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Let $f: [0,1)\to\mathbb{R}$ such that $f(x)=0.a_1a_3a_5\ldots$ where $x=0.a_1a_2a_3a_4\ldots$, i.e, $f(x)$ skips the even digits of $x$. Prove $f$ is continuous at $0$, and find a point where $f$ is not continuous. Updated: If the expansion of $x$ could be finite, we adopt the finite expansion.

As we can see, $f(0)=0$ and $f(x)\geq 0$ for all $x\in[0,1)$. To prove $f$ is continuous, we want to estimate $f(x)$ less than some elementary function $g(x)$. I tried to estimate it, but the function is so strange.

Did anyone see the similar function before? Any hint would be highly appreciated.

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    $\begingroup$ If you know that $|0-x|<\delta$ (i.e., $|x|<\delta$), what can you say about $|f(0)-f(x)|$ (i.e., $|f(x)|$)? Can you upper bound it by something involving $\delta$? $\endgroup$
    – kccu
    Commented Aug 23, 2019 at 20:22
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    $\begingroup$ @MattCarr Good idea, but $f(0.009)=0.09$. Otherwise the idea works. $\endgroup$
    – Ingix
    Commented Aug 23, 2019 at 23:02
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    $\begingroup$ Did anyone see the similar function before? --- This example is due to Lebesgue, and it can be found (I think this is it's first published appearance, but I'm not certain) on p. 90 of Lebesgue's book Lecons sur l'Intégration et la Recherche des Fonctions Primitives (1904). I don't believe he discusses continuity at $x=0,$ but his intent was to show that a function can satisfy the intermediate value property in an interval without being continuous anywhere in that interval, which is true for this function. (continued) $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 24, 2019 at 10:01
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    $\begingroup$ For more about Lebesgue's function, see my answer to Is there a different name for strongly Darboux functions. $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 24, 2019 at 10:03
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    $\begingroup$ By the way, I think maybe the Lebesgue function is slightly different from what you have (same essential idea, however), since I know that Lebesgue's function is discontinuous at each point in the open interval $(0,1),$ whereas @dfnu's answer says your function will have points of continuity in every open interval. I haven't looked carefully at the details of his answer, but I suspect someone would have jumped on it as being problematic by now if it was incorrect. Since my reading of French is extremely poor, I'm more inclined to think Lebesgue's formulation was slightly different. $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 24, 2019 at 17:44

2 Answers 2

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Continuity in $0$

To show continuity in $0$, take any sequence $(a_n)$ converging to $0$, with $0< a_n < 1$. Convergence of $(a_n)$ implies that for any given $k\in \Bbb Z^+$, and for sufficiently large $n$,

$$a_n \leq 10^{-2k}.$$

As a consequence,

$$f(a_n) \leq 10^{-k}.$$

So, by taking $n$ large enough, $f(a_n)$ can be made arbitrarily small and thus the squence $(f(a_n))$ converges to $f(0) = 0$.


Example point where the function is not continuous

Take now, for example, $x_0 = 10^{-2m}$, with $m\in \Bbb Z^+$, so that

$$f(x_0) = 0.$$

The sequence

$$a_n = \sum_{k=1}^n 9\cdot 10^{-2m-k}, \ \ \ n\in \Bbb Z^+,$$

converges to $x_0$. However

$$f(a_n) = \sum_{k=1}^{\left\lfloor\frac{n-1}2 \right\rfloor}9\cdot 10^{-m-k}$$

converges to $10^{-m} \neq f(x_0)$, making the function not continuous in $x_0$.


Further discussion on continuity

It is straightforward to extend the above path to any $x_0\neq 0$ with finite decimal representation where the least significant digit occupies an even position. In all these points the function is not continuous. See Edit 1 at bottom.

On the other hand, if $x_0$ has finite decimal representation and the least significant digit occupies an odd position, then the function is continuous in $x_0$. See Edit 2.

If $x_0$ has infinite decimal representation, then $f$ is continuous in $x_0$. See Edit 3.

So the function is not continuous only on a subset of $\Bbb Q$, which makes it a Riemann-integrable function.


