009A Sample Final 3, Problem 4 Detailed Solution

Discuss, without graphing, if the following function is continuous at  $x=0.$

$f(x)=\left\{{\begin{array}{lr}{\frac {x}{|x|}}&{\text{if }}x<0\\0&{\text{if }}x=0\\x-\cos x&{\text{if }}x>0\end{array}}\right.$

If you think  $f$  is not continuous at  $x=0,$  what kind of discontinuity is it?

Foundations:
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle f(x)}   is continuous at  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle x=a}   if
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow a^+}f(x)=\lim_{x\rightarrow a^-}f(x)=f(a).}

Solution:

Step 1:
We first calculate  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 0^+}f(x).}   We have
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \begin{array}{rcl} \displaystyle{\lim_{x\rightarrow 0^+}f(x)} & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{x\rightarrow 0^+} x-\cos x}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{0-\cos(0)}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{-1.} \end{array}}

Step 2:
Now, we calculate  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 0^-}f(x).}   We have
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \begin{array}{rcl} \displaystyle{\lim_{x\rightarrow 0^-}f(x)} & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{x\rightarrow 0^-} \frac{x}{|x|}}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{x\rightarrow 0^-} \frac{x}{-x}}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{x\rightarrow 0^-} -1}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{-1.} \end{array}}

Step 3:
Since
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 3^+}f(x)=\lim_{x\rightarrow 3^-}f(x)=-1,}
we have
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 3} f(x)=-1.}
But,
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle f(0)=0\ne \lim_{x\rightarrow 3} f(x).}
Thus, Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle f(x)}   is not continuous.
It is a jump discontinuity.

Final Answer:
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle f(x)}   is not continuous. It is a jump discontinuity.

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