数学专业英语-Continuous Functions of One Real Variable5 N2 F- U/ v' M" s
/ n9 p/ _! V4 L0 c5 e7 }! z# F This lesson deals with the concept of continuity, one of the most important and also one of the most fascinating ideas in all of mathematics. Before we give a preeise technical definition of continuity, we shall briefly discuss the concept in an informal and intuitive way to give the reader a feeling for its meaning. 9 X* O8 a7 K: g7 U) t# q) s
Roughly speaking the situation is this: Suppose a function f has the value f ( p ) at a certain point p. Then f is said to be continuous at p if at every nearby point x the function value f ( x ) is close to f ( p ). Another way of putting it is as follows: If we let x move toward p, we want the corresponding function value f ( x ) to become arbitrarily close to f ( p ), regardless of the manner in which x approaches p. We do not want sudden jumps in the values of a continuous function. : n" Q9 U5 @4 q" J5 B6 X( r( n) A% e
Consider the graph of the function f defined by the equation f ( x ) = x –[ x ], where [ x ] denotes the greatest integer < x . At each integer we have what is known ad a jump discontinuity. For example, f ( 2 ) = 0 ,but as x approaches 2 from the left, f ( x ) approaches the value 1, which is not equal to f ( 2 ).Therefore we have a discontinuity at 2. Note that f ( x ) does approach f ( 2 ) if we let x approach 2 from the right, but this by itself is not enough to establish continuity at 2. In case like this, the function is called continuous from the right at 2 and discontinuous from the left at 2. Continuity at a point requires both continuity from the left and from the right. ! q) T8 f8 e/ ?
In the early development of calculus almost all functions that were dealt with were continuous and there was no real need at that time for a penetrating look into the exact meaning of continuity. It was not until late in the 18th century that discontinuous functions began appearing in connection with various kinds of physical problems. In particular, the work of J.B.J. Fourier(1758-1830) on the theory of heat forced mathematicians the early 19th century to examine more carefully the exact meaning of the word “continuity”. " T9 g8 o, H; ~. F4 u5 n# b
A satisfactory mathematical definition of continuity, expressed entirely in terms of properties of the real number system, was first formulated in 1821 by the French mathematician, Augustin-Louis Cauchy (1789-1857). His definition, which is still used today, is most easily explained in terms of the limit concept to which we turn now. ; T. w( z8 k( h$ A" z( Q! I- h
The definition of the limit of a function.
$ U1 V( t; e2 b: G9 Y: C Let f be a function defined in some open interval containing a point p, although we do not insist that f be defined at the point p itself. Let A be a real number.
) X4 E3 n6 [1 b7 N" Z" b The equation
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is read “The limit of f ( x ) , as x approached p, is equal to A”, or “f ( x ) approached A as x approached p.” It is also written without the limit symbol, as follows: % y+ Z/ h& ~8 N8 {+ c
f ( x )→ A as x → p . a" W) x j1 a1 I
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This symbolism is intended to convey the idea that we can make f ( x ) as close to A as we please, provided we choose x sufficiently close to p.
, g H3 r0 ]* n1 \: I( @ Our first task is to explain the meaning of these symbols entirely in terms of real numbers. We shall do this in two stages. First we introduce the concept of a neighborhood of a point, the we define limits in terms of neighborhoods.
9 j. d) M3 G0 R1 q* n Definition of neighborhood of a point. # @# v* c5 G3 i5 M( G
Any open interval containing a point p as its midpoint is called a neighborhood of p. 5 s" U1 P2 E" k1 s, b
NOTATION. We denote neighborhoods by N ( p ), N1 ( p ), N2 ( p ) etc. Since a neighborhood N ( p ) is an open interval symmetric about p, it consists of all real x satisfying p-r < x < p+r for some r > 0. The positive number r is called the radius of the neighborhood. We designate N ( p ) by N ( p; r ) if we wish to specify its radius. The inequalities p-r < x < p+r are equivalent to –r<x-p<r, and to ∣x-p∣< r. Thus N ( p; r ) consists of all points x whose distance from p is less than r. , e4 U- ~6 v0 Y8 b3 b
In the next definition, we assume that A is a real number and that f is a function defined on some neighborhood of a point p (except possibly at p ) . The function may also be defined at p but this is irrelevant in the definition. 8 u, [ b- l. ~$ h+ |3 l
Definition of limit of a function. + ^* Y0 }' \& b, b( p
The symbolism - b! r8 I. ]& ], E, m3 b
f ( x ) = A or [ f ( x ) → A as x→ p ]
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; I4 E9 C8 \# t) w0 K& u means that for every neighborhood N1 ( A ) there is some neighborhood N2 ( p) such that
5 {9 x# V+ K4 R" a7 c+ B6 l f ( x ) ∈ N1 ( A ) whenever x ∈ N2 ( p ) and x ≠ p (*) % \ J' J9 }- x# H
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8 i% T$ X( i; I0 }4 d8 N The first thing to note about this definition is that it involves two neighborhoods, N1 ( A) and
9 t8 V* J9 [' v- e. y* d% Y1 k- l/ [N2 ( p) . The neighborhood N1 ( A) is specified first; it tells us how close we wish f ( x ) to be to the limit A. The second neighborhood, N2 ( p ), tells us how close x should be to p so that f ( x ) will be within the first neighborhood N1 ( A). The essential part of the definition is that, for every N1 ( A), no matter how small, there is some neighborhood N2 (p) to satisfy (*). In general, the neighborhood N2 ( p) will depend on the choice of N1 ( A). A neighborhood N2 ( p ) that works for one particular N1 ( A) will also work, of course, for every larger N1 ( A), but it may not be suitable for any smaller N1 ( A). 4 `. A* R* |8 z7 S$ e8 L( C
The definition of limit can also be formulated in terms of the radii of the neighborhoods
. k' n5 z% S7 aN1 ( A) and N2 ( p ). It is customary to denote the radius of N1 ( A) byεand the radius of N2 ( p) by δ.The statement f ( x ) ∈ N1 ( A ) is equivalent to the inequality ∣f ( x ) – A∣<ε,and the statement x ∈ N1 ( A) ,x ≠ p ,is equivalent to the inequalities 0 <∣ x-p∣<δ. Therefore, the definition of limit can also be expressed as follows:
( k' }9 `( [: [8 v/ L The symbol f ( x ) = A means that for everyε> 0, there is aδ> 0 such that
1 ~7 n7 j9 _) E ∣f ( x ) – A∣<ε whenever 0 <∣x – p∣<δ $ d* Z4 \. N& X* }+ @; X. U
“One-sided” limits may be defined in a similar way. For example, if f ( x ) →A as x→ p through values greater than p, we say that A is right-hand limit of f at p, and we indicate this by writing
% L5 m" \6 A, M2 R1 ~f ( x ) = A ( p" }2 d$ Z6 ^' r- d
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In neighborhood terminology this means that for every neighborhood N1 ( A) ,there is some neighborhood N2( p) such that
0 Y9 L- w3 s" q$ Ef ( x ) ∈ N1 ( A) whenever x ∈ N1 ( A) and x > p ) q2 _$ D4 X( [2 a" o7 I
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Left-hand limits, denoted by writing x→ p-, are similarly defined by restricting x to values less than p. : M( g. ^, B n
If f has a limit A at p, then it also has a right-hand limit and a left-hand limit at p, both of these being equal to A. But a function can have a right-hand limit at p different from the left-hand limit. 4 h1 r* i4 h0 _7 V* P" O
The definition of continuity of a function.
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