Definition:Continuous Real-Valued Vector Function
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![]() | This article is complete as far as it goes, but it could do with expansion. In particular: Implement a specific version of a function of 2 variables. I was fairly sure I had that implemented at one stage, using a definition from Sutherland. Use the definition from Nelson. You can help $\mathsf{Pr} \infty \mathsf{fWiki}$ by adding this information. To discuss this page in more detail, feel free to use the talk page. When this work has been completed, you may remove this instance of {{Expand}} from the code.If you would welcome a second opinion as to whether your work is correct, add a call to {{Proofread}} the page. |
Definition
Let $\R^n$ be the cartesian $n$-space.
Let $f: \R^n \to \R$ be a real-valued function on $\R^n$.
Then $f$ is continuous on $\R^n$ if and only if:
- $\forall a \in \R^n: \forall \epsilon \in \R_{>0}: \exists \delta \in \R_{>0}: \forall x \in \R^n: \map d {x, a} < \delta \implies \size {\map f x - \map f a} < \epsilon$
where $\map d {x, a}$ is the distance function on $\R^n$:
- $\ds d: \R^n \to \R: \map d {x, y} := \sqrt {\sum_{i \mathop = 1}^n \paren {x_i - y_i}^2}$
where $x = \tuple {x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n}, y = \tuple {y_1, y_2, \ldots, y_n}$ are general elements of $\R^n$.
Examples
Non-Continuous Example 1
Let $f: \R^2 \to \R$ be the real $2$-variable function defined as:
- $\forall \tuple {x_1, x_2} \in \R^2: \map f {x_1, x_2} = \begin {cases} 0 & : \tuple {x_1, x_2} = \tuple {0, 0} \\ \dfrac {x_1 x_2} {x_1^2 + x_2^2} & : \text {otherwise} \end {cases}$
Then the restrictions of $f$:
- $f_{\restriction \R \times \set 0}$
- $f_{\restriction \set 0 \times \R}$
are both constant functions with value $0$ for all arguments.
Hence both are continuous at $\tuple {0, 0}$.
But $f$ is not continuous at $\tuple {0, 0}$.
Non-Continuous Example 2
Let $f: \R^2 \to \R$ be the real $2$-variable function defined as:
- $\forall \tuple {x, y} \in \R^2: \map f {x, y} = \begin {cases} 0 & : y = 0 \\ \dfrac {x^2} y \end {cases}$
Then the restriction of $f$:
- $f_{\restriction \tuple {x, y} \mathop \in \R^2: y \mathop = m x}$
is continuous.
But $f$ is not continuous at $\tuple {0, 0}$.
Also see
Sources
- 1975: W.A. Sutherland: Introduction to Metric and Topological Spaces ... (previous) ... (next): $1$: Continuity generalized: metric spaces: $2.1$: Motivation: Definition $2.1.1$
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): continuous function (continuous mapping)
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): continuous function (continuous mapping, continuous map)