Continuity And Differentiability: Definition, Formula, Examples

Continuity And Differentiability: Definition, Formula, Examples

Edited By Komal Miglani | Updated on Jul 02, 2025 07:50 PM IST

One of the chief features in the behaviour of functions is the property known as continuity. For instance, the continuous expansion of a rod on heating, of the continuous growth of an organism, of a continuous flow, or a continuous variation of atmospheric temperature, etc. The idea of continuity of a function stems from the geometric notion of 'no breaks in a graph'. The limit used to define the slope of a tangent line or the instantaneous velocity of a freely falling body is also used to define one of the two fundamental operations of calculus – differentiation.

This article is about the concept of class 12 maths continuity and differentiability. Continuity and differentiability chapter is not only essential for board exams but also for competitive exams like the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main), and other entrance exams such as SRMJEE, BITSAT, WBJEE, VITEEE, BCECE, and more.

Continuity and Differentiability

Continuity and differentiability is one of the fundamental concepts of calculus. They help analyze changes, optimize processes, and predict trends in fields like engineering, physics, and economics. Continuity and differentiability allow us to study functions near critical points, even if the function is not defined at those points.

Continuity

Suppose $f$ is a real function on a subset of the real numbers and let $c$ be a point in the domain of $f$. Then $f$ is continuous at $c$ if

$
\lim _{x \rightarrow c} f(x)=f(c)
$

More elaborately, if the left-hand limit, right-hand limit, and the value of the function at $x=c$ exist and are equal to each other, then $f$ is said to be continuous at $x=c$.

If the right-hand and left-hand limits at $x=c$ coincide, then we say that the common value is the limit of the function at $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{c}$. Hence we may also rephrase the definition of continuity as follows:

A function is continuous at $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{c}$ if the function is defined at $x=c$ and if the value of the function at $x=c$ equals the limit of the function at $x=c$.

If $f$ is not continuous at $c$, we say $f$ is discontinuous at $c$, and $c$ is called a point of discontinuity of $f$.

If the function is continuous, Its graph does not break but for discontinuous functions, there is a break in the graph. A real function is continuous at a fixed point if we can draw the graph of the function around that point without lifting the pen from the plane of the paper. In case one has to lift the pen at a point, the graph of the function is said to have a break or discontinuity at that point, say $x=a$.

Continuity can be defined in two ways: Continuity at a point and Continuity over an interval.

Continuity at a point

Let us see different types of conditions to see continuity at point $x = a$

We see that the graph of $f(x)$ has a hole at $x=a$, which means that $f(a)$ is undefined. At the very least, for $f(x)$ to be continuous at $x=a$, we need the following conditions:

(i) $f(a)$ is defined

Next, for the graph given below, although $f(a)$ is defined, the function has a gap at $x=a$. In this graph, the gap exists because lim $\lim\limits _{x → a }f(x)$ does not exist. We must add another condition for continuity at $x=a$, which is

(ii) $\lim\limits _{x \rightarrow a} f(x)$ exists

The above two conditions by themselves do not guarantee continuity at a point. The function in the figure given below satisfies both of our first two conditions but is still not continuous at $a$. We must add a third condition to our list:

(iii) $\lim\limits _{x \rightarrow a} f(x)=f(a)$

So, a function $f(x)$ is continuous at a point $x = a$ if and only if the following three conditions are satisfied:

i) $f(a)$ is defined

ii) $\lim\limits_{x \rightarrow a} f(x)$ exists

iii) $\lim\limits_{x \rightarrow a} f(x)=f(a)$ or

$\begin{aligned} & \lim _{x \rightarrow a^{-}} f(x)=\lim _{x \rightarrow a^{+}} f(x)=f(a) \\ & \text { i.e. } \text { L.H.L. }=\text { R.H.L. }=\text { value of the function at } x=a\end{aligned}$

A function is discontinuous at a point $a$ if it fails to be continuous at $a$.

Continuity over an Interval

Over an open interval $(a, b)$: A function $f(x)$ is continuous over an open interval $(a, b)$ if $f(x)$ is continuous at every point in the interval.

