Uniform Continuity of 1/x^2 on various sets

In summary, the function f(x)=\frac{1}{x^{2}} is uniformly continuous on the set [1,\infty) because for any small difference between x1 and x2, the difference between f(x1) and f(x2) will also be small. However, it is not uniformly continuous on the set (0,1] because the steepness of the graph near zero means that a small difference between x1 and x2 does not guarantee a small difference between f(x1) and f(x2).
  • #1
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Homework Statement



Show that f(x)=[tex]\frac{1}{x^{2}}[/tex] is uniformly continuous on the set [1,[tex]\infty[/tex]) but not on the set (0,1].

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



I've been working at this for at least 2 hours now, possibly 3, and I can't say I really have much of any idea about it. I've primarily been looking at the fact that a function f: A[tex]\rightarrow[/tex] [tex]\Re[/tex] is not uniformly continuous iff [tex]\exists[/tex] some [tex]\epsilon_{0}[/tex] > 0 and sequences xn and yn where |xn-yn| [tex]\rightarrow[/tex] 0 but |f(xn)-f(yn)|[tex]\geq[/tex] [tex]\epsilon[/tex]0.

My thought was to somehow say that, for part one, because all sequences must be [tex]\geq[/tex] 1, they must converge to the same thing and therefore |f(xn)-f(yn)|= 0 for some n, but I'm not sure if I can for various reasons. In fact, I can't even really come up with any sequences in (0,1] to show that the function is not uniformly continuous on that set. I can think of another way to do that one, but I really want to see some sequences to do it to prove that it works in that case.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
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  • #2
Look at the graph of f(x) = 1/x^2. For the interval x >= 1, the graph is fairly level, so if |x1 - x2| is small, |f(x1) = f(x2)| is small as well. OTOH, the graph is very steep for x close to zero, so |x1 - x2| being small doesn't guarantee that |f(x1) - f(x2)| will also be small.
 

1. What is uniform continuity?

Uniform continuity is a mathematical concept that describes the behavior of a function. It means that the function's output values change smoothly and continuously as its input values change.

2. How is uniform continuity different from regular continuity?

Regular continuity means that the function's output values change continuously as its input values change, but not necessarily smoothly. Uniform continuity, on the other hand, guarantees both continuity and smoothness of change.

3. What is the significance of uniform continuity?

Uniform continuity is an important concept in mathematical analysis because it allows us to make precise statements about the behavior of functions. It also helps us to understand and prove other important concepts, such as differentiability and integrability.

4. Why is the function 1/x^2 uniformly continuous on some sets but not others?

The function 1/x^2 is uniformly continuous on any set that does not include the point x = 0. This is because at x = 0, the function is not defined and therefore cannot be continuous. However, on any set that does not contain x = 0, the function is both continuous and smooth, and therefore uniformly continuous.

5. Can uniform continuity of 1/x^2 be proven using the epsilon-delta definition?

Yes, the epsilon-delta definition of uniform continuity can be used to prove that 1/x^2 is uniformly continuous on any set that does not include x = 0. This proof involves showing that for any given value of epsilon, there exists a corresponding value of delta such that the distance between any two points on the graph of the function is always less than epsilon when the distance between their input values is less than delta.

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