7535_Ch02_pp058-086.

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84 Chapter 2 Limits and Continuity

Can you find the exact value of c such that f(c) = c3 - c - 1 = 0 and that you know
exists by the application of the Intermediate Value Theorem? Discuss your answer with
your fellow students and your teacher.

Quick Review 2.3 (For help, go to Sections 1.2 and 2.1.)

Exercise numbers with a gray background indicate problems that the 5. f(x) = x2, (g ° f)(x) = sin x 2, domain of g = [0, q )
authors have designed to be solved without a calculator.
6. g(x) = 2x - 1, (g ° f)(x) = 1>x, x 7 0
3x2 - 2x + 1
1. Find lim . 2
7. Use factoring to solve 2x + 9x - 5 = 0.
x:-1 x3 + 4
2. Let f(x) = int x. Find each limit. 8. Use graphing to solve x3 + 2x - 1 = 0.
(a) lim - f(x) (b) lim + f(x) (c) lim f(x) (d) f( -1) In Exercises 9 and 10, let
x:-1 x:-1 x:-1
5 - x, x … 3
x2 - 4x + 5, x 6 2 f(x) = b
3. Let f(x) = b - x2 + 6x - 8, x 7 3.
4 - x, x Ú 2.
9. Solve the equation f(x) = 4.
Find each limit. 10. Find a value of c for which the equation f(x) = c has no solution.
(a) lim- f(x) (b) lim+ f(x) (c) lim f(x) (d) f(2)
x:2 x:2 x:2
In Exercises 4–6, find the remaining functions in the list of func-
tions: f, g, f ° g, g ° f.
2x - 1 1
4. f(x) = , g(x) = + 1
x + 5 x

Section 2.3 Exercises

In Exercises 1–10, find the points of continuity and the points of dis- 11. (a) Does f( -1) exist?
continuity of the function. Identify each type of discontinuity. (b) Does lim x:-1+ f(x) exist?
1 x + 1
1. y = 2. y = 2 (c) Does lim x:-1+f(x) = f( -1)?
2
(x + 2) x - 4x + 3 (d) Is f continuous at x = - 1?
1 12. (a) Does f(1) exist?
3. y = 4. y = ƒ x - 1 ƒ
x2 + 1 (b) Does lim x:1 f(x) exist?
3
5. y = 22x + 3 6. y = 22x - 1 (c) Does lim x:1 f(x) = f(1)?
7. y = ƒ x ƒ >x 8. y = cot x (d) Is f continuous at x = 1?
9. y = e1>x 10. y = ln (x + 1) 13. (a) Is f defined at x = 2? (Look at the definition of f.)
In Exercises 11–18, use the function f defined and graphed below to (b) Is f continuous at x = 2?
answer the questions.
14. At what values of x is f continuous?
x2 - 1, -1 … x 6 0 15. What value should be assigned to f(2) to make the extended
2x, 0 6 x 6 1 function continuous at x = 2?
f(x) = e 1, x = 1 16. What new value should be assigned to f(1) to make the new
- 2x + 4, 1 6 x 6 2 function continuous at x = 1?
0, 2 6 x 6 3 17. Writing to Learn Is it possible to extend f to be continuous at
x = 0? If so, what value should the extended function have
y there? If not, why not?
y = f(x) 18. Writing to Learn Is it possible to extend f to be continuous at
2 (1, 2) x = 3? If so, what value should the extended function have
y = 2x there? If not, why not?
y = –2x + 4
1
(1, 1)

x
–1 0 1 2 3
y = x2 – 1 –1
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Section 2.3 Continuity 85