For any $c \in(a, b), f(x)$ is continuous if $
\lim _{x \rightarrow c^{-}} f(x)=\lim _{x \rightarrow c^{+}} f(x)=f(c)
$

Over a closed interval $[a, b]$: A function $f(x)$ is continuous over a closed interval of the form $[a, b]$ if
- it is continuous at every point in $(a, b)$ and
- is right-continuous at $x=a$ and
- is left-continuous at $x=b$.
i.e.At $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{a}$, we need to check $f(a)=\lim _{x \rightarrow a^{+}} f(x)\left(=\lim _{h \rightarrow 0^{+}} f(a+h)=\right.$ R.H.L. $)$.

L.H.L. should not be evaluated to check continuity of the first element of the interval, $x=a$

Similarly, at $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{b}$, we need to check $f(b)=\lim _{x \rightarrow b^{-}} f(x)\left(=\lim _{h \rightarrow 0^{+}} f(b-h)=\right.$ L.H.L. $)$.

R.H.L. should not be evaluated to check continuity of the last element of the interval $x=b$

Consider one example,

$f(x)=[x]$, prove that this function is not continuous in $[2,3]$,

Solution:

Condition 1: For continuity in $(2,3)$
At any point $x=c$ lying in $(2,3)$,
$f(c)=[c]=2($ as $c$ lies in $(2,3))$
LHL at $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{c}: x \rightarrow \mathrm{c}^{-}[x]=2$ (as in close left neighbourhood of $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{c}$, the function equals 2)

RHL at $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{c}: x \rightarrow \mathrm{c}^{+}[x]=2$ (as in close right neighbourhood of $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{c}$, the function equals 2)

So function is continuous for any c lying in $(2,3)$. Hence the function is continuous in $(2,3)$

Condition 2: Right continuity at $x=2$

$
\begin{aligned}
& f(2)=2 \\
& \lim _{x \rightarrow 2^{+}} f(x)=\lim _{x \rightarrow 2^{+}}[x]=\lim _{h \rightarrow 0^{+}}[2+h]=2
\end{aligned}
$

So $f(x)$ is left continuous at $x=2$

Condition 3: Left continuity at $x=3$
$f(3)=3$ and

$
\lim _{x \rightarrow 3^{-}}[x]=\lim _{h \rightarrow 0^{+}}[3-h]=2
$

(as in left neghbourhood of $3, f(x)=2$ )
So $f(3)$ does not equal LHL at $x=3$
hence $f(x)$ is not left continuous at $x=3$

So the third condition is not satisfied and hence $f(x)$ is not continuous in $[2,3]$

Properties of Continuous function

1. If $f, g$ are two continuous functions at a point a of their common domain D. Then $f \pm g$ fg are continuous at a and if $g(a) \neq 0$ then $\underline{f}$
$g$ is also continuous at $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{a}$.
Suppose $f$ and g be two real functions continuous at a real number c .
Then

(1) $f+g$ is continuous at $x=c$.
(2) $f-g$ is continuous at $x=c$.
(3) $f \cdot g$ is continuous at $x=c$.
$\left(\frac{f}{g}\right)$
(4) $\frac{g}{g}$ is continuous at $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{c}$, (provided $\mathrm{g}(\mathrm{c}) \neq 0$ ).
The sum, difference, product, and quotient of two continuous functions are always a continuous function. However $h(x)=\frac{f(x)}{g(x)}$ is continous function at $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{a}$ only if $g(a) \neq 0$

2. If f is continuous at a and $f(a) \neq 0$ then there exists an open interval $(a-\delta, a+\delta$ ) such that for all $x \epsilon(a-\delta, a+\delta) f(x)$ has the same sign as $f(a)$

3. If a function $f$ is continuous on a closed interval $[a, b]$, then it is bounded on ( $\mathrm{a}, \mathrm{b}$ ) and there exists real numbers k and K such that $k \leq f(x) \leq K$ for all $x \in[a, b]$

Differentiability

The instantaneous rate of change of a function with respect to the independent variable is called derivative. Let $f(x)$ be a given function of one variable and $\Delta x$ denotes a number ( positive or negative) to be added to the number $x$.

