Calculus, 12e

Chapter 1: Limits and Their

Properties

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 Section 1.4
Continuity and One-Sided Limits

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 Objectives
By the end of this section, you should be able to:
• Determine continuity at a point and continuity on an open interval.
• Determine one-sided limits and continuity on a closed interval.
• Use properties of continuity.
• Explain and use the Intermediate Value Theorem.

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Continuity at a Point and on an Open
Interval

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 Continuity at a Point (1 of 3)

Informally, to say that a function f is continuous at x = c means that there is

no interruption in the graph of f at c.

That is, its graph is unbroken at c, and there are no holes, jumps, or gaps.

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 Continuity at a Point (2 of 3)

The figure identifies three values of x at which the graph of f is not

continuous. At all other points in the interval (a, b), the graph of f is
uninterrupted and continuous.

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 Continuity at a Point (3 of 3)
Continuity at x = c can be destroyed by any one of the following conditions.

1. The function is not defined at x = c.

2. The limit of f(x) does not exist at x = c.

3. The limit of f(x) exists at x = c, but it is not equal to f(c).

If none of the three conditions is true, then the function f is continuous at c.

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 Definition of Continuity

Continuity at a Point
A function f is continuous at c when these three conditions are met.

1. f(c) is defined. 2. lim f  x exists. 3. lim f  x  f c 

x c x c

Continuity on an Open Interval

A function is continuous on an open interval (a, b) when the function is
continuous at each point in the interval. A function that is continuous on the
entire real number line (–∞,∞) is everywhere continuous.

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 Discontinuity at a Point
Consider an open interval I that contains a real number c. If a function f is
defined on I (except possibly at c), and f is not continuous at c, then f is
said to have a discontinuity at c.
Discontinuities fall into two categories: removable and nonremovable.

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 Removable Discontinuities
A discontinuity at c is called removable when f can be made continuous by
appropriately defining (or redefining) f(c).
The functions in (a) and (c) have removable discontinuities at c.

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 Nonremovable Discontinuities
The function in (b) has a nonremovable discontinuity at c.

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 Example (a): Continuity of a Function
1
Discuss the continuity of the function f  x  
x

Solution: The domain of f is all

nonzero real numbers.
From Theorem 1.3, f is continuous
at every x-value in its domain.
At x = 0, f has a nonremovable
discontinuity.

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 Example (b): Continuity of a Function
x2  1
Discuss the continuity of the function g x  
x1

Solution: The domain of g is all nonzero

real numbers except x = 1.

From Theorem 1.3, g is continuous at

every x-value in its domain.
At x = 1, the function has a removable
discontinuity.

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 Example (c): Continuity of a Function
 x 1 x  0
Discuss the continuity of the function h  x   2
 x 1, x  0
Solution: The domain of h is all real
numbers.
The function h is continuous on
(−∞, 0) and (0, ∞).
At x = 0, h(0) = 1. Note that
lim h  x  1.
x 0

h is continuous on the entire real number

line.
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 Example (d): Continuity of a Function
Discuss the continuity of the function y = sin x
Solution: The domain of y is all real numbers.
From Theorem 1.6, the function is continuous
on its entire domain, (−∞, ∞).

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One-Sided Limits and Continuity
on a Closed Interval

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 One-Sided Limits
The limit from the right (or right- The limit from the left (or left-
hand limit) means that x hand limit) means that x
approaches c from values greater approaches c from values less
than c. This limit is denoted as than c. This limit is denoted as
lim f  x  L. lim f  x  L.
x c x c

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 Example: A One-Sided Limit
Find the limit of f x   4  x 2 as x approaches −2 from the right.

Solution:

The limit as x approaches −2 from

lim  4  x 2 0.
the right is x  2

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 Theorem 1.10 The Existence of a Limit

Let f be a function, and let c and L be real numbers. The limit of f(x) as x
approaches c is L if and only if

lim f  x  L and lim f x  L.

x c x c

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 Definition of Continuity on a Closed
Interval
A function f is continuous on the closed interval [a, b] when f is
continuous on the open interval (a, b) and

lim f  x  f a  and lim f  x  f b .

x a x b

The function f is continuous from the right at a and continuous from the
left at b.

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 Example: Continuity on a Closed Interval
(1 of 2)
Discuss the continuity of f  x   1 x 2 .

Solution:
The domain of f is the closed interval [−1, 1].

At all points in the open interval (−1, 1) the continuity of f follows from
Theorems 1.4 and 1.5.

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 Example: Continuity on a Closed Interval
(2 of 2)
Because
lim  1 x 2 0 f  1
x  1

and

lim 1 x 2 0 f 1
x 1

f is continuous on the closed interval [−1,1]

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 Properties of Continuity

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 Theorem 1.11 Properties of Continuity

If b is a real number and f and g are continuous at x = c, then the functions

listed below are also continuous at c.