Further discussion on differentiability

The function $f$ is nowhere differentiable. In fact the limit of the difference quotient

$$\lim_{x\to x_0} q_{x_0}(x) = \lim_{x\to x_0} \frac{f(x)-f(x_0)}{x-x_0}$$

never converges. However it does exist (and it is equal to $+\infty$) almost everyhere, that is at all points having infinite decimal representation. See Edit 4 for details.


How the function graph looks like

In the first figure below you see an approximate plot of $f(x)$, the red dots representing some of the points that belong to the grah of $f$. The function is constrained within the light blue regions.

Figure 1

These regions can be obtained by shifting the first one of them, which is plotted, after magnification of a factor $10$, in the following figure. Again red dots are points belonging to the graph of $f$. A further zoom by a factor $100$, and a scaling of the $y$ axis, will give as result an identical copy of the graph given below. And so on for every interval of the form $x\in[0,10^{-2k+1}]$, $y\in [0,10^{-k}]$, $k\in\Bbb Z^+$.

enter image description here


Edit 1. Continuity - Finite decimal representation - least significant digit in even position

Let $x_0$ have decimal representation $$ x_0= \sum_{k=1}^{2m}x_k\cdot 10^{-k}$$ for some $m \in \Bbb Z^+$, and $x_{2m}> 0$.

We have

$$f(x_0) = \sum_{k=1}^mx_{2k-1}\cdot 10^{-k}.$$

Consider the sequence

$$a_n = \sum_{k=1}^{2m-1}x_k\cdot 10^{-k}+ (x_{2m}-1)\cdot 10^{-2m}+\sum_{k=1}^n 9\cdot 10^{-2m-k}, \ \ \ n\in \Bbb Z^+.$$

Clearly $(a_n) \to x_0$. We also have

$$f(a_n) = f(x_0) + \sum_{k=1}^{\left\lfloor\frac{n-1}2 \right\rfloor}9\cdot 10^{-m-k}.$$

So $(f(a_n)) \to f(x_0) + 10^{-m}\neq f(x_0)$, and the function is therefore not continuous in $x_0$.


Edit 2. Continuity - Finite decimal representation - least significant digit in odd position

Let $x_0$ have decimal representation of the form $$ x_0= \sum_{k=1}^{2m-1}x_k\cdot 10^{-k}$$ for some $m \in \Bbb Z^+$, and $x_{2m-1}> 0$.

Again we have

$$f(x_0) = \sum_{k=1}^mx_{2k-1}\cdot 10^{-k}.$$

Suppose the function is not continuous in $x_0$. Thus there must be a sequence $(a_n) \to x_0$ such that $(f(a_n))\not \to f(x_0)$. This in turn implies that, for any $N\in \Bbb Z^+$, there is $\epsilon$ such that

$$|f(a_n) - f(x_0)| \geq \epsilon,$$

for some $n>N$. Consider now $h \in \Bbb Z^+$ such that and $\epsilon > 10^{-m-h}$. So we either have

$$f(a_n) > f(x_0) + 10^{-m-h}\tag{2}\label{2}$$

or

\begin{eqnarray}f(a_n) < f(x_0) - 10^{-m-h}&=&f(x_0)- 10^{-m}+\sum_{k=1}^{h}9\cdot 10^{-m-k}.\tag{3}\label{3}\end{eqnarray}

If \eqref{2} occurs, then it must be

$$a_n > x_0 + 10^{-2m+1-2h}.\tag{4}\label{4}$$

If \eqref{3} occurs, then

$$a_n<x_0 - 10^{-2m+1} + \sum_{k=1}^{2h}10^{-2m-k}.\tag{5}\label{5}$$

Since either \eqref{4} or \eqref{5} occurs for some $n> N$, no matter how large we take $N$, $(a_n)$ does not converge to $x_0$, and we have a contradiction. Thus $f(x)$ is continuous in $x_0$.


Edit 3. Continuity - Infinite decimal representation.

Since, as required by OP, we adopt the finite decimal representation version of the number in case of infinite tail of $9$'s, any digit of $x_0$ (having infinite decimal representation) is at most followed by a finite sequence of $0$'s or $9$'s.