Let $\Delta f$ denotes the corresponding change of f , then $
\Delta f=f(x+\Delta x)-f(x)
$

If $\frac{\Delta f}{\Delta x}$ approaches a limit as $\Delta x$ approaches to zero, this limit is the derivative of $f$ at the point $x$. The derivative of a function $f$ is denoted by symbols such as $f^{\prime}(x), \frac{\mathrm{d} f}{\mathrm{~d} x}, \frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d} x} f(x)$ or $\frac{\mathrm{d} f(x)}{\mathrm{d} x}$.

The derivative of a function $f(x)$ at point $a$ is defined by$
f^{\prime}(x) \text { at } \mathrm{x}=\text { a i.e, } f^{\prime}(a)=\lim\limits_{h \rightarrow 0} \frac{f(a+h)-f(a)}{h} \text { or } \lim\limits_{x \rightarrow a} \frac{f(x)-f(a)}{x-a}
$

If $\lim\limits_{h \rightarrow 0} \frac{f(a+h)-f(a)}{h}$ does not exists, we say that the function $\mathrm{f}(\mathrm{x})$ is not differentiable at $x=a$.

Or, we can say that a function $f(x)$ is differentiable at a point ' $a$ ' in its domain if limit of the function $f^{\prime}(x)$ exists at $x=a$.

i.e. Right hand limit = RHD= $R f^{\prime}(a)=\lim _{h \rightarrow 0} \frac{f(a+h)-f(a)}{h}$
Left hand limit = LHD= $L f^{\prime}(a)=\lim _{h \rightarrow 0} \frac{f(a-h)-f(a)}{-h}$

(Both the left-hand derivative and the right-hand derivative are finite and equal.)

$R f^{\prime}(a)=L f^{\prime}(a)$ is the condition for differentiability at $x=a$

$
\lim\limits_{h \rightarrow 0} \frac{f(a+h)-f(a)}{h}=\lim\limits_{h \rightarrow 0} \frac{f(a-h)-f(a)}{-h}
$

Examining the Differentiability

1. Using Differentiation (only for continuous functions)

Some functions are defined piecewise, in such cases first we need to check if the function is continuous at the split point, and if it is continuous we need to differentiate each branch function and compare left-hand and right-hand derivative at the split point.

$
f(x)= \begin{cases}g_1(x), & x<a \\ g_2(x), & x \geq a\end{cases}
$
First check if $f(x)$ is continuous at $x=a$. If it is not continuous, then it cannot be differentiable. If it is continuous, then to check differentiability, find

$
f^{\prime}(x)= \begin{cases}\left(g_1(x)\right)^{\prime}, & x<a \\ \left(g_2(x)\right)^{\prime}, & x>a\end{cases}
$
Differentiability can be checked at $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{a}$ by comparing

$
\lim\limits_{x \rightarrow a^{-}}\left(g_1(x)\right)^{\prime} \text { and } \lim\limits_{x \rightarrow a^{+}}\left(g_2(x)\right)^{\prime}
$

2. Differentiability using Graphs

A function $f(x)$ is not differentiable at $x=a$ if
1. The function is discontinuous at $x=a$
2. The graph of a function has a sharp turn at $x=a$
3. A function has a vertical tangent at $x=a$

Illustration 1

Check the differentiability of the following function.
1. $f(x)=\sin |x|$

Method 1

Using graphical transformation, we can draw its graph

Using the graph we can tell that at $x=0$, the graph has a sharp turn, so it is not differentiable at $x=0$.

Method 2

As $L H L=R H L=f(0)=0$, so the function is continuous at $x=0$
So we can use differentiation to check differentiability

$
\begin{aligned}
& \quad \mathrm{f}(\mathrm{x})=\left\{\begin{array}{cc}
-\sin x, & x<0 \\
\sin x, & x \geq 0
\end{array}\right. \\
& \therefore \quad \quad \mathrm{f}^{\prime}(\mathrm{x})=\left\{\begin{array}{cc}
-\cos x, & x<0 \\
\cos x, & x>0
\end{array}\right. \\
& \therefore \quad \text { LHD }=\mathrm{f}^{\prime}\left(0^{-}\right)=-1 \text { and } \mathrm{RHD}=\mathrm{f}^{\prime}\left(0^{+}\right)=1
\end{aligned}
$
As these are not equal, so, $f(x)=\sin |x|$ is not differentiable at $x=0$

Illustration 2

$
f(x)=\|\log \mid x\|, x \text { not equal to } 0
$
Plot the graph of | log $|\mathrm{x}|$ | using graphical transformation

We can see that graph has a sharp turn at +1 and -1 so the function is not differentiable at these points.

