Continuity

Dr. Md. Abul Kalam Azad

Assistant Professor
Mathematics, Department of MPE
IUT

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 Continuity of a Function
A function f is continuous at the point x = a if the followings are true:

y
i ) f (a ) is defined

ii ) lim f ( x) exists f(a)

x →a

iii ) lim f ( x) = f (a) x

x →a a

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 Example 1

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
x→3

3) Since f is continuous at x = 3.
lim f (x) = f (3)
x→3

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 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.
▪ If f and g are continuous at x = a, then
f
f  g , fg , and ( g (a)  0 ) are continuous at x = a.
g
▪ A polynomial function y = P(x) is continuous at everywhere.
▪ A rational function R( x) =
p ( x) is continuous at all x
q ( x)
values in its domain.
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 Problem 2 Determine whether the following function is continuous at
x=4  2 x + 3, x  4
f ( x ) =  16
7+ ,x  4
Solution:  x
When x  4 then f ( x) = 2 x + 3 When x  4 then f ( x ) = (7 + 16 x )
Now L.H.L = lim f ( x) Now R.H.L = lim+ f ( x )
x→4− x →4

= lim f (4 − h) = lim f (4 + h)
h →0
h →0

= lim 2(4 − h) + 3  16 
h →0
= lim 7 + 
h →0
 4+h
=8+3
= 7+4
= 11
= 11
Since L.H.L = R.H.L.
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x →4
 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

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 
−3 x + 5; − 3  x  1
Problem 3  Determine whether the function is
If f ( x ) =  2; 1 x  2
 continuous at x=1, x=2
1
Solution:  1 + x; 2  x  4
 2
When x < 1 f(x) = -3x + 5 When x  1, then f ( x ) = 2
R.H.L. = lim+ f ( x)
L.H.L = lim− f ( x ) x →1
x →1
= lim f (1 + h)
h →0
= lim f (1 − h)
h →0 = lim 2
h→ 0
= lim − 3(1 − h) + 5
h →0
= 2
= -3(1-0) + 5
= 2
Since lim f ( x) = 2 = lim− f ( x)
x →1+ x →1

21-Dec-23  lim f ( x) = 2
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 Now, when x = 1 then f(x) = 2

 f (1) = 2

Again Since, lim f ( x) = f (1)

x →1

So, f(x) is continuous at x = 1

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 
Problem 2 −3 x + 5; − 3  x  1 Cont’d.

If f ( x) =  2; 1 x  2

Solution: 1
 1 + x; 2  x  4
 2
1
When x < 2 the f(x) = 2 When x  2, then f ( x ) = 1 + x
2
R.H.L. = lim+ f ( x)
L.H.L = xlim
→2 −
f ( x) x →2

= lim f (2 + h)
h →0
= lim f (2 − h)
h→0
 1 
= lim 1 + ( 2 + h ) 
h →0
 2 
= lim 2
h→ 0
= 2
= 2

Since lim f ( x) = 2 = lim− f ( x)

x → 2+ x →2

 lim f ( x) = 2
x→2

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

1
 f ( 2) = 1 + ( 2)
2
=2
Again Since, lim f ( x) = f ( 2 )
x→2

So, f(x) is continuous at x = 2

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 Problem #3 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.
Now, we have to check lim f ( x ) exists or not.
x→ a

L.H.L. =lim− f ( x) = lim f ( a − h )

x →a h →0

= lim sin( a − h )
h →0

= lim (sin a cosh − cos a sinh)

h →0

= sin a.1 − cos a.0

= sin a
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 R.H.L. = lim f ( x) = lim f (a + h)
+
x →a h →0
= lim sin( a + h) = lim
h →0
(sin a cosh + cos a sinh)
h →0

= sin a.1 + cos a.0 = sin a

Since L.H.L. = sin a = R.H.L.
 lim f ( x) = sin a ..........(i )
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 )
Since f(x) satisfies all conditions of continuity, thus the function f(x) is
continuous at x = a.
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 Problem : 5 A function f(x) is defined as follows:
f(x) = cosx , if x ≥ 0
- cosx , if x < 0
Is f(x) continuous at x = 0 ?
Solution:
When x<0 then f(x) = - cos x When x ≥ 0 then f(x) = cos x

Now L.H.L= xlim

→0
f ( x) − Now R.H.L= lim
x →0
f ( x) +

= lim f (0 − h) = lim f (0 + h)
h →0 h →0

= lim f ( −h )
h →0
= lim f (h)
h→0

= lim − cos( −h) = lim cos( h)

h →0
h→0
= lim − cosh = −1 = cos 0 = 1
h→0

Since L.H.L  R.H.L So, lim

x→ 0
f ( x )does not exist.

