Math 320, Real Analysis I Quiz 2 Solutions

1. Give an example of each of the following, or state that such a request is impossible by referring
to the proper theorem(s):
(a) a function f : A R that is continuous on A but not uniformly continuous on A.
Example: Consider the function f : (0, 1) R given by f (x) = 1/x. Then f is
continuous on (0, 1), since it is a rational function and its denominator is never equal to
zero on (0, 1). However, f is not uniformly continuous on (0, 1) since, for the sequences
1 1
(xn ) = ( n+1 ) and (yn ) = ( n+2 ), we have |xn yn | 0 while |f (xn ) f (yn )| = 1 > 0 for
all n N.
(b) a function f : [a, b] R that is continuous on [a, b] but not uniformly continuous
on [a, b].
Impossible! By the Uniform Continuity Theorem, since [a, b] is a compact set, any
function f that is continuous on [a, b] must be uniformly continuous on [a, b].
(c) a function f : [a, b] R that is continuous at c (a, b) but not differentiable at c.
Example: Lets use our favorite example of this, which is f (x) = |x| on [1, 1], which
is continuous, but not differentiable, at c = 0.
(d) a function f : [a, b] R that is differentiable at c (a, b) but not continuous at c.
Impossible! Our differentiable implies continuous theorem says there can be no such
example. If f is differentiable at c, then f must also be continuous at c.
(e) a function f : [a, b] R that is differentiable on [a, b] but whose derivative f 0 is
not continuous on [a, b].
Example: Consider f : [1, 1] R given by
(
x2 sin(1/x) if x 6= 0,
f (x) =
0 if x = 0.

Then f is differentiable on [1, 1], with

(
2x sin(1/x) cos(1/x) if x 6= 0,
f 0 (x) =
0 if x = 0.

However, f 0 is not continuous at c = 0 since lim f 0 (x) does not exist.

x0

2. (a) Define what it means for a set to be compact.

Definition: I will accept either of the following:
(Analytical Version) A set K R is compact if every sequence (xn ) in K has a
subsequence (xnk ) that converges to a point in K.
(Topological Version) A set K R is compact if every open cover G = {G : }
of K has a finite subcover {G1 , G2 , . . . , Gn }. That is, if G is any collection of
open sets such that [
K G ,

then there is a finite subset of G, say {G1 , G2 , . . . , Gn }, for which it is still the
case that
[n
K Gj = G1 G2 Gn .
j=1
Math 320, Real Analysis I Quiz 2 Solutions

[Note: While I will not accept the Heine-Borel Theorem as the definition of a
compact set, I can state it here. According to the Heine-Borel Theorem, a set K R is
compact if and only if it is both closed and bounded.]
(b) State the Preservation of Compactness Theorem.
Preservation of Compactness Theorem: Suppose f : A R is a continuous func-
tion. If K A is any compact subset of A, then f (K) = {f (x) : x K} is a compact
subset of R.
(c) Prove the Extreme Value Theorem, which is a corollary of the Preservation of Com-
pactness Theorem.
Extreme Value Theorem: If f : [a, b] R, then there are points x and x in [a, b]
such that
f (x ) f (x) f (x )
for all x [a, b].

Proof. Since the set [a, b] is both closed and bounded, by the Heine-Borel Theorem we
may conclude that it is compact. Thus, by the Preservation of Compactness Theorem,
we may say that f ([a, b]) is also a compact set. Therefore, f ([a, b]) is bounded, so it is
bounded above and below. Moreover, f ([a, b]) is not empty, since f (a) is in it. Thus,
both sup f ([a, b]) and inf f ([a, b]) exist.
Yet, f ([a, b]) is compact also implies it is closed, so both sup f ([a, b]) and inf f ([a, b]),
which are limit points of the set f ([a, b]) as we have shown in our homework, belong
to f ([a, b]). Therefore, by definition of the set f ([a, b]) = {f (x) : x [a, b]}, since
sup f ([a, b]) f ([a, b]), there exists an element x [a, b] such that sup f ([a, b]) = f (x ).
Hence f (x ) is an upper bound for the set f ([a, b]). Similarly, inf f ([a, b]) = f (x ) for
some x [a, b], so f (x ) is a lower bound for the set [a, b]. Thus, there exists elements
x , x [a, b] such that
f (x ) f (x) f (x )
for all x [a, b], since f (x ) is a lower bound and f (x ) is an upper bound for f ([a, b]),
which is what we wanted to show.

3. (a) Define what it means for a set to be connected.

Definition: A set E is connected if it is not disconnected.
A set E is disconnected if there are nonempty sets A and B such that E = A B and
A B = A B = . (In this case, we say the sets A and B are separated.)
(b) Give an example of each of the following, or state that such a request is impossible by
referring to the proper theorem(s):
i. a continuous function f : [a, b] R such that f ([a, b]) is not an interval.
Impossible! Since the domain is an interval, it is connected. As f is continuous,
f ([a, b]) must be connected by the Preservation of Connectedness Theorem.
Finally, as f ([a, b]) is a connected set in R, it is an interval by Theorem 3.4.7.
ii. a continuous function f : [a, b] R such that f ([a, b]) 6= [f (a), f (b)].
Example: Consider the function f : [1, 2] R given by f (x) = x2 . Then
f (1) = 1 and f (2) = 4, but

f ([1, 2]) = {f (x) : x [1, 2]} = {x2 : 1 x 2} = [0, 4]

Math 320, Real Analysis I Quiz 2 Solutions

is not equal to [f (1), f (2)] = [1, 4].

iii. a continuous function f : [a, b] R that does not have the intermediate value
property.
Impossible! By the Intermediate Value Theorem, every continuous function
f : [a, b] R has the intermediate value property.
iv. a function f : [a, b] R with the intermediate value property that is not continuous.
Example: Consider the function f : [, ] R given by
(
sin(1/x) if x 6= 0,
f (x) =
0 if x = 0.

Then f has the intermediate value property, but f is not continuous at c = 0, and
hence is not continuous.
v. a differentiable function f : [a, b] R such that f 0 does not have the intermediate
value property on [a, b].
Impossible! By Darbouxs Theorem, if f : [a, b] R is differentiable and is
any number betweeen f 0 (a) and f 0 (b), then there is a number c (a, b) such that
f 0 (c) = . Hence, f 0 has the intermediate value property.