Properties of Differentiability

1. A function $f(x)$ is differentiable in an open in interval ( $a, b$ ) if it is differentiable at every point on the open interval $(a, b)$.

2. If $f(x)$ is differentiable at every point on the open interval (a,b). And, It is differentiable from the right at " $a$ " and the left at " $b$ ".(In other words, $\lim\limits_{x \rightarrow a^{+}} \frac{f(x)-f(a)}{x-a}$ and $\lim\limits_{x \rightarrow b^{-}} \frac{f(x)-f(b)}{x-b}$ both exists), then $f(x)$ is said to be differentiable in $[a, b]$

3. If a function $f(x)$ is differentiable at every point in an interval, then it must be continuous in that interval. But the converse may or may not be true.

Continuity and Differentiability Formulas

Continuity and differentiability class 12 formulas include algebraic properties of continuity and discontinuity, algebraic properties of differentiability, differentiation of implicit functions, and differentiation of functions in parametric form.

Algebra of Continuity and Discontinuity

The algebraic properties of continuity and discontinuity are,

  1. If $f(x)$ and $g(x)$ are continuous functions in the given interval, then the following functions are continuous at $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{a}$.
    (i) $f(x) \pm g(x)$
    (ii) $\mathrm{f}(\mathrm{x}) \cdot \mathrm{g}(\mathrm{x})$
    (iii) $\frac{\mathrm{f}(\mathrm{x})}{\mathrm{g}(\mathrm{x})}$, provided $\mathrm{g}(\mathrm{a}) \neq 0$

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  1. If $f(x)$ is continuous and $g(x)$ is discontinuous, then $f(x) \pm g(x)$ is a discontinuous function.

    Let $f(x)=x$, which is continuous at $x=0$ and $g(x)=[x]$ (greatest integer function) which is discontinuous at $x=0$, are to function.

    Now, $f(x)-g(x)=x-[x]=\{x\}$ (fractional part of $x$ )
    discontinuous at $\mathrm{x}=0$

  1. If $f(x)$ is continuous and $g(x)$ is discontinuous at $x=a$ then the product of the functions, $h(x)=f(x) g(x)$ is may or may not be continuous at $x=a$.

    For example,
    Consider the functions, $f(x)=x^3$. And $g(x)=\operatorname{sgn}(x)$.
    $f(x)$ is continuous at $x=0$ and $g(x)$ is discontinuous at $x=0$
    Now,

    $
    h(x)=f(x) \cdot g(x)=\left\{\begin{array}{cl}
    x^3, & x>0 \\
    0, & x=0 \\
    -x^3, & x<0
    \end{array}\right.
    $

    $h(x)$ is continuous at $x=0$
    Take another example, consider $f(x)=x$ and $g(x)=1 /|x|$
    $f(x)$ is continuous at $x=0$ and $g(x)$ is discontinuous at $x=0$
    Now,

    $
    h(x)=f(x) \cdot g(x)=x \cdot \frac{1}{|x|}=\operatorname{sgn}(\mathrm{x})
    $
    And we know that signum function is discontinuous at $x=0$.

  1. If $f(x)$ and $g(x)$, both are discontinuous at $x=a$ then the the function obtained by algebraic operation of $f(x)$ and $g(x)$ may or may not be continuous at $x=a$.

Rules of Differentiation

Let $f(x)$ and $g(x)$ be differentiable functions and $k$ be a constant. Then each of the following rules of differentiation holds.

Sum Rule

The derivative of the sum of a function $f$ and a function $g$ is the same as the sum of the derivative of $f$ and the derivative of $g$.

