Assignment 23
1. Show that the distance function is a continuous function on X × X.
2. Show that the sequential definition of continuity and − δ definition of continuity are equivalent.
3. Let A be a subset of a metric space (X, d). Define distance function dA on (X, d) relative to A. Show
that dA is a continuous on X. Define the distance between two subsets of (X, d).
4. Let f : R −→ R be defined by f (x)=inf {| x − t | : t ∈ [1, 2]}. Can f be continuous? Find the explicit
expression for f . Draw its graph.
5. (a) Let A={1} ⊂ R. Draw the graph of the function dA .
(b) Let A={1, 2} ⊂ R. Draw the graph of the function dA .
(c) Let x ∈ R. What is dQ (x)?
(d) Let p = (a, b) ∈ R2 and A be the x-axis. What is dA (p)?
6. (a) Find the distance d(A, B), where A = Q and B=R − Q.
(b) Find the distance d(A, B), where A = Q and B be any nonempty subset of R.
(c) Find the distance d(A, B), where A is the rectangular hyperbola xy = 1 and B is the union of axes
xy = 0.
7. Show that f : (X, d) −→ (Y, d) is continuous iff for every open set V in Y f −1 (V ) is open in X.
8. Show that f : (X, d) −→ (Y, d) is continuous iff for every closed set V in Y f −1 (V ) is closed in X.
9. Show that the set of all invertible matrices in M (2, R) is open.
10. Show that the set of all matrices in M (2, R) with determinant 1 is a closed set.
Answer Sheet Hints
Q1. Claim: the distance function d is continuous on X × X. The mapping d is given by d : X × X → R.
Let ((xn , yn )) be any sequence in X × X such that ((xn , yn )) → (x, y), where (x, y) ∈ X × X. So xn → x in X
and yn → y in X.
Now | d(xn , yn ) − d(x, y) |≤| d(xn , x) + d(x, yn ) − d(x, y) |≤| d(xn , x) | + | d(x, yn ) − d(x, y) |
≤| d(xn , x) | + | d(yn , y) |= d(xn , x) + d(yn , y).
As xn → x in X and yn → y in X, so d(xn , x) + d(yn , y) → 0 as n → ∞. Therefore d(xn , yn ) → d(x, y) in
R. Thus ((xn , yn )) → (x, y) =⇒ d(xn , yn ) → d(x, y) in R. Therefore d is continuous on X × X.
Q2. Definition 1 (Sequential definition of continuity): Let f : (X, d) → (Y, d). Then f is said to be
continuous at x ∈ X if for any sequence (xn ) ∈ X such that (xn ) converges to x ∈ X then (f (xn )) converges to
f (x) in Y .
Definition 2 (ε − δ definition of continuity): Let f : (X, d) → (Y, d). Then f is said to be continuous at
x ∈ X if for any ε > 0, ∃δ > 0 such that ∀x0 ∈ X with d(x, x0 ) < δ =⇒ d(f (x), f (x0 )) < ε.
To show that definition 1 and definition 2 are equivalent.
Let f is continuous according to definition 1. Claim: f is continuous according to definition 2.
Assume f is not continuous by definition 2. Then ∃ε > 0 such that ∀δ > 0, ∃x0 ∈ X with d(x, x0 ) < δ =⇒
d(f (x), f (x0 )) ≥ ε. Let δ = 1 then ∃x1 ∈ X such that d(x, x1 ) < 1. When δ = 21 then ∃x2 ∈ X such that
d(x, x2 ) < 12 . Proceeding in this way we have, δ = n1 then ∃xn ∈ X such that d(x, xn ) < n1 . So ∃ a sequence
(xn ) in X such that d(xn , x) < n1 , ∀n ∈ N =⇒ xn → x in (X, d) =⇒ f (xn ) → f (x) (by definition 1). So for
that ε > 0, ∃n0 ∈ N such that d(f (xn ), f (x)) < ε. This leads a contradiction to our assumption. So f is also
continuous according to definition 2.
Conversely, let f is continuous by definition 2. Claim: f is continuous by definition 1.
