Math 3593 Hubbard/Hubbard 4.

Riemann Integrability of Some Strange Functions

The purpose of this handout is to investigate the types of functions that can be handled using Riemann’s
definition of the integral.

0, x ∈
/ [0, 1], or x is rational
1. Dirichlet’s function is defined by f (x) = .
1 x ∈ [0, 1], and x is irrational

(a) Compute the upper Riemann sum UN (f ).

(b) Compute the lower Riemann sum LN (f ).

(c) Is Dirichlet’s function Riemann integrable?

2. A function
 similar to Dirichlet’s function (and sometimes called the “popcorn” function) is defined by
0, x ∈/ [0, 1), or x is irrational
f (x) = .
 1 x ∈ [0, 1), and x = m where this fraction is in lowest terms
n n

(a) Do you think this function is Riemann integrable?

(b) Compute the lower Riemann sum LN (F ).

(c) Fix  > 0 and explain why proving there exists an integer N such that UN (f ) <  will also prove
lim UN (f ) = 0. The remaining steps will outline how to prove this result.
N →∞
(d) For a given integer K, can you find an upper bound on the number of points, x ∈ [0, 1) with
1
f (x) > K?

1
(e) Now choose a positive integer K such that K < 2 . From the previous problem, we have an upper
1
bound on the number of points, x, with f (x) > K. How N can be chosen so that UN (f ) < ?
 j j+1

(It may help to split the sum for UN (f ) into two sums: one over those intervals ,
2N 2N
that
1
contain points x with f (x) > K and another sum over those intervals that do not.)

(f) Is f Riemann integrable?