In Exercises 19–24, (a) find each point of discontinuity. (b) Which Group Activity In Exercises 37–40, verify that the function is con-
of the discontinuities are removable? not removable? Give reasons tinuous and state its domain. Indicate which theorems you are using,
for your answers. and which functions you are assuming to be continuous.
3 - x, x 6 2 1 3
19. f(x) = c x 37. y = 38. y = x2 + 24 - x
+ 1, x 7 2 2x + 2
2 x2 - 1
, x Z 1
39. y = ƒ x2 - 4x ƒ 40. y = c x - 1
3 - x, x 6 2
2, x = 1
20. f(x) = c 2, x = 2
In Exercises 41–44, sketch a possible graph for a function f that has
x>2, x 7 2
the stated properties.
1 41. f(3) exists but lim x:3 f(x) does not.
, x 6 1
21. f(x) = c x - 1 42. f( - 2) exists, lim x:-2+ f(x) = f( - 2), but lim x:-2 f(x) does
x 3 - 2x + 5, x Ú 1 not exist.
43. f(4) exists, lim x:4 f(x) exists, but f is not continuous at x = 4.
1 - x2, x Z -1 44. f(x) is continuous for all x except x = 1, where f has a nonre-
22. f(x) = b
2, x = -1 movable discontinuity.
45. Solving Equations Is any real number exactly 1 less than its
23. y
fourth power? Give any such values accurate to 3 decimal places.
y = f(x)
1 46. Solving Equations Is any real number exactly 2 more than its
cube? Give any such values accurate to 3 decimal places.
x 47. Continuous Function Find a value for a so that the function
–1 0 1 2
x2 - 1, x 6 3
y f(x) = b
24. 2ax, x Ú 3
y ! f (x)
is continuous.
2
48. Continuous Function Find a value for a so that the function
1 2x + 3, x … 2
f(x) = b
ax + 1, x 7 2
x is continuous.
–1 0 1 2 3
49. Continuous Function Find a value for a so that the function
In Exercises 25–30, give a formula for the extended function that is
continuous at the indicated point. 4 - x2, x 6 -1
f(x) = b
2
x - 9 3
x - 1 ax2 - 1, x Ú -1
25. f(x) = , x = -3 26. f(x) = , x = 1
x + 3 x2 - 1 is continuous.
sin x sin 4x 50. Continuous Function Find a value for a so that the function
27. f(x) = , x = 0 28. f(x) = , x = 0
x x x2 + x + a, x 6 1
x - 4 f(x) = b
29. f(x) = , x = 4 x3, x Ú 1
2x - 2 is continuous.
x3 - 4x2 - 11x + 30 51. Writing to Learn Explain why the equation e -x = x has at
30. f(x) = , x = 2
x - 4 2 least one solution.
In Exercises 31 and 32, explain why the given function is continuous. 52. Salary Negotiation A welder’s contract promises a 3.5%
1 1 salary increase each year for 4 years and Luisa has an initial
31. f(x) = 32. g(x) = salary of $36,500.
x - 3 2x - 1
In Exercises 33–36, use Theorem 7 to show that the given function is (a) Show that Luisa’s salary is given by
continuous. y = 36,500(1.035)int t,
x where t is the time, measured in years, since Luisa signed
33. f(x) = a b 34. f(x) = sin (x 2 + 1)
A x + 1 the contract.

3 x2 (b) Graph Luisa’s salary function. At what values of t is it con-

35. f(x) = cos ( 21 - x) 36. f(x) = tan a 2
b tinuous?
x + 4
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86 Chapter 2 Limits and Continuity

53. Airport Parking Valuepark charge $1.10 per hour or fraction of 59. Multiple Choice Which of the following points of
an hour for airport parking. The maximum charge per day is $7.25. discontinuity of
(a) Write a formula that gives the charge for x hours with x(x - 1)(x - 2)2(x + 1)2(x - 3)2
0 … x … 24. (Hint: See Exercise 52.) f(x) =
x(x - 1)(x - 2)(x + 1)2(x - 3)3
(b) Graph the function in part (a). At what values of x is it con-
tinuous? is not removable?
(A) x = - 1 (B) x = 0 (C) x = 1
Standardized Test Questions (D) x = 2 (E) x = 3
You may use a graphing calculator to solve the following problems.
54. True or False A continuous function cannot have a point of
Exploration
discontinuity. Justify your answer. 1 x
60. Let f(x) = a1 + b .
55. True or False It is possible to extend the definition of a func- x
tion f at a jump discontinuity x = a so that f is continuous at (a) Find the domain of f. (b) Draw the graph of f.
x = a. Justify your answer. (c) Writing to Learn Explain why x = - 1 and x = 0 are
56. Multiple Choice On which of the following intervals is points of discontinuity of f.
1 (d) Writing to Learn Are either of the discontinuities in part
f(x) = not continuous?
2x (c) removable? Explain.
(A) (0, q ) (B) [0, q ) (C) (0, 2) (e) Use graphs and tables to estimate lim x: q f(x).
(D) (1, 2) (E) [1, q )
57. Multiple Choice Which of the following points is not a point Extending the Ideas
of discontinuity of f(x) = 2x - 1? 61. Continuity at a Point Show that f(x) is continuous at x = a
(A) x = - 1 (B) x = - 1/2 (C) x = 0 if and only if

(D) x = 1/2 (E) x = 1 lim f(a + h) = f(a).

h:0
58. Multiple Choice Which of the following statements about the 62. Continuity on Closed Intervals Let f be continuous and
function never zero on [a, b]. Show that either f(x) 7 0 for all x in
2x, 0 6 x 6 1 [a, b] or f(x) 6 0 for all x in [a, b].
f(x) = c 1, x = 1 63. Properties of Continuity Prove that if f is continuous on an
- x + 3, 1 6 x 6 2 interval, then so is ƒ f ƒ .
is not true? 64. Everywhere Discontinuous Give a convincing argument
(A) f(1) does not exist. that the following function is not continuous at any real number.
(B) lim x:0+ f(x) exists. 1, if x is rational
f(x) = b
(C) lim x:2- f(x) exists. 0, if x is irrational
(D) lim x:1 f(x) exists.
(E) lim x:1 f(x) Z f(1)