Math 631 Homework 1 - due Thursday 9/3

Please get in touch (rufus@math.hawaii.edu) if you have any questions, or think theres a mistake or
typo.
Here is one way to define the Riemann integral for real-valued functions with domain a closed
rectangle in R2 .
Let [a, b] be a closed bounded interval in R. A partition P of [a, b] is a finite, ordered collection
x0 < x1 < < xN
of real numbers, where a = x0 and b = xN . A subinterval of the partition is any of the (closed, bounded)
intervals [xi1 , xi ] for i {1, ..., N }.
Given two closed, bounded intervals [a1 , b1 ], [a2 , b2 ], the corresponding closed bounded rectangle is
defined to be the (compact) subset of R2
[a1 , b1 ] [a2 , b2 ] := {(x, y) R2 | a1 x b1 and a2 y b2 }.
Qd
A partition of the rectangle i=1 [ai , bi ] is a pair P = (P1 , P2 ) where each Pi is a partition of [ai , bi ]. A
subrectangle S of such a partition is a set of the form [xi1 , xi ] [yi1 , yi ], where [xi1 , xi ] and [yi1 , yi ]
are subintervals of P1 and P2 respectively; the area of such an S is by definition
|S| := (xi xi1 )(yi yi1 ).
Now, fix a rectangle R = [a1 , b1 ] [a2 , b2 ], and let f : R R be a bounded function. Let P be a
partition of R. The upper sum of f is defined to be
X
U (P, f ) :=
|S| sup f (x)
xS

S a subrectangle of P

and the lower sum is defined to be

X

L(P, f ) :=

|S| inf f (x).

xS

S a subrectangle of P

We say that f as above is Riemann integrable on R if for all  > 0 there is a partition P of R such
that
U (P, f ) L(P, f ) < .
If f is a Riemann integrable, then it is a fact (which you dont have to justify) that
sup

L(P, f ) =

partitions P

inf

partitions P

U (P, f ),

and we define the Riemann integral of f over R to be the common value

Z
f (x)dx :=
sup
L(P, f ) =
inf
U (P, f ).
R

partitions P

partitions P

Here are some problems based on this definition...

1. (10 points) Let R = [0, 1] [0, 1], and : R R be the function


1 x>y
(x, y) =
0 otherwise
Using the above definition, prove that is Riemann integrable.
2. (8 points) Let R = [0, 1] [0, 1], and define q : R R to be the function

1 x, y Q
q(x, y) =
0 otherwise
Using the above definition, prove that q is not Riemann integrable.
3. You may use standard facts about Riemann integrable functions to solve this problem, as long as
you state them clearly.
(a) (6 points) Say R is a rectangle, and (fn : R R) is a sequence of continuous functions on R
that converge uniformly to some continuous function f : R R. Prove that
Z
Z
lim
fn (x)dx =
f (x)dx.
n

Hint: recall the inequality


Z


g(x)dx |R| sup |g(x)|,

xR

valid for any g which is Riemann integrable on R; you may use this without proof.
(b) (6 points) Say R = [0, 1] [0, 1]. Give an example of a sequence (fn : R R) of continuous
functions on R that converge pointwise to some continuous function f : R R such that
Z
Z
lim
fn (x)dx 6=
f (x)dx.
n

Hint: try to solve the problem in one dimension first where f is the constant function with
value 0 everywhere, then adapt your solution.
4. (Extra credit) Same as question 1, but with : [0, 1] [0, 1] R defined by

1 x2 + y 2 < 1
(x, y) =
.
0 otherwise