$
\frac{d}{d x}(f(x)+g(x))=\frac{d}{d x}(f(x))+\frac{d}{d x}(g(x))
$
In general,

$
\frac{d}{d x}(f(x)+g(x)+h(x)+\ldots \ldots)=\frac{d}{d x}(f(x))+\frac{d}{d x}(g(x))+\frac{d}{d x}(h(x))+\ldots \ldots
$

Difference Rule

The derivative of the difference of a function $f$ and $a$ function $g$ is the same as the difference of the derivative of $f$ and the derivative of $g$.

$
\begin{aligned}
& \frac{d}{d x}(f(x)-g(x))=\frac{d}{d x}(f(x))-\frac{d}{d x}(g(x)) \\
& \frac{d}{d x}(f(x)-g(x)-h(x)-\ldots \ldots)=\frac{d}{d x}(f(x))-\frac{d}{d x}(g(x))-\frac{d}{d x}(h(x))-\ldots \ldots
\end{aligned}
$

Constant Multiple Rule

The derivative of a constant $k$ multiplied by a function $f$ is the same as the constant multiplied by the derivative of $f$

$
\frac{d}{d x}(k f(x))=k \frac{d}{d x}(f(x))
$

Product rule

Let $f(x)$ and $g(x)$ be differentiable functions. Then,

$
\frac{d}{d x}(f(x) g(x))=g(x) \cdot \frac{d}{d x}(f(x))+f(x) \cdot \frac{d}{d x}(g(x))
$

This means that the derivative of a product of two functions is the derivative of the first function times the second function plus the derivative of the second function times the first function.

Extending the Product Rule

If three functions are involved, i.e let $k(x)=f(x) \cdot g(x) \cdot h(x)$
Let us have a function $\mathrm{k}(\mathrm{x})$ as the product of the function $\mathrm{f}(\mathrm{x}), \mathrm{g}(\mathrm{x})$ and $\mathrm{h}(\mathrm{x})$. That is, $k(x)=(f(x) \cdot g(x)) \cdot h(x)$. Thus,

$
k^{\prime}(x)=\frac{d}{d x}(f(x) g(x)) \cdot h(x)+\frac{d}{d x}(h(x)) \cdot(f(x) g(x))
$

[By applying the product rule to the product of $f(x) g(x)$ and $h(x)$.]

$
\begin{aligned}
& =\left(f^{\prime}(x) g(x)+g^{\prime}(x) f(x)\right) h(x)+h^{\prime}(x) f(x) g(x) \\
& =f^{\prime}(x) g(x) h(x)+f(x) g^{\prime}(x) h(x)+f(x) g(x) h^{\prime}(x)
\end{aligned}
$

Quotient Rule

Let $f(x)$ and $g(x)$ be differentiable functions. Then

$
\frac{d}{d x}\left(\frac{f(x)}{g(x)}\right)=\frac{g(x) \cdot \frac{d}{d x}(f(x))-f(x) \cdot \frac{d}{d x}(g(x))}{(g(x))^2}
$
OR
if $h(x)=\frac{f(x)}{g(x)}$, then $h^{\prime}(x)=\frac{f^{\prime}(x) g(x)-g^{\prime}(x) f(x)}{(g(x))^2}$
As we see in the following theorem, the derivative of the quotient is not the quotient of the derivatives.

Chain Rule

If $u(x)$ and $v(x)$ are differentiable funcitons, then $u o v(x)$ or $u[v(x)]_{\text {is also differentiable. }}$
If $y=u o v(x)=u[v(x)]$, then

$
\frac{\mathrm{d} y}{\mathrm{~d} x}=\frac{\mathrm{d} u\{v(x)\}}{\mathrm{d}\{v(x)\}} \times \frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d} x} v(x)
$

is known as the chain rule. Or,

$
\text { If } y=f(u) \text { and } u=g(x) \text {, then } \frac{\mathrm{d} y}{\mathrm{~d} x}=\frac{\mathrm{d} y}{\mathrm{~d} u} \cdot \frac{\mathrm{d} u}{\mathrm{~d} x}
$
The chain rule can be extended as follows
If $y=[\operatorname{uovow}(x)]=u[v\{w(x)\}]$, then