Thus,
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Problem : 6 Examine the continuity of the following function at x = ½
 1
 x when 0  x 
f ( x) =  2
1
1 − x when  x 1
 2
Solution:
Again, when x1 then f(x) = 1 – x
When x 1 then f(x) = x 2
2
1
L.H.L= lim− f ( x ) R.H.L= 1 +
lim f ( x ) = lim f ( + h )
1 x→ h →0 2
x→ 2
2
1
= lim f ( − h )  1 
h →0 2 = lim 1 −  + h 
1
h →0
 2 
= lim ( − h)
h →0 1 
2 = lim  − h 
1
= −0=
1 h →0
2 
2 2 1
=
2

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 Since L.H.L = R.H.L.
1
 lim f ( x ) =
x→
1 2
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  
x→
1
2
2

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

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 Problem : 6 Compute the value for the constant of k, that will make
the following function continuous at x=1
7 x − 2, x  1
f ( x) = 
Solution:  kx 2
,x 1
When x  1 then f ( x) = 7 x − 2 Whenx  1 then f ( x) = kx
2

Now L.H.L = lim f ( x) Now R.H.L= lim+ f ( x)

x →1−
x →1

= lim f (1 − h) = lim f (1 + h)
h →0
h →0
= lim{7(1 − h) − 2
h →0
= lim k (1 + h) 2
h →0
=5
=k
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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.

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 Now, let’s see how to detect discontinuities when a function is defined by a formula.

Problem :9
Where, are each of the following functions discontinuous?
 1
 if x  0
x2 − x − 2 f ( x) =  x 2
f ( x) =  if x = 0
x−2 1
 x2 − x − 2
 if x  2
f ( x) =  x − 2
1 if x = 2


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 x2 − x − 2
f ( x) =
x−2

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 is continuous.

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 1
 if x  0
f ( x) =  x 2
1 if x = 0

Here, f(0) = 1 is defined.

However,
1
lim f ( x) = lim 2 does not exist. The discontinuity is called
x →0 x →0 x
an infinite discontinuity.
So, f is discontinuous at 0.

Figure 1.38
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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
x −x−2
2
lim f ( x) = lim
x→2 x→2 x−2
( x − 2)( x + 1) The kind of discontinuity illustrated
= lim here is called removable.
x→2 x−2
= lim( x + 1) = 3 exists.
x→2
lim f ( x)  f (2)
x →2

So, f is not continuous at 2.

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 Practice Problem

Exercise-1.5: 29.30,31.
Exercise-1.6: 36,38,40,49,50.

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 The Derivative and the Tangent Line
Problem

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 The Tangent Line Problem

❑ Calculus grew out of four major problems that European mathematicians

were working on during the seventeenth century.

✓ 1. The tangent line problem

✓ 2. The velocity and acceleration problem
✓ 3. The minimum and maximum problem
✓ 4. The area problem

Each problem involves the notion of a limit, and calculus can be introduced with
any of the four problems.
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 The Tangent Line Problem

❑ What does it mean to say that a line is tangent to a curve at a point? Essentially,
the problem of finding the tangent line at a point P boils down to the problem of
finding the slope of the tangent line at point P.

❑ You can approximate this slope using a secant line through the point of
tangency and a second point on the curve, as shown in Figure 2.3.

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Figure 2.3
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 The Tangent Line Problem
❑ If (c, f(c)) is the point of tangency and is a second point on
the graph of f, the slope of the secant line through the two points is given by
substitution into the slope formula

❑ The right-hand side of this equation is a difference quotient. The denominator

x is the change in x, and the numerator y = f(c + x) – f(c) is the change in
y.
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 The Tangent Line Problem

❑ You can obtain more and more accurate approximations of the slope of the
tangent line by choosing points closer and closer to the point of tangency, as
shown in Figure 2.4.

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 The Tangent Line Problem

❑ The slope of the tangent line to the graph of f at the point (c, f (c)) is also
called the slope of the graph of f at x = c.

