2
$\begingroup$

If a real function $f:ℝ→ℝ$ is twice differentiable at a point $x$, then the first derivative must be continuous at $x$, and assuming $f′(x)>0$, then there exist $δ>0$ such that $f′(y)>0 $ for all $y∈(x−δ,x+δ)$, then on this interval $f$ must be increasing. Repeating this process for all $x$, we conclude that $δ$ is a function of $x$

Assuming that this function is analytic (the stronger form). I am asking if $δ=δ(x)$ is a continuous function in $x$.

If no, then what are the conditions on the function $f$ such that the above property holds true.

$\endgroup$
8
  • 4
    $\begingroup$ You have not defined $\delta$ uniquely as a function of $x$. For example, if $f(x)=x$, then one can take $\delta=1$ for $x\in\mathbb{Q}$ and $\delta=2$ for $x\not\in\mathbb{Q}$, which is not continuous (obviously). $\endgroup$
    – GH from MO
    Commented Jan 12, 2020 at 10:15
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Note also that on any compact interval $I\subset\mathbb{R}$ you can choose $\delta=\delta(I)$ to be constant, since $f'(x)$ is positive and uniformly continuous on $I$. $\endgroup$
    – GH from MO
    Commented Jan 12, 2020 at 10:23
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ No, I meant that for a given $x$, infinitely many positive $\delta$'s work (if $\delta$ is ok than any smaller $\delta$ is also ok), so it is not clear what you mean by $\delta(x)$. $\endgroup$
    – GH from MO
    Commented Jan 12, 2020 at 10:24
  • 6
    $\begingroup$ You may want to see also MR1745893 (2000m:54014) Enayat, Ali $\delta$ as a continuous function of $x$ and $\epsilon$. Amer. Math. Monthly 107 (2000), no. 2, 151–155. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 12, 2020 at 14:18
  • 6
    $\begingroup$ And MR1837868 De Marco, Giuseppe For every $\epsilon$ there continuously exists a $\delta$.Amer. Math. Monthly 108 (2001), no. 5, 443–444. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 12, 2020 at 14:20

2 Answers 2

9
$\begingroup$

$\delta(x)$ (defined as the maximum of appropriate $\delta$'s) is even 1-Lip (for any $f$). Indeed, if $|x-y|=a$, then $\delta(y)\geqslant \delta(x)-a$, since $(y-c,y+c)\subset (x-\delta(x),x+\delta(x))$ for $c=\max(\delta(x)-a,0)$. Analogously $\delta(x)\geqslant \delta(y)-a$ and therefore $|\delta(x)-\delta(y)|\leqslant a$.

$\endgroup$
2
  • 4
    $\begingroup$ I guess you meant that $\delta(x)$ is the supremum of all $\delta$'s that work for a given $x$. The problem is that the OP has not defined $\delta(x)$. $\endgroup$
    – GH from MO
    Commented Jan 12, 2020 at 10:31
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @GHfromMO yes, I understood her this way $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 12, 2020 at 13:18
5
$\begingroup$

Smoothness of $f$ is a distraction here. Let us assume that $f$ is continuously differentiable (and we only need this because we want to talk about $f'$, not for any good reason), so that $f'$ exists and is continuous. Then $B : =\{x \mid f'(x) \leq 0\}$ is a closed set, and the largest valid choice for $\delta(x)$ is just $d(x,B)$.

For any set $A$, the function $x \mapsto d(x,A)$ is a $1$-Lipschitz function, by the triangle inequality for metrics. So, essentially, we already get that $\delta$ can be chosen as nice as possible if we only require enough about $f$ to make $\delta$ well-definable.

Just for completeness, if we don't require $\delta(x)$ to be the maximal feasible value, we could make $\delta$ as nasty as we want, e.g. by moving to $\bar\delta$ where $\bar\delta(x) = \delta(x)$ if $x \in Z$ and $\bar\delta(x) = \frac{1}{2}\delta(x)$ if $x \notin Z$ for some horrible $Z$.

$\endgroup$
2
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Probably better not to use $\delta'$ for a new function when we're discussing differentiability. $\endgroup$
    – LSpice
    Commented Jan 13, 2020 at 19:54
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ @LSpice Bah, non-ambiguous notation is for pansies. Joking. I fixed this. $\endgroup$
    – Arno
    Commented Jan 13, 2020 at 19:57

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .