MATH20101 on-line coursework test, November 2021. 40 marks are available.

1 Multiple Answers. Let f : A ⊆ R → R. Which two of the following are

necessarily true statements?
i. If f (x) is continuous at x = a ∈ A then f (x) − f (a) is continuous at x = 0,
ii. If f is continuous on A then |f | is continuous on A,
iii. If |f | is continuous on A then f is continuous on A
√
iv. If f is continuous on A and f ≥ 0 on A then f is continuous on A,
v. If xf (x) is continuous on A then f is continuous on A,
vi. If f (x) is continuous at x = a ∈ A then f (x − a) is continuous at x = 0.
Answer ii. and iv. [4 marks]
2 marks for each correct answer, -1 for each incorrect answer.
Counterexamples
i. f (x) = (sin x)/x with a = π/2.
iii. f (x) = 1 if x is rational, 0 if x irrational.
v. f (x) = (sin x)/x again.
vi. f (x) = 1 if x ≤ −1, 0 if x > −1 with a = 1. Then f is continuous at 1
but limx→0 f (x − 1) = limy→−1 f (y) does not exist and so is not continuous.

2. Multiple answers. Let f (x) = sin(π/x) for x 6= 0. Which of the

following functions have a limit at 0?
i. π 
cos f (x),
x
ii.
π
f (x),
x
iii.
sin(πx)f (x),
iv.
πxf (x),
v.
f 2 (x),
vi.
f (x2 ).

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Answer iii. and iv. [4 marks]
2 marks for each correct answer, -1 for each incorrect answer.
i. cos (π/x) f (x) = (sin(2π/x)/2 which does not have a limit at 0.
ii. unbounded near 0.
iii. sin(πx)f (x) ≤ | sin(πx)| and result follows from limx→0 sin(πx) = 0 and
the Sandwich Rule.
iv. Sandwich Rule.
v. vi. Same proof that f has no limit.

3. Multiple choice. What is the value of

5x2 + 8x − 21
lim √ ?
x→−3 x+3
i. 0,
ii. −22,
iii. +∞,
iv. None of the three other answers.
Answer iv. For x 6= −3 we have

5x2 + 8x − 21 (x + 3)(5x − 7) √
√ = √ = x + 3 (5x − 7).
x+3 x+3
To look at the limit at −3 we have√ to look at x less and greater than −3.
Yet for x less than −3 the factor x + 3 is not defined, so the limit does not
exist. [3 marks]

4. Matching answers. Match each of the following to their definition. A.

lim f (x) = +∞,

x→a+

B.
lim f (x) = −∞,
x→a

C.
lim f (x) = +∞.
x→−∞

Possible definitions

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i.
∀K > 0, ∃ δ > 0, ∀x, a < x < a + δ =⇒ f (x) > K,
ii.
∀K < 0, ∃ δ > 0, ∀x, a − δ < x < a + δ =⇒ f (x) < K,
iii.
∀K > 0, ∃ δ > 0, ∀x, 0 < |x − a| < δ =⇒ f (x) > K,
iv.
∀K < 0, ∃ δ > 0, ∀x, 0 < |x − a| < δ =⇒ f (x) < K,
v.
∀K < 0, ∃ X < 0, ∀x, x < X =⇒ f (x) < K,
vi.
∀K > 0, ∃ X < 0, ∀x, x < X =⇒ f (x) > K,
vii.
∀ε > 0, ∃ δ > 0, ∀x, a < x < a + δ =⇒ |f (x) − ∞| < ε,
viii.
∀ε > 0, ∃ δ > 0, ∀x, 0 < |x − a| < δ =⇒ |f (x) + ∞| < ε.
Answer A ≡ i ; B ≡ iv ; C ≡ vi. [6 marks]

5. Multiple choice. Given K < 0 which of the following δ will satisfy the
K −δ definition that
x
lim = −∞?
x→−2 (x + 2)2

i. r !
1 −3
min , ,
2 2K
ii. r !
1
min 1, ,
K
iii. r !
1 −5
min , ,
2 2K
iv.  √ 
min 1, −K .

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Answer i. is correct. [3 marks]
i. Since δ ≤ 1 we have −5/2 < x < −3/2 and so
x 3
2
≤−
(x + 2) 2(x + 2)2

But |x + 2| < δ and so

x 3 3
2
<− 2 ≤− p =K
(x + 2) 2δ 2( −3/2K)2
p
since δ ≤ −3/2K)2 .
ii. is wrong since you cannot take the square root of the negative 1/K.
iii. is wrong. Choose K = −10 when δ would be 1/2. So we are looking at
x : −5/2 < x < −3/2. Choosing x = −1.51 we find the value of the function
is −6.289... which is not less than −10.
iv. is wrong since δ should be inversely related to K.

