Assignment Review Week 6
Exercise 1.6
Determining Continuity: In Exercise 1-10, determine whether the function is continuous on the entire
real number line. Explain your reasoning.
2. 𝑓(𝑥) = (𝑥 2 − 1)3
<Sol>
The function is continuous on the entire ℝ because the function is a polynomial(多項式函數).
(Recall: 凡是可被表示成𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑎𝑛 𝑥 𝑛 + 𝑎𝑛−1 𝑥 𝑛−1 + ⋯ + 𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑎0 的函數形式為多項式函數)
𝑥+4
8. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 −6𝑥+5
<Sol>
𝑥+4 𝑥+4
𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 −6𝑥+5 = (𝑥−5)(𝑥−1) , 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≠ 1 𝑜𝑟 𝑥 ≠ 5
The function is not continuous on the entire ℝ. The rational function is not defined at 1 x = or x = 5.
Determining Continuity: In Exercise 11-40, describe the interval(s) on which the function is continuous.
Explain why the function is continuous on the interval(s). If the function has a discontinuity, identify the
conditions of continuity that are not satisfied.
1
12. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 −4
<Sol>
1
(1) 𝑓(𝑥) = (𝑥+2)(𝑥−2) , 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≠ ±2 → 𝑥 is continuous on (−∞ , −2) , (−2 , 2) , (2 , ∞).
(2) the domain of 𝑓 consists of all real numbers except 𝑥 = ±2.
1 1
(3) 𝑓(−2) , 𝑓(2) is not defined. lim = −∞ ≠ lim = ∞ → lim 𝑓(𝑥) does not exist.
𝑥→−2+ 𝑥 2 −4 𝑥→−2− 𝑥 2 −4 𝑥→2
𝑥 2 − 2 , 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≤ −1
30. 𝑓(𝑥) = {
3𝑥 + 2 , 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 > −1
<Sol>
(1) 𝑓(−1) is defined.
(2) lim+ 𝑓(𝑥) = lim+ 3𝑥 + 2 = −1 = lim− 𝑓(𝑥) = lim− 𝑥 2 − 2 = −1 → lim 𝑓(𝑥) exist.
𝑥→−1 𝑥→−1 𝑥→−1 𝑥→−1 𝑥→−1
(3) lim 𝑓(𝑥) = −1 = 𝑓(−1). 𝑓(𝑥) is continuous on (−∞ , ∞).
𝑥→−1
[𝑥]
36. 𝑓(𝑥) = +𝑥
2
(1) 𝑓(𝑥) is continuous on all intervals of the form (𝑐 , 𝑐 + 1) where 𝑐 is an integer.
(2) There are discontinuities at all integer values 𝑐.
[𝑥] [𝑥] 𝑐 3
(3) lim+ 𝑓(𝑥) = lim+ + 𝑥 = lim+ + lim+ 𝑥 = 2 + 𝑐 = 2 𝑐 ≠
𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐 2 𝑥→𝑐 2 𝑥→𝑐
[𝑥] [𝑥] 𝑐−1 3𝑐−1
lim− 𝑓(𝑥) = lim− + 𝑥 = lim− + lim−𝑥 = +𝑐 = → lim 𝑓(𝑥) does not exist.
𝑥→𝑐 𝑥→𝑐 2 𝑥→𝑐 2 𝑥→𝑐 2 2 𝑥→𝑐
Determining Continuity on a Closed Interval: In Exercise 47-50, discuss the continuity of the function on
the closed interval. If there are any discontinuities, determine whether they are removable.
𝑥−1
50. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 −4𝑥+3 , [0 , 4]
𝑥−1 𝑥−1 1
(1) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 −4𝑥+3 = (𝑥−3)(𝑥−1) = 𝑥−3 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≠ 1. Continuous on [0 , 1) ∪ (1 , 3) ∪ (3 , 4].
(2) 𝑓(𝑥) has a removable discontinuity at x = 1 and a nonremovable discontinuity at x = 3.
Making a Function Continuous: In Exercise 57 and 58, find the constant 𝑎 and 𝑏 such that the
function is continuous on the entire real number line.
2 , 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≤ −1
58. 𝑓(𝑥) = {𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 , 𝑖𝑓 − 1 < 𝑥 < 3
−2 , 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≥ 3
lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 2 , lim+ 𝑓(𝑥) = −𝑎 + 𝑏 , lim− 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑎 + 𝑏 , lim+ 𝑓(𝑥) = −2
𝑥→−1− 𝑥→−1 𝑥→3 𝑥→3
lim 𝑓(𝑥) = lim+ 𝑓(𝑥) → 2 = −𝑎 + 𝑏
𝑥→−1− 𝑥→−1
lim 𝑓(𝑥) = lim+ 𝑓(𝑥) → 3𝑎 + 𝑏 = −2
𝑥→3− 𝑥→3
𝑎 = −1 , 𝑏 = 1
2 , 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≤ −1
𝑓(𝑥) = {−𝑥 + 1 , 𝑖𝑓 − 1 < 𝑥 < 3 , lim 𝑓(𝑥) = 2 = 𝑓(−1) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 lim 𝑓(𝑥) = −2 = 𝑓(3)
𝑥→−1 𝑥→3
−2 , 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≥ 3
