boundedness_theorem

introduction

%%visits: 3 ## intuition Suppose f is unbounded. Then xn ∈ [a, b], n = 1, 2, 3… : |f(xn)| → ∞ as n → ∞ (def on unbounded)

By Bolzano-Weierstrass, xnk → c ∈ [a, b] as k → ∞. (the domain)

f is continous, so f(xnk) → f(c) as k → ∞. (tends to a constant, by def)

Contradiction with |f(xnk)| → ∞

Corollary of the boundedness_theorem, If f ∈ C[a, ∞) and ∃limx → ∞f(x) then f is bounded.

Proof. f(x) → A as x → ∞: ϵ > 0∃a0 ≥ a : x ≥ a0 ⟹ |f(x) − A| < ϵ

Take ϵ = 1: $$ a_0 a: x a_0 | f(x) -A | < 1,

| f(x) | = | f(x) - A + A | | f(x) - A | + | A | + | A | $$ f is contious on all intervals greater than a by def, so f is continous on $$ so by the boundedness_theorem: |f(x)| ≤ M for x ∈ [a, a0]. We conclude |f(x)| ≤ max {m, 1 + |A|}

boundedness_theorem requires continuity in a closed, bounded interval

Intuitively this makes sense, however rigour is often a bit harder than intuition. The proof shows by contradiction that it is an extension on continuity ## rigour boundedness_theore := If f ∈ C[a, b], then f is bounded ## exam clinic ## examples and non-examples ## resources tags :math:

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