Rajasthan BoardEnglish MediumSTD 12 ScienceMATHSContinuity5 Marks
Question
Show that $\text{f(x)}=\cos\text{x}^2$ is a continuous function.
✓
Answer
Given, $\text{f(x)}=\cos\big(\text{x}^2\big)$
This function f is defined for every real number and f can be written as the composition of two functions as
$f = goh,$ where $\text{g(x)}=\cos\text{x}$ and $h(x) = x^2$
$\big[\because(\text{goh})(\text{x})=\text{g(h(x))}=\text{g}(\text{x}^2)=\cos(\text{x}^2)=\text{f(x)}\big]$
It has to be first proved that $\text{g(x)}=\cos\text{x}$ and $h(x) = x^2$ are continuous functions.
It is evident that g is defined for every real number.
Let $c$ be a real number.
Then, $\text{g(c)}=\cos\text{c}$
Put $x = c + h$
If $x \rightarrow c,$ then $h \rightarrow 0$
$=\lim\limits_{{\text{x}}\rightarrow\text{c}}\text{g(x})=\lim\limits_{{\text{x}}\rightarrow\text{c}}\cos\text{x}$
$=\lim\limits_{{\text{h}}\rightarrow0}\cos(\text{c}+\text{h})$
$=\lim\limits_{{\text{h}}\rightarrow0}\big[\cos\text{c}\cos\text{h}-\sin\text{c}\sin\text{h}\big]$
$=\lim\limits_{{\text{h}}\rightarrow0}\cos\text{c}\cos\text{h}-\lim\limits_{{\text{h}}\rightarrow0}\sin\text{c}\sin\text{h}$
$=\cos\text{c}\cos0-\sin\text{c}\sin0$
$=\cos\text{c}\times1-\sin\text{c}\times0$
$=\cos\text{c}$
$\therefore\ \lim\limits_{{\text{x}}\rightarrow\text{c}}\text{g(x)}=\text{g(c)}$
So, $\text{g(x)}=\cos\text{x}$ is a continuous function.
Now,
$h(x) = x^2$
Clearly, $h$ is defined for every real number.
Let $k$ be a real number, then $h (k) = k^2$
$=\lim\limits_{{\text{x}}\rightarrow\text{k}}\text{h(x})=\lim\limits_{{\text{x}}\rightarrow\text{k}}\text{x}^2=\text{k}^2$
$\therefore\ \lim\limits_{{\text{x}}\rightarrow\text{k}}\text{h(x})=\text{h}(\text{k})$
So, $h$ is a continuous function.
It is known that for real valued functions $g$ and $h,$ such that $(goh)$ is defined at $x = c,$ if $g$ is continuous at $x = c$ and if f is continuous at $g (c)$, then, $(fog)$ is continuous at $x = c.$
Therefore, $\text{f(x)}=(\text{goh})(\text{x})=\cos(\text{x}^2)$ is a continuous function.
Need a full question paper?
Generate a complete, print-ready paper with questions like this in minutes — across 16+ boards, with answer keys.