1. Scalar multiple: bf 2. Sum: f + g 3. Difference: f – g

f
4. Product: fg 5. Quotient: , g c  0
g

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 Example: Applying Properties of
Continuity
By Theorem 1.11, it follows that each function below is continuous at every
point in its domain.
x 2 1
f  x   x  sin x, f x  3 tan x, f x  
cos x

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 Theorem 1.12 Continuity of a Composite
Function

If g is continuous at c and f is continuous at g(c), then the composite

function given by (f ◦ g)(x) = f(g(x)) is continuous at c.

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 Example (a): Testing for Continuity (1 of
2)
Describe the interval(s) on which the function is continuous.
f(x) = tan x

Solution: The tangent function f(x) = tan x is undefined at


x   n , n is an integer .
2

At all other points, f is continuous.

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 Example (a): Testing for Continuity (2 of
2)
So, f(x) = tan x is continuous on the open intervals

 3         3 
,  ,   ,  ,  , ,  ,
 2 2  2 2  2 2 

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 Example (b): Testing for Continuity (1 of
2)
Describe the interval(s) on which the function is continuous.
 1
sin , x 0
g  x   x
0, x 0

Solution: Because y = 1/x is continuous except at x = 0 and the sine

function is continuous for all real values of x, it follows from Theorem 1.12
that y = sin (1/x) is continuous at all real values except x = 0.

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 Example (b): Testing for Continuity (2 of
2)
At x = 0, the limit of g(x) does not exist.
g is continuous on the intervals (−∞, 0) and (0, ∞)

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 Example (c): Testing for Continuity (1 of
2)
Describe the interval(s) on which the function is continuous.
 1
 x sin , x 0
h  x   x
0, x 0

Solution: This function is similar to the function in Example (b) except that
the oscillations are damped by the factor x.
For x 0, y  x sin 1 x  is continuous.
1
Note that  x  x sin  x , x 0 and lim  x  0 lim x .
x x 0 x 0

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 Example (c): Testing for Continuity (2 of
2)
Apply the Squeeze Theorem to conclude that lim h  x  0.
x 0

Because h(0) = 0, h is continuous at x = 0.

So, h is continuous on the entire real number line.

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The Intermediate Value Theorem

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 Theorem 1.13 Intermediate Value
Theorem
If f is continuous on the closed interval [a, b], f(a) ≠ f(b), and k is any
number between f(a) and f(b), then there is at least one number c in [a, b]
such that f(c) = k.

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 The Intermediate Value Theorem (1 of 2)
The Intermediate Value Theorem guarantees the existence of at least one
number c in the closed interval [a, b].

There may be more than one

number c such that f(c) = k.

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 The Intermediate Value Theorem (2 of 2)
A function that is not continuous does not necessarily exhibit the intermediate
value property.

The graph of the function shown

jumps over the horizontal line y = k.
There is no value of c in [a, b] such
that f(c) = k.

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 Zeros of a Continuous Function
The Intermediate Value Theorem can be used to locate the zeros of a
function that is continuous on a closed interval.

If f is continuous on [a, b] and f(a) and f(b) differ in sign, the Intermediate
Value Theorem guarantees the existence of at least one zero of f in the
closed interval [a, b].

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 Example: An Application of the
Intermediate Value (1 of 2)
Use the Intermediate Value Theorem to show that the polynomial
function f  x   x 3  2 x  1 has a zero in the interval [0, 1].
Solution:
Note that f is continuous on the closed interval [0, 1].
Because
f 0   03  2 0   1   1 and f 1  13  2 1  1  2

it follows that f(0) < 0 and f(1) > 0.

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 Example: An Application of the
Intermediate Value (2 of 2)
Apply the Intermediate Value Theorem
to conclude that there must be some c
in [0, 1] such that f(c) = 0.

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 Knowledge Check 1
Find the limit (if it exists).
11  x
lim 2
x  11 x  121

a. 1/22
b. 0
c. does not exist
d. −1/22

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 Answer to Knowledge Check 1

d. −1/22

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 Knowledge Check 2
x
Find the x-values (if any) at which f x   2 is not continuous.
x  2x
State whether the discontinuities are removable or nonremovable.

a. f(x) has a removable discontinuity at x = 0 and a nonremovable discontinuity at

x = 2.
b. f(x) has removable discontinuities at x = 0 and at x = 2.
c. f(x) has a nonremovable discontinuity at x = 0 and a removable discontinuity at
x = 2.
d. f(x) has nonremovable discontinuities at x = 0 and at x = 2.

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 Answer to Knowledge Check 2

a. f(x) has a removable discontinuity at x = 0 and a nonremovable

discontinuity at x = 2.

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