of fg
As f and g are continuous at a we have

lim f (x) = f (a) and lim g(x) = g(a).

x→a x→a

We have:
  
lim (fg)(x) = lim (f (x)g(x)) = lim f (x) lim g(x)
x→a x→a x→a x→a
= f (a) × g(a) = (fg) (a).

(Can you explain each step in the string of equations?)

Since the limit of fg as x → a is the value of fg at x = a, fg is

continuous at a.

4
Continuity of compositions

Proposition 3.2
Let g be continuous at a and let f be continuous at g(a), then
f ◦ g is continuous at a.

In all problems looking at the continuity of a function at a given

point, we just need to show

lim f (x) = f (a).

x→a

5
!

Example 3.1
Let f : R → R be given by
(
cos(ax) for x ≤ π
f (x) =
bx for x > π.

For what values of a and b will f be continuous?

6
Another interpretation of the definition of continuous
functions
If f is continuous at the point a in its domain then
 
lim f (x) = f lim x
x→a x→a

In other words, we can interchange the order of taking the limit

and evaluating the function.

7
Continuity on intervals

Definition 3.2
Let f be a real-valued function defined on the open interval
(a, b).
We say that f is continuous on (a, b) if f is continuous at every
point of (a, b).

Contrast this with

Definition 3.3
Let f be a real-valued function defined on the closed interval
[a, b].
We say that
◮ f is continuous at the endpoint a if lim f (x) = f (a)
x→a+
◮ f is continuous at the endpoint b if lim f (x) = f (b)
x→b −
◮ f is continuous on [a, b] if f is continuous on (a, b) and at
each of the endpoints a and b.
8
The Intermediate Value Theorem

Theorem 3.1
Suppose that
◮ f is continuous on [a, b], and
◮ f (a) 6= f (b).
Then for any d lying between f (a) and f (b), there exists at least
one point c ∈ (a, b) satisfying f (c) = d .

Details of proof not for MATH1131, but it relies on the fact that
there are no gaps in the real numbers, or in technical terms, the
least upper bound property of R.

(Note that there are gaps in the rational numbers.)

9
In terms of pictures we have a result that seems very obvious.

f (b)

f (a)

a c b

With f (a) < d < f (b), IVT says that there is a c such that
a < c < b with f (c) = d .

10
Applications of the IVT
Often, the IVT is used to show that the equation

f (x) = 0

has a solution in (a, b).

In this case you need to check:

◮ f is continuous on [a, b], and
◮ f (a)f (b) < 0.

(i.e. f (a) and f (b) are the opposite sign of each other –
meaning that to get from f (a) to f (b) you have to cross through
zero.

11
!

Example 3.2
Show that the equation ln(x + 1) = cos x has at least one
positive solution.

12
Example 3.3
Show that if f is continuous on [0, 1] with 0 ≤ f (x) ≤ 1, then
there exists c ∈ [0, 1] such that f (c) = c.

13
While the IVT is useful, in fact the theorem is rather weak!!!
Look at a picture . . .

f (b)

f (a)

a b

we have no information about values of f outside the interval

bounded by f (a) and f (b) — we can do better!

14
Minima and maxima

Definition 3.4
We say that a point c in [a, b] is an absolute or global minimum
point for f on [a, b] if

f (x) ≥ f (c) for all x in [a, b].

The definition of absolute maximum is similar.

(Does an absolute maximum or minimum for f on [a, b]

necessarily exist?)

15
!
In general functions defined on closed intervals need not have
any absolute maximum or absolute minimum points!
g(x)
4

|
3

|
2
|
1 |
| | | | |

1 2 3 4 5 x

g
Local min points
Absolute min points
Local max points
Absolute max points

But if our functions are continuous we can use . . .

16
The max-min theorem

Theorem 3.2
If f is continuous on a closed interval [a, b] then f attains both
an absolute maximum and an absolute minimum value on [a, b].
That is, there exist c, d ∈ [a, b] such that

f (c) ≤ f (x) ≤ f (d ) for all x ∈ [a, b].

f (d )

f (b)

f (a)
f (c)

a d c b

17
Example 3.4
1
The function f : [1, 2] → R defined by f (x) =
x
has both an absolute maxium point and an absolute minimum
point on [1, 2].
but
Example 3.5
1
The function g : (1, 2) → R defined by g(x) =
x
has neither an absolute maximum point nor an absolute
minimum point on (1, 2).

Example 3.6 
1
, x=6 0,
The function h : [−1, 1] → R defined by h(x) = x
0, x = 0,
has neither an absolute maximum point nor an absolute
minimum point on [−1, 1].
18
Bounded functions

Definition 3.5
A function f is said to be bounded on an interval I if there is
some positive number K such that

|f (x)| ≤ K for all x in I.

−K
19
Continuity and bounded functions

Theorem 3.3
If f : [a, b] → R is continuous on [a, b] then f is bounded on
[a, b].

(Why?)

20