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Let $D$ a infinity countable subset of $(a,b)$. Show that exists a function not increasing $f:(a,b)\rightarrow\mathbb{R}$ that is continuous only over $(a,b)\setminus D$

This is an exercise of my course of Measure and Integration. The next exercise is to show there is a function not increasing over $[0,1]$ that is continuous only over the $[0,1]\setminus\mathbb{Q}$ and I'm thinking that the first exercise is a more geral approach. I'm right or there is two versions of the same exercise?

I know how to solve the second (the example to solve), but I'm not convinced that the first exercise is the same thing. If the first is a more geral approach, I need help how to solve this.

Felipe
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  • Well, $[0, 1] \setminus \mathbb{Q} = (0, 1) \setminus \mathbb{Q}$, so the first one is the more general version. –  Feb 08 '14 at 00:00
  • @T.Bongers What does not make sense to me is that these lists of exercises applied by this teacher are very carefully thought out. So if he put this general version BEFORE means that there is a way to ensure the existence of these functions without using any example and this is confusing to me. – Felipe Feb 08 '14 at 00:02
  • There is both the possibility that this was accidental and the possibility that you were supposed to solve the general question with a theorem from your course and then solve the particular example with an explicit example. – Phira Feb 08 '14 at 00:12

2 Answers2

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You can use the theorem saying that if $F$ is a $F_{\sigma}$ set, then there exists some function $f$ with $D(f)=F$, where $D(f)$ denotes to the set of discoutinuous points. For the non-increasing part, you can consider $-v(x)=-V_{a}^{x}f$, the negative of variation function. $v(x)$ is continous at a point $x$ if and only if $f$ is continuous at that point. So $D(-v)=D(f)=F$.

Rainbow
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  • You can show theorems which were used to: (i) Guarantee the existence of $F\in F_\sigma$ and $f$ associated with this propierty; (ii) $V(f)$ is continuous at a point $x$ if and only if $f$ is continuous at that point. His answer really seems to me that the teacher wanted, however, I am not sure to use it on my list because I do not find these theorems in the note book. I would like to see them proved and try "assemble" them using the course. – Felipe Feb 08 '14 at 16:24
  • I'm using Application 10.12 and Theorem 13.9 from Carothers's Real Analysis. Alternatively,you can find it here[http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/629926/function-whose-discontinuity-points-are-a-prefixed-f-sigma-set-in-mathbbr]. – Rainbow Feb 08 '14 at 23:21
  • And here[http://books.google.com/books?id=gBPI_oYZoMMC&pg=PA287&lpg=PA287&dq=v%28x%29+is+continuous+if+and+only+if+f%28x%29+is+continuous+bounded+variation&source=bl&ots=c7WmC8flj5&sig=ooyYyT6YhJMfdMY11Ph2O1B971A&hl=zh-CN&sa=X&ei=hrv2UsWpLYbtoATJxIGAAg&ved=0CG4Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=v%28x%29%20is%20continuous%20if%20and%20only%20if%20f%28x%29%20is%20continuous%20bounded%20variation&f=false]] – Rainbow Feb 08 '14 at 23:21
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Enumerate the set $D = \{d_1, d_2, d_3, \ldots\}$, and define $$ f(x) = \left\{ \begin{array}{cl} 1/i & \text{if } x = d_i \in D \\ 0 & \text{otherwise} \end{array} \right. $$

Clearly, $f$ is discontinuous at points in $D$. Now consider $x \not \in D$, and fix $\epsilon > 0$. There are only finitely many points $d_i$ such that $\frac{1}{i} \ge \epsilon$; therefore, we can find $\delta > 0$ such that none of the finitely many points lie in $(x - \delta, x + \delta)$. This implies $|f(y) - f(x)| < \epsilon$ whenever $|x - y| < \delta$.