$
\frac{\mathrm{d} y}{\mathrm{~d} x}=\frac{\mathrm{d}[u[v\{w(x)\}]}{\mathrm{d} v\{w(x)\}} \times \frac{\mathrm{d}[v\{w(x)\}]}{\mathrm{d} w(x)} \times \frac{\mathrm{d}[w(x)]}{\mathrm{d} x}
$

Algebra of Differentiability

The algebraic properties of differentiablity is

1. If $f(x)$ and $g(x)$ are both differentiable functions at $x=a$, then the following functions are also differentiable at $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{a}$.
(i) $\mathrm{f}(\mathrm{x}) \pm \mathrm{g}(\mathrm{x})$
(ii) $\mathrm{f}(\mathrm{x}) \cdot \mathrm{g}(\mathrm{x})$
(iii) $\frac{\mathrm{f}(\mathrm{x})}{\mathrm{g}(\mathrm{x})}$, provided $\mathrm{g}(\mathrm{a}) \neq 0$

2. If $f(x)$ is differentiable at $x=a$ and $g(x)$ is not differentiable at $x=a$, then $f(x) \pm g(x)$ will not be differentiable at $x=a$.

For example, $\cos (x)+|x|$ is not differentiable at $x=0$, as $\cos (x)$ is differentiable at $x=0$, but $|x|$ is not differentiable at $x=0$.

In other cases, $f(x) \cdot g(x)$ and $f(x) / g(x)$ may or may not be differentiable at $x$ = a, and hence should be checked using LHD-RHD, continuity or graph.

For example, if $f(x)=0$ (differentiable at $x=0$ ) and $g(x)=|x|$ (nondifferentiable at $x=0$ ). Their product is $f(x) \cdot g(x)=0$ which is differentiable. But if $f(x)=2, g(x)=|x|$, then $f(x) \cdot g(x)=2|x|$ is non-differentiable at $x=0$.

3. If $f(x)$ and $g(x)$ both are nondifferentiable functions at $x=a$, then the function obtained by the algebraic operation of $f(x)$ and $g(x)$ may or may not be differentiable at $x=a$. Hence they should be checked.

For example, Let $f(x)=|x|$, not differentiable at $x=0$, and $g(x)=-|x|$ which is also not differentiable at $x=0$. Their sum $=0$ is differentiable and the difference $=2|x|$ is not differentiable. So there is no definite rule.

4. Differentiation of a continuous function may or may not be continuous.

Differentiation of Implicit Functions

An implicit function is a function that includes both dependent and independent variables such as $F(x, y)=0$. For example, the equation of a circle $x^2+y^2=r^2$ is an implicit function because $y$ is not explicitly expressed as a function of $x$. Implicit differentiation means differentiation on both sides of the equation concerning the independent variable with the help of the Chain rule.

To find $\frac{d y}{d x}$ in such a case, we differentiate both sides of the given relation concerning $x$ keeping in mind that the derivative of $\Phi(\mathrm{y})$ concerning $x$ is $\frac{d \phi}{d y} \times \frac{d y}{d x}$

For example

$
\frac{d}{d x}(\sin y)=\cos y \frac{d y}{d x}, \frac{d}{d x}\left(y^2\right)=2 y \frac{d y}{d x}
$

It should be noted that $\frac{d}{d y}(\sin y)=\cos y$ but $\frac{d}{d x}(\sin y)=\cos y \frac{d y}{d x}$

Differentiation of Functions in Parametric Form

Parametric differentiation is the process of finding the derivative of the equation in which the dependent variable $y$ and independent variable $x$ are equated to another variable $t$. To find the derivative of $y$ for $x$ we use the chain rule.

Sometimes, $x$ and $y$ are given as functions of a single variable, i.e., $x=g(t)$ and $y=f(t)$ are two functions and $t$ is a variable. In such cases, $x$ and $y$ are called parametric functions or parametric equations and $t$ is called the parameter.

To find $\frac{d y}{d x}$ in such cases, first find the relationship between $x$ and $y$ by eliminating the parameter $t$ and then differentiate concerning $t$.

We have $x=f(t)$ and $y=f(t)$, in this case, we will differentiate both functions separately. We will first differentiate $x$ and $y$ concerning '$t$ separately. On differentiating $x$ for ' $t$ ' we get $\frac{d x}{d t}$ and on differentiating $y$ by ' $t$ ' we get $\frac{d y}{d t}$.

But sometimes it is not possible to eliminate $t$, then in that case use

$
\frac{d y}{d x}=\frac{\frac{d y}{d t}}{\frac{d x}{d t}}=\frac{f^{\prime}(t)}{g^{\prime}(t)}
$

For example

If $x=a(1-\cos \theta)$ and $y=a(\theta-\sin \theta)$, then $d y / d x$ is
Solution.

$
\begin{aligned}
& \text { Given } \mathrm{x}=\mathrm{a}(1-\cos \theta) \text { and } \mathrm{y}=\mathrm{a}(\theta+\sin \theta) \\
& \Rightarrow \frac{d x}{d \theta}=a(\sin \theta) \text { and } \frac{d y}{d \theta}=a(1+\cos \theta) \\
& \Rightarrow \frac{d y}{d x}=\frac{\frac{d y}{d \theta}}{\frac{d x}{d \theta}}=\frac{1+\cos \theta}{\sin \theta}
\end{aligned}
$
Using the circle example, we differentiate $(-\cot (t))$ concerning

$
\begin{aligned}
& (t):\left[\frac{d}{d t}(-\cot (t))=\csc ^2(t)\right] \text { Since }\left(\frac{d x}{d t}=-\sin (t)\right), \text { wefind }\left(\frac{d^2 y}{d x^2}\right):\left[\frac{d^2 y}{d x^2}\right. \\
& \left.=\frac{\csc ^2(t)}{-\sin (t)}=-\csc (t)\right]
\end{aligned}
$

List of Topics According to NCERT/JEE MAIN

Importance of Class 12 Continuity and Differentiability

Continuity and differentiability have a significant weighting in the IIT JEE test, which is a national level exam for 12th grade students that aids in admission to the country's top engineering universities. It is one of the most difficult exams in the country, and it has a significant impact on students' futures. Several students begin studying as early as Class 11 in order to pass this test. When it comes to math, the significance of these chapters cannot be overstated due to their great weightage. You may begin and continue your studies with the standard books and these revision notes, which will ensure that you do not miss any crucial ideas and can be used to revise before any test or actual examination.

How to Study Class 12 Continuity and Differentiability?

Start preparing by understanding and practicing the concept of limits. Try to be clear on the definition of continuity and differentiability and continuity and differentiability formulas. Practice many problems from each topic for better understanding. Practice continuity and differentiability class 12 previous year questions.

If you are preparing for competitive exams then solve as many problems as you can. Do not jump on the solution right away. Remember if your basics are clear you should be able to solve any question on this topic.

NCERT Notes Subject wise link:

Important Books for Class 12 Continuity and Differentiability

Start from NCERT Books, the illustration is simple and lucid. You should be able to understand most of the things. Solve all problems (including miscellaneous problem) of NCERT. If you do this, your basic level of preparation will be completed.

Then you can refer to the book Amit M Aggarwal's differential and integral calculus or Cengage Algebra Textbook by G. Tewani but make sure you follow any one of these not all. Continuity and Differentiability are explained very well in these books and there are an ample amount of questions with crystal clear concepts. Choice of reference book depends on person to person, find the book that best suits you the best, depending on how well you are clear with the concepts and the difficulty of the questions you require.

NCERT Solutions Subject wise link:

NCERT Exemplar Solutions Subject wise link:


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is continuity and differentiability?

A function is continuous at $\mathrm{x}=\mathrm{c}$ if the function is defined at $x=c$ and if the value of the function at $x=c$ equals the limit of the function at $x=c$ and a function $f(x)$ is differentiable at a point ' $a$ ' in its domain if limit of the function $f^{\prime}(x)$ exists at $x=a$.

2. What are the 2 conditions of differentiability?

For a function $f$ to be differentiable, $f(x)$ should be continuous at $x=a$ and the limit of the function $f^\prime(x)$ should exist at $x=a$. 

3. What is the formula of derivative?

The formula of derivative is $\operatorname{im}_{b \rightarrow 0} \frac{f(a+h)-f(a)}{h}$.