Let (xn ) be a sequence in (X, d) such that xn → x in (X, d). Let ε > 0 be given. Then for that ε there must
be a δ > 0. As xn → x in (X, d), so for that δ > 0, ∃n0 ∈ N such that ∀n ≥ n0 , d(xn , x) < δ. As f is continuous
by ε − δ definition, so ∀n ≥ n0 , d(f (xn ), f (x)) < ε i.e., xn → x in (X, d) =⇒ ∀n ≥ n0 , d(f (xn ), f (x)) < ε.
1
Thus xn → x in (X, d) =⇒ f (xn ) → f (x) in (Y, d). Therefore f is continuous by definition 1. So sequential
definition of continuity and ε − δ definition of continuity are equivalent.
Q3. Given A be a subset of a metric space (X, d). The distance function dA on (X, d) relative to A is
defined as dA : X → R by dA (x) = inf {d(x, y) : y ∈ A}. It can be shown that dA is continuous on X (Try!).
The distance between two subsets A and B of (X, d) is defined as d(A, B)=inf {d(x, y) : x ∈ A, y ∈ B}.
Q4. Given f: R → R defined as f (x) = inf {| x − t |: t ∈ [1, 2]}, then f is continuous on R.
1 − x,
if x < 1
Now f (x) = 0, if 1≤x≤2
x − 2, if x > 2.
Q5. (a) Given A = {1} ⊂ R. For any point x ∈ R, dA (x) = inf {d(x, y) : y ∈ A}
= inf {d(x, 1)} =| 1 − x |, ∀x ∈ R.
(b) Given A = {1, 2} ⊂ R. For any point x ∈ R, dA (x) = inf {d(x, y) : y ∈ A}
= inf {d(x, 1), d(x, 2)} = inf {| 1 − x |, | 2 − x |}.
1 − x, if x < 1
x − 1, if 1 < x < 3
Therefore dA (x) = 2 .
3
2 − x, if 2 < x < 2
x − 2, if x ≥ 2
(c) Given x ∈ R. Therefore dQ (x) = inf {d(x, y) : y ∈ Q} = inf {| x − y |: y ∈ Q} = 0
(since Q is dense in R).
(d) Given P = (a, b) ∈ R2 and A be the x − axis. Therefore A = {(x, 0) : x ∈ R} = {u ∈ R2 : u = (x, 0)}.
p dA (P ) = inf {d(P, u) : u ∈ A} = inf {d((a, b), (x, 0)) : x ∈ R}
Therefore
= inf { (a − x)2 + (b − 0)2 : x ∈ R} =| b |.
Q6. (a) A = Q, B = R − Q. Therefore d(A, B) = inf {d(x, y) : x ∈ A, y ∈ B} = inf {d(x, y) : x ∈ Q, y ∈
R − Q} = 0.
(b) B be any non-empty subset of R and A = Q. Therefore d(A, B) = inf {d(x, y) : x ∈ Q, y ∈ B} = 0.
(c) Given A is the rectangular hyperbola xy = 1 i.e., A = {(x, y) ∈ R2 : xy = 1}. B is the union of x and
y-axes i.e., B = {(x, y) ∈ R2 : xy = 0}. So d(A, B) = 0.
Q7. Try yourself! (in topology you will get)
Q8. Try yourself!(in topology you will get)
Q9. We know that if f : M (2, R) → R defined by f (A)=det(A), then f is continuous function. Now if A is
an invertible matrix in M (2, R) then det(A)6= 0. We know that (−∞, 0) ∪ (0, ∞) is an open set in R and f is
continuous, so by problem Q7, we get f −1 ((−∞, 0) ∪ (0, ∞)) is also open in M (2, R) i.e. set of all invertible
matrices in M (2, R) is open.
Q10. We know that if f : M (2, R) → R defined by f (A)=det(A), then f is continuous function. Now
U (2, R)= set of all 2 × 2 matrices in M (2, R) whose determinant is 1. We know that {1} is a closed set in R and
f is continuous, so by problem Q8, we get f −1 ({1}) is also closed in M (2, R) i.e U (2, R) is a closed set in M (2, R).