To choose $\delta$, let \begin{align*} D_1 = \left\{ d_i \; \Big| \; \frac{1}{i} \ge \epsilon, d_i < x \right\} D_2 = \left\{ d_i \; \Big| \; \frac{1}{i} \ge \epsilon, d_i > x \right\} \end{align*} Then $D_1$ and $D_2$ are finite, which means they have minimum and maximum elements. We have $\max D_1 < x$ and $\min D_2 > x$. Let $\delta = \min(x - \max D_1, \min D_2 - x)$.

Show that $(x - \delta, x + \delta)$ is entirely disjoint from the sets $D_1$ and $D_2$. Conclude that for all $d_i \in (x - \delta, x + \delta)$, $\frac{1}{i} < \epsilon$, i.e., $f(d_i) < \epsilon$. Therefore, for all $y \in (x - \delta, x + \delta)$, $|f(x) - f(y)| < \epsilon$.


The above answer is not great because I forgot that $f$ has to be monotone.

A better answer:

In the same vein as your solution mentioned in the comments, let $D = \{d_1, d_2, d_3, \ldots\}$, and define $$ f(x) = \sum_{d_i < x} \frac{1}{i^2} $$

Then you can do the exact same solution you did in the case that $D$ is the rational numbers.

  • Can you detail how to choose the $\delta$? – Felipe Feb 08 '14 at 16:36
  • @Felipe I've added details. Let me know if that helps! – Caleb Stanford Feb 08 '14 at 18:07
  • This is very VERY confuse to me. I'm thinking about your answer since yesterday but I can not understand! Sorry about this... Can you show the discontinuity using series ($x\rightarrow y$ but $f(x)\not\rightarrow f(y)$) or other more didatic way? The sets $D_i$ Are confunsing me a lot! – Felipe Feb 09 '14 at 16:59
  • @Felipe perhaps you are confused because I have not detailed how to show discontinuity at points in $D$; I have only detailed continuity at points not in $D$. But I'll try to add a more clear approach give me a second. – Caleb Stanford Feb 09 '14 at 18:42
  • @Felipe I've been thinking about it but I don't think use $x \to y$ but $f(x) \not \to f(y)$ will help much. Can you clarify exactly which bit is confusing you? Also, you said you knew how to show it when $D$ was the set of rational numbers. Could you give me the details for that? – Caleb Stanford Feb 09 '14 at 19:47
  • what I did: Let $[0,1]\cap\mathbb{Q}={q_1,q_2,...}$ $f:[0,1]\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ such that, $f=\sum_{i:q_i\leq x}\frac{1}{i^2}$ for $\neq0$ and $f(0)=0$. To show that function is not continuous in the rationals. Let $q$ some rational, let the sequence ${g_n=q-\frac{1}{m}}{m\in\mathbb{N}}$. Note that $g_n\rightarrow q} and $$f(q)-f(g_n)=\sum{i:q\leq q_i \leq g_n}>0$$ so $f$ is not continuous in $[0,1]\cap\mathbb{Q}$ – Felipe Feb 09 '14 at 22:21
  • what I did: Let $[0,1]\cap\mathbb{Q}={q_1,q_2,...}$ $f:[0,1]\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ such that, $f=\sum_{i:q_i\leq x}\frac{1}{i^2}$ for $\neq0$ and $f(0)=0$. To show that function is not continuous in the rationals. Let $q$ some rational, let the sequence ${g_n=q-\frac{1}{m}}{m\in\mathbb{N}}$. Note that $g_n\rightarrow q$ and $$f(q)-f(g_n)=\sum{i:q\leq q_i \leq g_n}\frac{1}{i^2}>0$$ so $f$ is not continuous in $[0,1]\cap\mathbb{Q}$ – Felipe Feb 09 '14 at 22:22
  • @Felipe I forgot that $f$ has to be monotone. I updated my answer... – Caleb Stanford Feb 09 '14 at 22:50
  • I know thank you is against the policy of the comments but I want to go on record here my thanks for all your attention here! – Felipe Feb 09 '14 at 22:52