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Functions · Limits and continuity

Continuity of Functions

Before you start, make sure you know: Piecewise functions (High School Year 1 (semesters 1 and 2))
Before you start, make sure you know: Algebraic fractions (High School Year 1 (semesters 1 and 2))

When you climb a steep street in Guanajuato, your altitude changes without jumps: at every instant there is an altitude, and an instant later you have almost the same one. But in a parking lot that charges by the hour, at 2 h 59 min you pay one rate and at exactly 3 h, suddenly, a higher one. The first situation is continuous; the second is not. On this page you will turn that intuition into a precise criterion using limits, and at the end you will see whether you could have predicted the jump in the parking lot.

Continuity at a point

A function is continuous at $x=a$ if its graph doesn't break there: the value the function "approaches" from both sides matches the value it actually takes at $a$.

Graph of a continuous function at x = a: the curve passes through the point (a, f(a)) with no jumps or breaks. x = a f(a) no break: the limit equals f(a)

Domain and continuity of familiar functions

Polynomials, exponential functions, and sine and cosine are continuous on their whole domain. Rational functions, radicals, and logarithms are continuous where they are defined: that is why, to study their continuity, you first find the domain.

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Determine the domain of the function $g(x) = \sqrt{x^2 - 25}$ and justify in which intervals the function is continuous.

Determine the domain of the function $g(x) = \sqrt{x^2 - 25}$ and justify in which intervals the function is continuous.

Solve
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Express the function $h(x) = |x - 3|$ as a piecewise-defined function and prove analytically that it is continuous at $x = 3$.

Express the function $h(x) = |x - 3|$ as a piecewise-defined function and prove analytically that it is continuous at $x = 3$.

Solve
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Study the continuity of the logarithmic function $f(x) = \ln(8 - 2x)$, clearly stating the interval of real numbers where it is continuous.

Study the continuity of the logarithmic function $f(x) = \ln(8 - 2x)$, clearly stating the interval of real numbers where it is continuous.

Solve

Types of discontinuity

When any of the three conditions fails, the function is discontinuous at that point. We will study three common types; they don't cover every case (for example, $\sin(1/x)$ oscillates with no limit as $x\to0$).

Three types of discontinuity: removable with a hollow point, finite jump with two branches at different heights, and infinite jump with a vertical asymptote. removable finite jump infinite jump

If the denominator is zero but the numerator is not, the limit is infinite.

Functions with absolute value

If there is an absolute value, first rewrite the function piecewise, according to the sign of what is inside the bars. Then compute the one-sided limits of each piece.

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Study the continuity of the function $f(x) = \frac{x^2 - 16}{x - 4}$. State the points at which it is discontinuous and classify the type of discontinuity present.

Study the continuity of the function $f(x) = \frac{x^2 - 16}{x - 4}$. State the points at which it is discontinuous and classify the type of discontinuity present.

Solve
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Look at the following graphical representation of a function $f(x)$ and determine the points where it has discontinuities, classifying them as removable, finite jump, or…

Look at the following graphical representation of a function $f(x)$ and determine the points where it has discontinuities, classifying them as removable, finite jump, or infinite jump discontinuities.

X Y 2 4 6 f(x)
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The rational function $f(x) = \frac{x^2 + 2x - 8}{x - 2}$ is not defined at $x = 2$. What numerical value should $f(2)$ take so that the function is continuous at that…

The rational function $f(x) = \frac{x^2 + 2x - 8}{x - 2}$ is not defined at $x = 2$. What numerical value should $f(2)$ take so that the function is continuous at that point?

Solve
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Given the exponential function $g(x) = e^{\frac{1}{x-1}}$, study its continuity at the point $x = 1$ by calculating the one-sided limits.

Given the exponential function $g(x) = e^{\frac{1}{x-1}}$, study its continuity at the point $x = 1$ by calculating the one-sided limits.