6. Multiple choice. Which of the following is the definition that the func-
tion f is continuous at a ∈ R?
i. For every ε > 0 there exists δ > 0 such that |f (x) − f (a)| < ε if |x − a| < δ,

ii. For every ε > 0 there exists δ > 0 such that |x−a| < δ and |f (x)−f (a)| <
ε,
iii. For every ε > 0 there exists δ > 0 such that |f (x) − f (a)| < ε only if
|x − a| < δ,
iv. For every ε > 0 there exists δ > 0 such that if |x − a| < δ then 0 <
|f (x) − f (a)| < ε.
Answer i [3 marks]

7. Multiple choice. If f : R → R, g : R → R and the composite function

g ◦ f is not continuous on R, which of the following is necessarily true?
i. either f is not continuous on R or g is not continuous on R,
ii. f is not continuous on R and g is not continuous on R,
iii. f is not continuous on R,
iv. g is not continuous on R.

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Answer i. This is the contrapositive of the result in the lectures that if g is
continuous on R and f is continuous on R then g ◦ f is continuous on R,
For a counterexample to iii. let f (x) = x for all x, a continuous function
on R, and let g be any discontinuous function, e.g. g(x) = −1 if x ≤ 0 and
= 1 is x > 0.
For a counterexample to iv. let let g(x) = x for all x, a continuous
function on R, and let g be any discontinuous function.
Since we have just seen that we don’t need f or g to be continuous on R
we don’t need both of them to be simultaneously. Hence ii. is not the correct
answer. [3 marks]

8. Multiple choice. The function



 a + bx + cx2 for x<1

32 for x=1
f (x) =
a + 2bx
 for 1<x<2

2a − 3bx − cx2 x ≥ 2,

for

where a, b, c ∈ R, is continuous on R. What is the product abc?

i. 112,
ii. 56,
iii. 23,
iv. 0.
Answer i. [3 marks]
Equating values at x = 1 and 2 gives the simultaneous equations

a + b + c = 32
a + 2b = 32
a + 4b = 2a − 6b − 4c.

9. Multiple choice. What value of a > 0 would give

√ √
3x + a − x + 3a
lim √ √ = 1?
x→a 2x + a − x + 2a
i. a = 3,
ii. a = 1/3,
√
iii. a = 3,

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iv. No choice of a > 0 will give limit value 1.
Answer iv. For x 6= a,
√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
3x + a − x + 3a 3x + a − x + 3a 3x + a + x + 3a 2x + a + x + 2a
√ √ =√ √ √ √ √ √
2x + a − x + 2a 2x + a − x + 2a 3x + a + x + 3a 2x + a + x + 2a
√ √
(3x + a) − (x + 3a) 2x + a + x + 2a
= √ √
(2x + a) − (x + 2a) 3x + a + x + 3a
√ √
2x − 2a 2x + a + x + 2a
= √ √
x−a 3x + a + x + 3a
√ √
2x + a + x + 2a
= 2√ √
3x + a + x + 3a
√ √
3a + 3a
→ 2√ √ as x → a
4a + 4a
√
= 3.
√
The limit is 3 for all a > 0, i.e. can never equal 1.
[3 marks]

10. Multiple choice. Let

(
1 if x ∈ Q
g (x) =
0 if x ∈
/ Q,

and f (x) = xg(x) for all x ∈ R. Which one of the following statements is
False?
i. The composite function g ◦ f is continuous on R,
ii. The composite function f ◦ g is continuous on R,
iii. The composite function f ◦ f is continuous at 0,
v. The composite function g ◦ g is continuous at 0.
Answer ii. [4 marks]
In fact g ◦ f = 1, where 1 is the identity function, so 1(x) = x for all x ∈ R.
The identity function is everywhere continuous, thus g ◦ f is continuous on
R. Hence statement i. is true.
Then, f ◦ g = g, and g is not continuous as 0, so ii. is false.
Next, f ◦ f = f and f is continuous at 0 (e.g. by the Sandwich Rule) so iii.
is true.

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Finally, g ◦ g = 1 and so iv. is true.

11. Multiple answers Let

√
x
g(x) = .
x2 − 1
In which two of the following sets is g continuous at all points?
i. (−1, 1).
ii. [0, 1).
iii. (0, 1).
iv. (1, +∞).
v. (0, +∞).
vi. (−∞, −1).
Answer iii. and iv [4 marks]
i. and vi. cannot be correct; these intervals contain negative x at which g(x)
is not defined.
[Link] be correct since, to be continuous at 0 ∈ [0, 1), g would have to be
defined to the left of 0, i.e. on negative x, which it is not.
v. cannot be correct since g is not defined at 1 ∈ (0, +∞).