Exercise · ZW-UNIFORM-CONTINUITY-008 · ★★☆ Intermediate

Let \(f(x)=x^2\), \(x_n=n\), \(y_n=n+\tfrac1n\). What is \(f(y_n)-f(x_n)\)?

Choose one option.

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  • D. \(2+\tfrac1{n^2}\)

Explanation

\((n+\tfrac1n)^2-n^2=2+\tfrac1{n^2}\ge2\), even though \(|y_n-x_n|=\tfrac1n\to0\). So no \(\delta\) works for \(\varepsilon=2\): \(x^2\) is not uniformly continuous on \(\mathbb R\).

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Review the concept: Uniform continuity

A function \(f\) is uniformly continuous on a set \(A\) if for each \(\varepsilon>0\) there is a \(\delta>0\), valid for all points at once, that controls \(|f(x)-f(y)|\) by \(|x-y|\) in \(A\).

\[\forall\varepsilon>0\ \exists\delta>0:\ x,y\in A,\ |x-y|<\delta\Rightarrow|f(x)-f(y)|<\varepsilon\]

More practice problems: uniform continuity

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