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 Example 1 – The Slope of the Graph of a Linear Function

❑ To find the slope of the graph of f (x) = 2x – 3 when c = 2, you can apply
the definition of the slope of a tangent line, as shown.

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 Example 1 – The Slope of the Graph of a Linear Function

❑ The slope of f at (c, f(c)) = (2, 1) is m = 2, as shown in Figure 2.5.

Notice that the limit definition of the slope of f agrees with the definition
of the slope of a line.

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Figure 2.5
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 The Tangent Line Problem

❑ The definition of a tangent line to a curve does not cover the possibility of a
vertical tangent line.

For vertical tangent lines, you can use the following definition.

If f is continuous at c and

then the vertical line x = c passing through (c, f (c)) is a vertical tangent line to
the graph of f.
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 The Tangent Line Problem

❑ For example, the function shown in Figure 2.7 has a vertical tangent line
at (c, f (c)).

Figure 2.7

❑ When the domain of f is the closed interval [a, b], you can extend the
definition of a vertical tangent line to include the endpoints by considering
21-Dec-23continuity and limits from the right (for x = a) and from the left (for x = b).
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 The Derivative of a Function

❑ The limit used to define the slope of a tangent line is also used to define one
of the two fundamental operations of calculus—differentiation.

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 The Derivative of a Function

❑ Be sure you see that the derivative of a function of x is also a function of x.

This “new” function gives the slope of the tangent line to the graph of f at the
point (x, f(x)), provided that the graph has a tangent line at this point.
❑ The derivative can also be used to determine the instantaneous rate of
change (or simply rate of change) of one variable with respect to another.
❑ The process of finding the derivative of a function is called differentiation. A
function is differentiable at x when its derivative exists at x and is
differentiable on an open interval (a, b) when it is differentiable at every
point in the interval.

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 The Derivative of a Function

❑ In addition to f ′(x), which is read as “f prime of x,” other notations are used to
denote the derivative of y = f(x). The most common are

❑ The notation dy/dx is read as “the derivative of y with respect to x” or simply

“dy, dx.” Using limit notation, you can write

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 The Derivative of a Function

❑ In addition to f ′(x), which is read as “f prime of x,” other notations are used to
denote the derivative of y = f(x). The most common are

❑ The notation dy/dx is read as “the derivative of y with respect to x” or simply

“dy, dx.” Using limit notation, you can write

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 Example 3 – Finding the Derivative by the Limit Process

❑ To find the derivative of f(x) = x3 + 2x, use the definition of the derivative as
shown.

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 Differentiability and Continuity

❑ The alternative limit form of the derivative is useful in investigating the

relationship between differentiability and continuity. The derivative of f at c is

provided this limit exists

(see Figure 2.10).

21-Dec-23 Figure 2.10

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 Differentiability

❑ Note that the existence of the limit in this alternative form requires that the
one-sided limits

exist and are equal.

❑ These one-sided limits are called the derivatives from the left and from the
right, respectively.
❑ It follows that f is differentiable on the closed interval [a, b] when if it is
differentiable on (a, b) and when the derivative from the right at a and the
derivative from the left at b both exist.
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 Differentiability: Example 1

Show that f(x) is continuous but not differentiable at x = 1 and x = 2.


−3 x + 5; − 3  x  1
 Try yourself to
f ( x) =  2; 1 x  2
 1 test differentiability
 1 + x; 2  x  4
Solution:
 2 at x = 2.
When x  1 then f ( x) = 2
When x  1 then f ( x ) = −3 x + 5
Now R.H.D = Rf (1)
Now L.H.D
f ( x) − f (1) 2−2
= lim+ = lim
= Lf (1) x →1 x −1 x →1 x − 1

0
f ( x) − f (1) −3 x + 5 − 2 = lim =0
= lim− = lim x →1 x − 1
x →1 x −1 x →1 x −1
−3 x + 3 −3( x − 1) Since Lf  (1)  Rf  (1)
= lim = lim = −3
21-Dec-23 x →1 x − 1 x →1 x −1 The function f(x) is not differentiable at x = 1.
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 Differentiability and Continuity: Example 2

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

3 + 2 x, −23  x  0
Solution f ( x) = 
 3 − 2 x ,0  x  3
2
Now L.H.L = lim− f ( x) = lim3 + 2 x
x →0 x →0

=3 Now, when x = 0, f ( x ) = 3 + 2 x
f (0) = 3
R.H.L = lim+ f ( x) = lim3 − 2 x
x →0 x →0

=3 So, lim f ( x ) = 3 = f ( 0 )
x →0

L. H. L. = R.H.L = 3

The function f(x) is continuous at x = 0.