Solve
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Study the continuity of the trigonometric function $g(x) = \frac{1}{\cos x}$ in the open interval $(0, 2\pi)$. At which points does it have discontinuities and what…

Study the continuity of the trigonometric function $g(x) = \frac{1}{\cos x}$ in the open interval $(0, 2\pi)$. At which points does it have discontinuities and what types are they?

Solve
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Study the continuity of the rational function $f(x) = \frac{x^3 - 3x^2 - x + 3}{x^2 - x - 6}$ in detail. Classify the types of discontinuity it has at the points where…

Study the continuity of the rational function $f(x) = \frac{x^3 - 3x^2 - x + 3}{x^2 - x - 6}$ in detail. Classify the types of discontinuity it has at the points where it is not defined.

Solve
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Given the function with modulus $f(x) = \frac{x^2-9}{|x-3|}$, rewrite it as a piecewise-defined function and classify the type of discontinuity it has at $x=3$.

Given the function with modulus $f(x) = \frac{x^2-9}{|x-3|}$, rewrite it as a piecewise-defined function and classify the type of discontinuity it has at $x=3$.

Solve
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Analyse the continuity of the function $f(x) = \frac{x}{1-e^{1/x}}$ at the point $x=0$. Calculate the one-sided limits and determine whether the discontinuity is…

Analyse the continuity of the function $f(x) = \frac{x}{1-e^{1/x}}$ at the point $x=0$. Calculate the one-sided limits and determine whether the discontinuity is removable or a jump discontinuity.

Solve

Continuity of piecewise functions

If each expression is continuous on its piece, you only need to check the junction points. But you must also check whether any expression has problems of its own inside its interval.

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The charge for a public parking lot is calculated using the function $C(t) = 2 + 1.5 \times \text{ENT}(t)$, where $t$ is the time in hours and $\text{ENT}(t)$ represents…

The charge for a public parking lot is calculated using the function $C(t) = 2 + 1.5 \times \text{ENT}(t)$, where $t$ is the time in hours and $\text{ENT}(t)$ represents the floor function of $t$.

Identify the points of discontinuity of this function in the interval $(0, 4)$ and explain the practical meaning of these discontinuities for a parking lot user.

Solve
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The temperature of an industrial oven in degrees Celsius, $T(t)$, as a function of time in minutes $t$, is given by:…

The temperature of an industrial oven in degrees Celsius, $T(t)$, as a function of time in minutes $t$, is given by:

$T(t) = \begin{cases} 20 + 15t & \text{if } 0 \le t < 10 \\ k \times 0.9^{t-10} & \text{if } t \ge 10 \end{cases}$

Determine the value of $k$ so that there is no sudden jump in temperature at 10 minutes. What physical phenomenon does the function represent from $t = 10$ onwards?

You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.

Solve

Parameters that make a function continuous

The typical problem: an expression has an unknown parameter and you must find the value that eliminates the jump.

When the parameter is in a fraction with a discontinuity you want to make removable, require the numerator to vanish at that point: that way there is a common factor that cancels.

Piecewise function: a parabola and a line join at x = 2 at the same height. x = 2 x²+1 ax − 3 they match at x = 2: 2a − 3 = 5
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A cell phone company offers a data plan with the following conditions: a fixed fee of $200$ pesos is paid, which includes the first $5$ GB. For each additional GB up to…

A cell phone company offers a data plan with the following conditions: a fixed fee of $200$ pesos is paid, which includes the first $5$ GB. For each additional GB up to $20$ GB, $40$ pesos is charged. Beyond $20$ GB, the price follows the expression $a + 30x$, where $x$ is the total GB consumed.

Find the value of the parameter $a$ so that the function representing the total cost is continuous at all times, and write the complete algebraic expression for this function.

Solve
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Given the function $f(x) = \frac{x^2 + kx - 6}{x - 2}$, calculate the value of the parameter $k$ so that the discontinuity at $x = 2$ is removable. Once found, what will…

Given the function $f(x) = \frac{x^2 + kx - 6}{x - 2}$, calculate the value of the parameter $k$ so that the discontinuity at $x = 2$ is removable. Once found, what will be the value of the limit of the function at that point?

