Easy question i know but,
Suppose that f:R -> R is defined by f(x)=|x|
a) show that f is continuous at 0
b) is f continuous everywhere? Give brief reasons for your answer.
and what does (f : R-> R) mean.
1) f: R -> R just means that the function takes a real number x in and outputs a real number. (You could compare that to something like f: C -> R defined by f(z) = |z| which takes in a complex number z and outputs a real number (its modulus).)
2) f is continuous at a point a if lim(x -> a) f(x) = f(a).
The short answer to (a) then is to say that lim(x -> 0) f(x) = f(0). Do they tell you whether you need to prove the limit? I thought that they dropped the epsilon-delta stuff from 1st year so that seems unlikely?? Or do they want you to write
lim(x -> 0+) f(x) = lim(x -> 0+) x = 0
and
lim(x -> 0-) f(x) = lim(x -> 0-) (-x) = 0
and as these are equal the limit exists and equals zero?
3) For (b), the function is continuous everywhere. If a>0 then near a, f(x) = x which is continuous. If a < 0 then near a, f(x) = -x which is also continuous.