115 Sols 7

HW 7 Solutions
Math 115, Winter 2009, Prof. Yitzhak Katznelson
18.4. Let S R and suppose there exists a sequence xn in S that

converges to a number x0 / S. Show that there exists an unbounded
continuous function on S.
1
Consider the function f (x) = xx 0
. This is a quotient of continuous
functions and thus is continuous on all of R except for x0 , which is the
only point where the denominator is zero. Since x0 / S, f (x) is thus
continuous on S.
Moreover, pick M R. Since xn converge to x0 , there exists N N
such that n N implies |xn x0 | < 1/M. In particular, |xN x0 | <
1/M. Then |f (xN )| = |xN 1x0 | > M. Since xN S, and this can be
done for any M, f (x) is unbounded on S.
18.5. a) Let f and g be continuous functions on [a, b] such that

f (a) g(a) and f (b) g(b). Prove that f (x0 ) = g(x0 ) for at least one
x0 in [a, b].
Proof: Consider the function h(x) = f (x) g(x). Then h(x) is
continuous since f and g are, and h(a) 0, and h(b) 0. If h(a) = 0,
let x0 = a; if h(b) = 0, let x0 = b. Otherwise, we have h(a) > 0 > h(b),
and so by the Intermediate Value Theorem there is a point x0 (a, b)
with h(x0 ) = 0. So in any of these cases we have some point x0 [a, b]
with h(x0 ) = 0; i.e. f (x0 ) g(x0 ) = 0; i.e. f (x0 ) = g(x0 ).
b) Show that Example 1 can be viewed as a special case of part a).
Let f (x) be any function mapping [0, 1] into [0, 1], and let g(x) = x.
Then f (0) 0 = g(0), and f (1) 1 = g(1). So by a), there is at least
one point x0 where f (x0 ) = g(x0 ) = x0 ; x0 is then a fixed point.
18.10. Suppose that f is continuous on [0, 2] with f (0) = f (2). Prove

that there exist x, y [0, 2] with |y x| = 1 and f (x) = f (y).
As in the hint, let g(x) = f (x + 1) f (x). This is defined exactly
for those x in which x and x + 1 are both in [0, 2]; that is, g(x) is
defined on [0, 1]. On [0, 1], both f (x) and f (x + 1) are continuous,
so g(x) is continuous on [0, 1]. Notice that g(0) = f (1) f (0), and
g(1) = f (2) f (1) = f (0) f (1) = (f (1) f (0)) = g(0).
We claim that g has at least one zero in [0, 1]. Indeed, if g(0) = 0,
were done. If g(0) > 0, we have g(0) > 0 > g(0) = g(1) and so g has a
zero by the Intermediate Value Theorem. If g(0) < 0, we have g(0) <
0 < g(0) = g(1), so again g has a zero by the Intermediate Value
Theorem. So there is an x0 [0, 1] with 0 = g(x0 ) = f (x0 + 1) f (x0 ),
1
2
so f (x0 ) = f (x0 + 1). Let x = x0 and y = x0 + 1; then both are in

[0, 2], |x y| = 1, and f (x) = f (y). That does it.
19.4 a) Prove that if f is uniformly continuous on a bounded set S,

then f is a bounded function on S.
Suppose for contradiction that f is not a bounded function on S.
Then there is a sequence sn of points in S with lim |f (sn )| = . (How
to find such a sequence? No number n is an upper bound for |f | on
S, so there is always an sn S with |f (sn )| > n, and we may just
consider this sequence).
S is bounded, so sn is bounded, so by Bolzano-Weierstrass, sn has
a convergent subsequence sin . This subsequence is also Cauchy, since
its convergent. By Theorem 19.4, since f is uniformly continuous on
S, f (sin ) is also Cauchy. Therefore it is bounded. But lim |f (sin )| =
lim |f (sn )| = . This is a contradiction.
b) Use a) to give another proof that x12 is not uniformly continuous
on (0, 1).
If f (x) = x12 were uniformly continuous on the bounded set (0, 1),
by a), we would have that x12 is bounded on (0, 1). But since xn =
1 (0, 1) has f (xn ) = n, f (x) is not bounded on (0, 1). This is a
n
contradiction, so f (x) is not uniformly continuous on (0, 1).
19.5. Which of the following continuous functions is uniformly con-