Solve
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Determine the values of the parameters $a$ and $b$ so that the following function is continuous everywhere in $\mathbb{R}$:…

Determine the values of the parameters $a$ and $b$ so that the following function is continuous everywhere in $\mathbb{R}$:

$f(x) = \begin{cases} ax^2 + bx + 1 & \text{if } x \le 1 \\ 2a \ln(x) + b & \text{if } 1 < x \le e \\ e^{x-e} + a & \text{if } x > e \end{cases}$

Solve
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To design a roller coaster, two sections of track must be joined together. The profile of the roller coaster is given by the following piecewise-defined function, where…

To design a roller coaster, two sections of track must be joined together. The profile of the roller coaster is given by the following piecewise-defined function, where $x$ is the horizontal distance in meters:

x (m) y (m) x = 10 Section 1 Section 2 Junction point

The equation of the profile is:

$f(x) = \begin{cases} \frac{100}{x + 10} + a & \text{if } 0 \le x < 10 \\ bx^2 - 2x + 15 & \text{if } x \ge 10 \end{cases}$

Given that the design requires the track to be continuous at the junction point $x = 10$, and that Section 1 starts from a height of $15\text{ m}$ at $x = 0$, calculate the values of $a$ and $b$.

Solve
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The specific heat capacity $C_p(T)$ of a material undergoes a phase transition at a critical temperature $T_c = 100$ K. The proposed thermodynamic model is:…

The specific heat capacity $C_p(T)$ of a material undergoes a phase transition at a critical temperature $T_c = 100$ K. The proposed thermodynamic model is:

$C_p(T) = \begin{cases} \frac{500}{\sqrt{120-T}} & \text{if } T < 100 \\ 200 \ln(T-99) + k & \text{if } T \ge 100 \end{cases}$

Calculate the value of $k$ knowing that during the phase transition a finite jump discontinuity (latent heat) occurs such that $\lim_{T \to 100^+} C_p(T) - \lim_{T \to 100^-} C_p(T) = 80$.

Solve
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The voltage signal on an oscilloscope shows a damped wave that suddenly stabilises due to the action of a clipping diode at $t = t_c$. The analytical model for $t \ge 0$…

The voltage signal on an oscilloscope shows a damped wave that suddenly stabilises due to the action of a clipping diode at $t = t_c$.

t V(t) tc

The analytical model for $t \ge 0$ is:

$V(t) = \begin{cases} e^{-0.5t} \cos(2\pi t) & \text{if } 0 \le t < t_c \\ C & \text{if } t \ge t_c \end{cases}$

Given that the cutoff occurs exactly at the fourth complete cycle of the cosine wave ($t_c = 4$), prove analytically that the function is continuous at that point by calculating the exact value that the constant $C$ must take.

Solve

Discontinuities with parameters, composition, and limits at infinity

In the hard problems everything is combined: domain, factoring, and one-sided limits. An orderly method helps: (1) find the domain; (2) factor and simplify; (3) at each problem point compute the one-sided limits; (4) classify.

Limit at infinity and horizontal asymptote

Some problems also ask for the behavior of the function when $x$ becomes very large. We write $\displaystyle\lim_{x\to\infty}f(x)=L$ when the values of $f$ approach $L$ as $x$ takes larger and larger values. Then the line $y=L$ is a horizontal asymptote.

For a rational function, compare the degrees. If numerator and denominator have the same degree, the limit is the quotient of the leading coefficients. Why? For huge $x$, the lower-degree terms weigh almost nothing compared to the highest-degree one.

If the degree of the numerator is smaller, the limit is $0$; if it is larger, the limit is infinite.

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Discuss the continuity of the function $f(x) = \frac{x^2 - 1}{x^2 - mx + 4}$ depending on the possible values of the real parameter $m$. Pay special attention to the…

Discuss the continuity of the function $f(x) = \frac{x^2 - 1}{x^2 - mx + 4}$ depending on the possible values of the real parameter $m$. Pay special attention to the cases where the denominator has roots that coincide with those of the numerator.

