Math 0420 Homework 3

Guoqing Liu September 23, 2012

Exercise 3.3.1 Find an example of a discontinuous function f : [0, 1] R where the

intermediate value theorem fails.

Solution: Define the following function:

{
x if x [0, 21 ]
f (x) :=
x + 1 if x ( 21 , 1]

The picture of the function follows, Here f (0) = 0 < r < f (1) = 2 for any r ( 21 , 32 ],

Figure 1: Example for discontinuous function

1.8

1.6

1.4

1.2
f(x)
1

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
x

there is no c such that f (r) = c.(You may see by Horizontal test)

Exercise 3.3.2 Find an example of a bounded discontinuous function f : [0, 1] R that

has neither an absolute minimum nor an absolute maximum.

1
Solution: Define the function as follows:

0.5 if x = 0
f (x) := x if x (0, 1)

0.5 if x = 1
The above function is bounded below by 0 and above by 1. However, the function never
obtains its absolute minimum and maximum.

Exercise 3.3.6 Suppose that g(x) is a polynomial of even degree d such that
g(x) = xd + bd1 xd1 + + b1 x + b0
for some real numbers b0 , b1 , . . . , bd1 . Suppose that g(0) < 0. Show that g has at lease
two district roots.

Solution: Consider the sequence g(n) for n N,

bd1 nd1 + + b1 n + b0 |bd1 |nd1 + + |b1 |n + |b0 |
| |
nd nd
|bd1 |n d1
+ + |b1 |nd1 + |b0 |nd1

nd
(|bd1 | + + |b1 | + |b0 |)nd1

nd
(|bd1 | + + |b1 | + |b0 |)
=
n
Therefore,
bd1 nd1 + + b1 n + b0
lim =0
n nd
Thus there exist an M N such that
bd1 M d1 + + b1 M + b0
<1
Md
That is,
g(M ) = M d + bd1 M d1 + + b1 M + b0 > 0
Since g(x) is continuous and g(0) < 0, then by Intermediate Value Theorem there exists
at least one root in [0, M ].
Similarly, consider the sequence g(n),
bd1 (n)d1 + + b1 (n) + b0 |bd1 ||(n)d1 | + + |b1 || n| + |b0 |
| |
nd nd
|bd1 |n d1
+ + |b1 |nd1 + |b0 |nd1

nd
(|bd1 | + + |b1 | + |b0 |)nd1

nd
(|bd1 | + + |b1 | + |b0 |)
=
n

2
Therefore,
bd1 (n)d1 + + b1 (n) + b0
lim =0
n (n)d
Thus there exist an K N such that
bd1 (K)d1 + + b1 (K) + b0
<1
(K)d
Because d is even and then (K)d is positive,
g(K) = (K)d + bd1 (K)d1 + + b1 (K) + b0 > 0
Since g(x) is continuous and g(0) < 0, then by Intermediate Value Theorem there exists
at least one root in [K, 0].
Totally, we have g has at lease two district roots.

Exercise 3.4.2 Let f : (a, b) R be a uniformly continuous function. Finish the proof
of Theorem 3.4.6 by showing that the limit lim exists.
xb
Solution: Let xn and yn be two sequence such that
lim xn = b and lim yn = b
n n

Since xn and yn are convergent and therefore Cauchy, by Lemma 3.4.5, we obtain f (xn )
and f (yn ) are Cauchy.
Define:
L1 = lim f (xn ) and L2 = lim yn
n n

Let > 0, , such that |x y| < implies |f (x) f (y)| < 3 .

And M1 , M2 , M3 , M4 > 0,

|b xn | < n > M1
2

|b yn | < n > M2
2

|L1 f (xn )| < n > M3
3

|L2 f (yn )| < n > M4
3
Take M = min M1 , M2 , M3 , M4 , we obtain,

|xn yn | = |xn b + b yn | |xn b| + |b yn | < + =
2 2
So,
|L1 L2 | = |L1 f (xn ) + f (xn ) f (yn ) + f (yn ) L2 |
|L1 f (xn )| + |f (xn ) f (yn )| + |f (yn ) L2 |

< + +
3 3 3
=

3
Therefore,
L1 = L2
the limit lim exists.
xb

Exercise 3.4.3 Show that f : (c, ) R for some c > 0 and defined by f (x) := 1
x
is
Lipschitz continuous.

Solution:
1 1 |x y| 1
|f (x) f (y)| = | | = 2 |x y|
x y xy c
1 1
Thus, f (x) = x
is Lipschitiz continuous with constant K2
.

Exercise 3.4.4 Show that f : (0, ) R defined by f (x) := 1

x
is not Lipschitz continu-
ous.

Solution:(BY Contradiction)
Assume that f (x) is Lipschitz continuous and then,

1 1 |x y|
|f (x) f (y)| = | | = K|x y|
x y xy
So,
1
|xy|
K
However, let x = 1 and x = 1 , then,
2 K 3 K

1 1
|xy| = <
6K K
1
Thus, f (x) = x
is not Lipschitz continuous following the contradiction above.