5: CONTINUITY AND DIFFERENTIABILITY

1. Prove the continuity of the following functions:

(a) f (x) = 5x − 3 (e) f (x) = | cos x|

at x = 0, x = −3 and x = 5.
(f) f (x) = sin |x|
(b) f (x) = x for x ∈ R
(c) f (x) = xn at x = n, where n ∈ N (g) f (x) = 5x − |x| at x = 0
(d) f (x) = cos(x2 ) (h) f (x) = |x| at x = 0

2. Examine the continuity of the following functions:

(a) f (x) = 2x2 − 1 at x = 3 (m) f (x) = sin x + cos x

(b) f (x) = 2x + 3 at x = 1 (n) f (x) = sin x − cos x
(c) f (x) = x − 5 (o) f (x) = sin x · cos x
1

(d) f (x) = , x ̸= 5 x2 sin 1 x ̸= 0
x−5 (p) f (x) = x
0 x=0
x2 − 25
(e) f (x) = , x ̸= −5
x+5
(
sin x − cos x, x ̸= 0
(f) f (x) = |x − 5| (q) f (x) =
( −1, x=0
x if x ≤ 1 (r) f (x) = cos x
(g) f (x) =
5 if x > 1
(s) f (x) = csc x
at x = 0, x = 1, x = 2
( (t) f (x) = sec x
x+5 x≤1
(h) f (x) = (u) f (x) = cot x
x−5 x>1
 (v) f (x) = sin2 x + x2 − 2x at x = 0, x = π
3 0 ≤ x ≤ 1
  2
x −x−6
(i) f (x) = 4 1 < x < 3 x ̸= 3


 2
 (w) f (x) = x − 2x − 3
5 3 ≤ x ≤ 10

 5
 
 x=3
2x x < 0
 8

(j) f (x) = 0

0≤x≤1 −x
 x≤0

4x x > 1 (x) f (x) = x 0<x≤1

2−x 1<x≤2
 
−2 x ≤ −1
 (
(k) f (x) = 2x −1 < x ≤ 1 5x − 1 x < 0
 (y) f (x) =
2 x>1 5x + 1 x ≥ 0


(l) f (x) = x2 − sin x + 5 at x = π (z) f (x) = [x] at x = 2

3. Discuss continuity of the following functions:

 
2 2
x + 2x + 1 0 ≤ x < 1
 2x + 1
 0≤x<2
(a) f (x) = x3 − 3x + 6 1 < x ≤ 2 (b) f (x) = 4x − 3 2<x≤4
 
 2
4 x=1 x −x+1 4<x≤8

   1 − tan x π
6 + 5x − 6x2

 1≤x<2  0 < x <
2 − sec2 x 4
 


 2 + 3x 


−1 1 π

x=2
 

(c) f (x) = 5x


2 x=
−6 + 2<x≤4 4
 (g) f (x) =
2 1 − cot x π π


x+4

<x<

 

4<x≤8 2 − csc x 2 4 2

 

2x3 + 3x − 20


sec x − tan x π


≤x<π
 
 1 − cos x x ̸= 0

π
− x2

4
2
(d) f (x) = x2 
1 x=0 1 π
x sin − <x<0


√ x 2



 x + 6 − 3 x ̸= 3

3

1 − sin x π
 

x2 − 9 0≤x<

(e) f (x) = 

cos x2 2
1 (h) f (x) =
x=3


36  3 π

 x=
2 2

2

 1 − sin x


if x < π2
  π
3( −x)
−1 π


 3 cos 2x

 3 2
<x<π

 

2 cos x 2

1
(f) f (x) = if x = π2  x−2
3 2 − 2 + sin(x − 3)
x ̸= 3


8(1 − sin x) log(x − 2)

 (i) f (x) =
if x > π2



3(π − 2x)2 2 log 2 + 1 x=3
 

1 − sin x π π π 
4. If f (x) =  , x ̸= is a continuous functions at x = , then find the value of f .
π 2 2 2 2
x−
2
sec2 x − 2 π π π 
5. If f (x) = , x ̸= is a continuous functions at x = , then find the value of f .
tan x − 2 4 4 4
(sin x − cos x)2 π π
6. If f (x) = √ , x ̸= is a continuous functions at x = , then find the value of
π  2 − sin x − cos x 4 4
f .
4
7. Find all points of discontinuity of f , where f is defined by
( (
2x + 3 if x ≤ 2 x+1 x≥1
(a) f (x) = (e) f (x) =
2x − 3 if x > 2 x2 + 1 x < 1
 (
 |x| + 3 if x ≤ −3 x3 − 3 x ≤ 2
(f) f (x) =

(b) f (x) = −2x if − 3 < x < 3 x2 + 1 x > 2

6x + 2 if x ≥ 3
 (
x10 − 1 x ≤ 1
(g) f (x) =

 |x| x2 x>1
x ̸= 0
(c) f (x) = x 
0 x=0  sin x
x<0
x (h) f (x) = x
 x<0 x + 1 x ≥ 0
(d) f (x) = |x|
−1 x ≥ 0 (i) f (x) = |x| − |x + 1|

8. Discuss the continuity of the following functions. Check whether it will have a removable or an
irremovable type of discontinuity.

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   π
x + 1 0 ≤ x < 1
  1 − sin x
2

x ̸= 1

(a) f (x) = x2 + 1 1 < x ≤ 2

 (d) f (x) = (2x − 2) log x
3 x=1 π2
 


 x=1
log 2
 −1

4 x
− 3x  (3sin x − 1)3
x<0
  x<0
√
 
2 + 3x

 
 2 log(1
 + 3x)

2
 ( 1 + x − 1) log

 


4 (e) f (x) = 2−x
(b) f (x) = log x=0 3
 3 
 (log 3) x=0
x x
 −x
3 − 4 x

3 +3 −2

 

x>0 x>0

 

sin x − tan 7x log(1 + x) tan−1 x

  
4 4 + sin x
 √ 2 log x<0

√ 
 tan 2x

4 − sin x
( x + 1 − 1) log 1 + x

x ̸= 0

 (f) f (x) = 2 x=0
(c) f (x) = (tan−1 2x)3 −x
−

1 
 (1 e )[log(x + 0.5) + log 2]
x>0

x=0
 

16 sec 2x − 1
(
ax + 1 x ≤ 3
9. Find the relationship between a and b so that the function f (x) = is continuous
bx + 3 x > 3
at x = 3.

10. Show that g(x) = x − [x] is discontinuous at all integral points, where [x] is the greatest integer
≤ x.

11. Find the values of k so that the function f is continuous at the indicated point.
 (
 k cos x x ̸= π kx + 1, x ≤ 5
(a) f (x) = π − 2x 2 at x = π (d) f (x) = at x = 5
3 π
2 3x − 5, x > 5
x= 2 
(  1 − cos 4x x ̸= 0
kx2 x ≤ 2 (e) f (x) = 8x2
(b) f (x) = at x = 2
3 x>2  k x=0
( (
kx + 1 x ≤ π k(x2 − 2x), x ≤ 0
(c) f (x) = at x = π (f) f (x) = at x = 0
cos x x>π 4x + 1, x>0

12. Find a and b such that the following functions are continuous.
 
5
 x≤2 6ax + 3b x > 1

(a) f (x) = ax + b 2 < x < 10 (b) f (x) = ax − 2b x < 1
 
21 x ≥ 10 15 x=1
 

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