Solve
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Given the functions $g(x) = \frac{1}{x - 2}$ and $h(x) = \sqrt{x + 1}$, obtain the algebraic expression for the composite function $f(x) = g(h(x))$ and thoroughly study…

Given the functions $g(x) = \frac{1}{x - 2}$ and $h(x) = \sqrt{x + 1}$, obtain the algebraic expression for the composite function $f(x) = g(h(x))$ and thoroughly study its continuity, stating its domain and the types of discontinuities it has.

Solve
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Find the values of $a, b$ and $c$ so that the rational function $f(x) = \frac{ax^2+bx+c}{x^2-4}$ simultaneously satisfies the following conditions: 1. It has a removable…

Find the values of $a, b$ and $c$ so that the rational function $f(x) = \frac{ax^2+bx+c}{x^2-4}$ simultaneously satisfies the following conditions:

  1. It has a removable discontinuity at $x=2$.

  2. It has a vertical asymptote at $x=-2$.

  3. Its limit as $x \to \infty$ is $3$.

  4. It intersects the y-axis at $y = -1.5$.

Solve
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Study the continuity of the function $f(x) = e^{\frac{1}{|x|-1}}$ in detail. Determine its domain, calculate the limits at the problem points, and rigorously classify…

Study the continuity of the function $f(x) = e^{\frac{1}{|x|-1}}$ in detail. Determine its domain, calculate the limits at the problem points, and rigorously classify the type of discontinuity present at each of them.

Solve

Intermediate Value Theorem (Bolzano)

If a continuous function goes from negative to positive values (or the reverse) on an interval, at some point in between it had to cross zero: with no jumps, it can't "pass over" the axis.

Bolzano's theorem: a continuous curve joins a point below the axis to a point above the axis and crosses it at c. a b f(a) < 0 f(b) > 0 c

For the auxiliary-function exercise: if you want to prove that $f(c)=c^2$ holds at some point, define $g(x)=f(x)-x^2$ and apply Bolzano to $g$ (or evaluate at the endpoints if $g(0)$ or $g(1)$ is already zero).

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Using Bolzano's Theorem, show that the equation $x^3 + 2x - 4 = 0$ has at least one real solution in the interval $(1, 2)$. Justify all the conditions necessary to apply…

Using Bolzano's Theorem, show that the equation $x^3 + 2x - 4 = 0$ has at least one real solution in the interval $(1, 2)$. Justify all the conditions necessary to apply the theorem.

Solve
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The following graph illustrates the principle of Bolzano's Theorem for a continuous polynomial function $f(x) = x^3 - 4x - 2$. By observing the graph and evaluating the…

The following graph illustrates the principle of Bolzano's Theorem for a continuous polynomial function $f(x) = x^3 - 4x - 2$. By observing the graph and evaluating the function, find an interval of length 1 (that is, $[n, n+1]$ with $n \in \mathbb{Z}$) where the existence of a real root can be guaranteed, justifying your answer.

X Y 1 2 3 A(2, −2) B(3, 13) c = ?
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Let $f$ be a continuous function on the closed interval $[0, 1]$ such that $0 \le f(x) \le 1$ for all $x \in [0, 1]$. Using Bolzano's Theorem, prove that there exists at…

Let $f$ be a continuous function on the closed interval $[0, 1]$ such that $0 \le f(x) \le 1$ for all $x \in [0, 1]$. Using Bolzano's Theorem, prove that there exists at least one point $c \in [0, 1]$ at which the graph of the function intersects the parabola $y = x^2$, that is, prove that $f(c) = c^2$. (Hint: Define an auxiliary function $g(x) = f(x) - x^2$).

Solve

Go back to the beginning: the parking lot rate is discontinuous because $\text{ENT}(t)$ jumps at every exact hour (different one-sided limits), while your altitude as you climb the street is continuous.

Summary

See all the exercises in this section