For any $\epsilon>0$, we aim at finding a $\delta(\epsilon)$, such that, for all $x$ satisfying

$$|x_0-x| < \delta(\epsilon),$$

we have

$$|f(x_0)-f(x)| < \epsilon.$$

Take $k$ so that $$10^{-k}\leq \epsilon.$$

In order to obtain

$$f(x) < f(x_0) + 10^{-k}$$

we need the carry due to the addition not to affect the $k$th digit. If $t\geq 0$ is the number of consecutive $9$'s following the $k$th digit of $x_0$, then we must choose

$$x < x_0+10^{-2k-t+1}.$$

Similarly, in order to have

$$f(x) > f(x_0) - 10^{-k},$$

we can decrement the first non-null digit after the $k$th digit. So if $s\geq 0$ is the number of consecutive $0$'s following the $k$th digit of $x_0$ then we need

$$x > x_0 - 10^{-2k-s+1}.$$

Thus we can choose

$$\delta(\epsilon) = 10^{-2k-\max\{t,s\}+1}.$$

And this demonstrates the continuity of $f(x)$ in $x_0$.


Edit 4. Limit of the difference quotient

Let us first show that the limit

$$\lim_{x\to x_0}q_{x_0} (x)$$

does not exist if $x_0$ has finite decimal representation. At this aim, let $m\in\Bbb Z^+$ be the least significant digit of $x_0$, $o_n$ the null sequence

$$o_n = 10^{-2\left(\left\lfloor\frac m2\right\rfloor+n\right)+1}, \ \ n\in \Bbb Z^+$$

and $e_n$ the null sequence

$$e_n = 10^{-2\left(\left\lfloor\frac m2\right\rfloor+n\right)}.$$

The sequences

$$a_n = x_0+o_n$$

and

$$b_n = x_0+e_n$$

both converge to $x_0$. We have now

$$q_{x_0}(a_n) = \frac{f(a_n)-f(x_0)}{o_n} = \frac{10^{-n}}{o_n}=10^{n-2\left\lfloor\frac m2\right\rfloor},$$

so that $(q_{x_0}(a_n))\to+\infty$, and

$$q_{x_0}(b_n) = \frac{f(b_n)-f(x_0)}{e_n}=0,$$

so that $(q_{x_0}(b_n)) \to 0$. Therefore the limit does not exist.

Consider now a point $x_0$ with infinite decimal representation. We want to show, first, that

$$\lim_{x\to x_0^+}q_{x_0}(x) = +\infty.$$

Consider a null sequence $(d_n)$, with $0<d_n<1$, and let $k$ the first non-null digit of $d_n$, that is $$k = -\left\lfloor\log_{10}d_n\right\rfloor.$$ Let also

$$a_n = x_0+d_n,$$

a sequence converging to $x_0$.

Now, the addition $x_0+d_n$ affects at least the $\lfloor\frac{k+1}2\rfloor$th digit of $f(x_0)$ (it may affect more significant digits because of the carry), so that

$$f(x)-f(x_0)\geq 10^{-\left\lfloor\frac{k+1}2\right\rfloor}\tag{6}\label{6}.$$

Condition \eqref{6} and the fact that $d_n < 10^{-k+1}$ yield

$$q_{x_0}(x) = \frac{f(x)-f(x_0)}{d_n}> \frac{10^{-\left\lfloor\frac{k+1}2\right\rfloor}}{10^{-k+1}}\geq 10^{-\frac k2}.$$

Therefore, by taking $n$ large enough, we can make the difference quotient $q_{x_0}(x)$ arbitrarily large. And thus the limit exists and it is $+\infty$.

A similar approach can be used to demonstrate that also

$$\lim_{x\to x_0^-}q_{x_0}(x) = +\infty.$$


A different approach (later edit)

Some insight can be obtained by considering that $f(x)$ can be written as \begin{eqnarray} f(x) &=& \sum_{n=1}^{+\infty} f_n(x)=\\ &=&\sum_{n=1}^{+\infty} \left[\frac{\left(10^{2n-1}x\right)}{10^{n-1}}-\frac{\left(10^{2n}x\right)}{10^{n}}\right] \end{eqnarray} where $(x)$ denotes the fractional part of $x$.

