Increasing/decreasing intervals for floor function.

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The discussion focuses on the behavior of the floor function regarding its increasing and decreasing intervals. Participants clarify that the floor function is not defined in terms of integers but rather real numbers. It is established that the floor function does not have any strictly decreasing intervals, and there is confusion about whether it can be considered non-decreasing. The need for precise definitions of increasing and decreasing intervals is emphasized to provide a clear answer. Ultimately, the floor function is characterized as having no increase or decrease intervals in the strict sense.
peripatein
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Hello,

Homework Statement



In which intervals is the floor function decreasing/increasing?

Homework Equations



The Attempt at a Solution



I first presumed it was increasing for every integer x, now I am not sure. May anyone please confirm/debunk? Is it also monotonic for every integer x?
 
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peripatein said:
I first presumed it was increasing for every integer x
An integer is not an interval. This is a question about intervals of reals rather than integers.
Need to clarify whether you mean strictly increasing or merely non-decreasing.
 
Were I to state its decrease/increase intervals, would it be correct then to say there are none?
 
I mean, would it be correct to say that the floor function has no increase/decrease intervals?
 
It certainly has no strictly decreasing intervals. Beyond that, I can't answer without knowing exactly what is meant by a function f having an increasing interval [a,b]. It could mean:
- f(y) >= f(x) whenever a <= x < y <= b (i.e. non-decreasing)
- f(y) > f(x) whenever a <= x < y <= b (strictly increasing)
- (f(y) >= f(x) whenever a <= x < y= < b) & (f(a) < f(b)) (strictly increasing over the interval as a whole, and non-decreasing within it)
Do you have a definition?
 
Question: A clock's minute hand has length 4 and its hour hand has length 3. What is the distance between the tips at the moment when it is increasing most rapidly?(Putnam Exam Question) Answer: Making assumption that both the hands moves at constant angular velocities, the answer is ## \sqrt{7} .## But don't you think this assumption is somewhat doubtful and wrong?

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