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 Differentiability and Continuity: Example 2

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

3 + 2 x, −23  x  0
Solution f ( x) = 
 3 − 2 x ,0  x  3

x  0 then f ( x) = 3 + 2 x
2

When x  0 then f ( x ) = 3 − 2 x
When
Now L.H.D = Lf (0) = Rf (0)
f ( x) − f (0) 3 + 2x − 3
= lim− = lim f ( x) − f (0) 3 − 2x − 3
h →0 x−0 h →0 x−0 = lim+ = lim
h →0 x−0 h →0 x−0
2x
= lim =2 −2 x
h →0 x = lim = −2
h →0 x

Since Lf (0)  Rf (0)

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 Differentiability and Continuity

❑ When a function is not continuous at x = c, it is also not differentiable at x =

c.
❑ For instance, the greatest integer function is not continuous at
x = 0, and so it is not differentiable at x = 0 (see Figure 2.11).

21-Dec-23 Figure 2.11

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 Differentiability and Continuity

❑ You can verify this by observing that

and

❑ Although it is true that differentiability implies continuity, the converse is not

true.

❑ That is, it is possible for a function to be continuous at x = c and not

differentiable at x = c.
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 Example 6 – A Graph with a Sharp Turn

The function shown in Figure 2.12, is continuous at x = 2.

Figure 2.12
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 Example 6 – A Graph with a Sharp Turn

The one-sided limits, however,

and

are not equal.

So, f is not differentiable at x = 2 and the graph of f does not have a tangent line
at the point (2, 0).
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 Differentiability and Continuity

❑ A function that is not differentiable at a point at which its graph has a sharp
turn or a vertical tangent line.

❑ The relationship between continuity and differentiability is summarized

below.
✓ 1. If a function is differentiable at x = c, then it is continuous at x = c. So,
differentiability implies continuity.
✓ 2. It is possible for a function to be continuous at x = c and not be
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 Implicit and Explicit Functions

❑Most functions have been expressed in explicit form.

✓ For example, in the equation , the variable y is explicitly written as

a function of x.

❑Some functions, however, are only implied by an equation. For instance, the
function y = 1/x is defined implicitly by the equation

xy = 1. Implicit form
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 Implicit and Explicit Functions

❑To find dy/dx for this equation, you can write y explicitly as a function of x and
then differentiate.

❑This strategy works whenever you can solve for the function explicitly.

You cannot, however, use this procedure when you are unable to solve for y as a
function of x.
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 Implicit and Explicit Functions

✓ For instance, how would you find dy/dx for the equation

✓ For this equation, it is difficult to express y as a function of x explicitly. To

find dy/dx, you can use implicit differentiation.
❑To understand how to find dy/dx implicitly, you must realize that the
differentiation is taking place with respect to x.
❑This means that when you differentiate terms involving x alone, you can
differentiate as usual.
❑However, when you differentiate terms involving y, you must apply the Chain
Rule, because you are assuming that y is defined implicitly as a differentiable
function of x.
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 Example 1 – Differentiating with Respect to x

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 Example 1 – Differentiating with Respect to x

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 Implicit and Explicit Functions

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 Example 2 – Implicit Differentiation

❑Find dy/dx given that y3 + y2 – 5y – x2 = –4.

❑Solution:
1. Differentiate both sides of the equation with respect to x.

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 Example 2 – Solution

2. Collect the dy/dx terms on the left side of the equation and move all other
terms to the right side of the equation.

3. Factor dy/dx out of the left side of the equation.

4. Solve for dy/dx by dividing by (3y2 + 2y – 5).

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 Example 5 – Solution

At the point (3, 1), the slope of the graph is as shown in

Figure 2.30. This graph is called a lemniscate.

Figure 2.30

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 Practice Problem

Exercise-2.1
26,27.
Exercise-2.2
35,46,47,48,49,50.
Exercise-2.3
21,23,24,41,42,43,45,46,65,66,67,68
Exercise 2.4
16,17,23,24
Exercise 2.5
39,40,41,42
Exercise 2.6
23,24,33,34

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 Thanks a lot …

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