Note, for example, that the above series converges uniformly, by Weierstrass M-test. Then, since for all $n\in \Bbb Z^+$ $f_n(x)$ is continuous at all irrational points, so is $f(x)$. Uniform continuity and Riemann integrability of $f_n(x)$ guarantees also integrability of $f(x)$.

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  • $\begingroup$ (following up on my yesterday comments) Regarding continuity at $0,$ to me this is simply a fact that as the input values approach zero, the corresponding input decimal representations have increasingly long initial segments of zeros, which result in the outputs having decimal representations having increasing long initial segments of zeros, and hence the output values converge to zero. However, "least significant digit occupies an even position" part does not seem correct. Take $0.123456$ for example. The least significant digit is $6$ and this occupies the sixth position. (continued) $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 25, 2019 at 8:33
  • $\begingroup$ The value at this point is $0.135,$ and if we take a sequence of values approaching $0.123456$ from the left, then as we progress through that sequence, the terms will have (and will continue to have) the form $0.123455$ followed by a large number of $9$'s, and then other digits, and the images will be values having a decimal representation of $0.135$ followed by a large number of $9$'s (about half as many as before), and then other digits, and hence the image values will converge to $0.136,$ and now I have disproved my claim that something of yours was incorrect, oops! $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 25, 2019 at 8:47
  • $\begingroup$ @DaveL.Renfro I'll go through whay you've been writing, don't worry. Maybe not today, 'cause it's my turn to need a little break. But thanks for giving your feedback! $\endgroup$
    – dfnu
    Commented Aug 25, 2019 at 8:51
  • $\begingroup$ I'll go through --- I'll save you the trouble. Note that at the end I have: "... now I have disproved my claim that something of yours was incorrect, oops!" (To nick-pick, probably "not proved my claim" is more accurate.) $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 25, 2019 at 9:16
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    $\begingroup$ @DaveL.Renfro added a proof also for the continuity in $x_0$ when it has finite decimal representation and the position of least significant digit is odd. $\endgroup$
    – dfnu
    Commented Aug 25, 2019 at 17:15
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An attempt to show the continuity of $f$ at $0$:

Let arbitrary small error $\epsilon \in (0,1)$ with $\epsilon=0.u_1u_2u_3u_4u_5u_6u_7u_8...$ be given.

For every $x \in (0,1)$ with $x=0.a_1a_2a_3a_4a_5a_6a_7a_8a_9...$

Let $a_{2i-1}$ be the $1st$ digit in $0.a_1a_3a_5a_7a_9...$ such that $a_{2i-1}>u_i$.

Put $\delta \in (0,1)$ by $\delta=$"$0.a_1a_1a_3a_3a_5a_5a_7a_7a_9a_9...$ with $a_{2i-1}$ being substituted by $\max\{0,u_i\}$"

We have "$0.a_1a_3a_5a_7a_9...$ with $a_{2i-1}$ being substituted by $\max\{0,u_i\}$" $\le 0.u_1u_2u_3u_4u_5u_6u_7u_8... = \epsilon$

If $x=0.a_1a_2a_3a_4a_5a_6a_7a_8a_9...\le \delta=$"$0.a_1a_1a_3a_3a_5a_5a_7a_7a_9a_9...$ with $a_{2i-1}$ being substituted by $\max\{0,u_i\}$"

Then $f(x)=0.a_1a_3a_5a_7a_9...\le$ "$0.a_1a_3a_5a_7a_9...$ with $a_{2i-1}$ being substituted by $\max\{0,u_i\}$" $\le 0.u_1u_2u_3u_4u_5u_6u_7u_8... = \epsilon$

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  • $\begingroup$ How can you say that $f(x)=0.a_1a_3a_5a_7a_9...\le$ "$0.a_1a_3a_5a_7a_9...$ with $a_{2i-1}$ being substituted by $0$"? $\endgroup$
    – lee
    Commented Aug 24, 2019 at 1:53
  • $\begingroup$ Fixed. :-) @lee $\endgroup$
    – user695163
    Commented Aug 24, 2019 at 2:48

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