tinuous on the specified set?
a) tan x on [0, /4]. This is a continuous function on a closed interval
and is thus uniformly continuous.
b) tan x on [0, /2). As x approaches /2, tan x approaches , so
tan x is not bounded on the interval [0, /2). Thus by Exercise 19.4a),
it cannot be uniformly continuous on that set.
c) f (x) = x1 sin2 x on (0, ]. By Example 9 in the textbook, the

function h(x) = x1 sin x has a continuous extension h(x) to the interval
[0, ]. The function g(x) = sin x on (0, ] has the trivial continuous
extension to g(x) = sin x on the interval [0, ]. Then f(x) = g(x)h(x)
is
continuous on [0, ] and agrees with f (x) = g(x)h(x) on (0, ]. So f (x)
has a continuous extension to a function on [0, ], and the extension
is continuous and thus uniformly continuous on [0, ], so f itself is
uniformly continuous on (0, ].

19.6 b) Show that f (x) = x is uniformly continuous on [1, ).
Well do this directly. Pick > 0. We claim that = 2 works; i.e.

that if |x y| < 2 for some x and y [1, ), then | x y| < . So
3
pick x and y [1, ) with |x y| < 2; we may assume without loss

of generality
that x y, so the absolute value signs are redundant.

Now ( x y)( x + y) = x y < 2. All terms are positive, and
x and y are both greater than or equal to 1, as are their square roots;
2
this tells us that x y < x+ y
22 = . That does it!
19.7. a) Let f be a continuous function on [0, ). Prove that if

f is uniformly continuous on [k, ) for some k, then f is uniformly
continuous on [0, ).
Wed like to show f is uniformly continuous on all of [0, ). So pick
> 0. Notice first that f is continuous on the closed interval [0, k + 1],
and is thus uniformly continuous on that interval, so there exists a 1
such that if x, y [0, k + 1] with |x y| < 1 , then |f (x) f (y)| <
. Similarly, f is uniformly continuous on [k, ) by assumption, and
so there is a 2 such that if x, y [k, ) with |x y| < 1 , then
|f (x) f (y)| < .
Let = min(1 , 2 , 1). Then suppose x, y [0, ) with |x y| < .
Since < 1, either x and y are both in [0, k + 1] or they are both
in [k, ). (Thats the reason we include the 1). In the first case
|x y| < 1 , so |f (x) f (y)| < ; in the second case |x y| < 2 , so
|f (x) f (y)| < . Thus |f (x) f (y)| < , and were done.

b) Use a) and Exercise 19.16b) to prove that x is uniformly con-
tinuous on [0, ).
We know that x is continuous on [0, ) - we showed this last
homework, problem 17.4. By 19.16b), we know that x is uniformly
continuous on [1, ); so just applying a) with k = 1 is sufficient to
conclude that x is uniformly continuous on [0, ).

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HW 7 Solutions

Math 115, Winter 2009, Prof. Yitzhak Katznelson

18.4. Let S R and suppose there exists a sequence xn in S that

18.5. a) Let f and g be continuous functions on [a, b] such that

18.10. Suppose that f is continuous on [0, 2] with f (0) = f (2). Prove

so f (x0 ) = f (x0 + 1). Let x = x0 and y = x0 + 1; then both are in

19.4 a) Prove that if f is uniformly continuous on a bounded set S,

19.5. Which of the following continuous functions is uniformly con-

pick x and y [1, ) with |x y| < 2; we may assume without loss

19.7. a) Let f be a continuous function on [0, ). Prove that if

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