4. What are the 7 rules of differentiation?

The rules of differentiation are sum rule, difference rule, constant multiple rule, product rule, quotient rule, chain rule and power rule.

5. How to find whether the given graph is continuous?

The graph of a continuous function does not have gaps inbetween. To find whether the given graph is continuous, check if there is any gaps inbetween the graphs.

6. How is differentiability related to continuity?
Differentiability is a stronger condition than continuity. All differentiable functions are continuous, but not all continuous functions are differentiable. A function is differentiable at a point if it has a well-defined derivative at that point, which means the function has a smooth, non-sharp curve at that point.
7. Can a function be continuous but not differentiable?
Yes, a function can be continuous but not differentiable. A classic example is the absolute value function f(x) = |x| at x = 0. It's continuous everywhere but has a sharp corner at x = 0, making it non-differentiable at that point.
8. What is continuity in mathematics?
Continuity in mathematics refers to a function that has no breaks, gaps, or jumps in its graph. A function is continuous at a point if the function value at that point is equal to the limit of the function as we approach the point from both sides. In simpler terms, you can draw the function's graph without lifting your pencil.
9. How do you determine if a function is continuous at a point?
To determine if a function f(x) is continuous at a point x = a, three conditions must be met:
10. What is a discontinuity in a function?
A discontinuity is a point where a function is not continuous. There are different types of discontinuities:
11. What is the difference between a limit and continuity?
A limit describes the behavior of a function as it approaches a specific point, while continuity requires the function to actually reach that value at the point. A function can have a limit at a point without being continuous there, but for a function to be continuous, it must have a limit equal to its function value at that point.
12. What is the formal definition of continuity?
The formal definition of continuity states that a function f(x) is continuous at x = a if for every ε > 0, there exists a δ > 0 such that |f(x) - f(a)| < ε whenever |x - a| < δ. This definition is also known as the epsilon-delta definition of continuity.
13. What is the Intermediate Value Theorem and how does it relate to continuity?
The Intermediate Value Theorem states that if a function f(x) is continuous on a closed interval [a, b], and y is any value between f(a) and f(b), then there exists at least one c in [a, b] such that f(c) = y. This theorem is a fundamental property of continuous functions and is often used to prove the existence of solutions to equations.
14. What is the difference between pointwise and uniform continuity?
Pointwise continuity means a function is continuous at each individual point in its domain. Uniform continuity is a stronger condition where the same δ works for all points in the domain for a given ε. Uniform continuity ensures that the function behaves consistently across its entire domain.
15. How does continuity relate to the concept of limits?
Continuity is closely related to limits. For a function to be continuous at a point, the limit of the function as we approach the point must exist and be equal to the function's value at that point. In other words, continuity requires that the left-hand limit, right-hand limit, and function value all coincide at a point.
16. What is the connection between continuity and the Extreme Value Theorem?
The Extreme Value Theorem states that if a function is continuous on a closed interval [a, b], it must attain both a maximum and a minimum value on that interval. This theorem relies on the properties of continuous functions and is crucial in optimization problems.
17. How does the concept of continuity extend to functions of multiple variables?
For functions of multiple variables, continuity is defined similarly but considers all possible directions of approach. A function f(x, y) is continuous at a point (a, b) if the limit of f(x, y) as (x, y) approaches (a, b) exists and equals f(a, b), regardless of the path taken to approach the point.
18. What is the relationship between continuity and compactness?
Continuous functions preserve compactness: the image of a compact set under a continuous function is compact. This property is fundamental in topology and analysis, and it's used to prove many important theorems, such as the Extreme Value Theorem.
19. What is the significance of uniform continuity in analysis?
Uniform continuity is important in analysis because:
20. How does continuity relate to the concept of a function's range?
Continuity affects a function's range in several ways:
21. How does continuity affect the composition of functions?
The composition of continuous functions is continuous. If f and g are continuous functions and the range of g is within the domain of f, then the composite function f ∘ g is also continuous. This property is fundamental in building complex functions from simpler ones.
22. How does the concept of continuity extend to complex functions?
In complex analysis, continuity is defined similarly to real-valued functions but uses the complex absolute value. A complex function f(z) is continuous at a point z₀ if for every ε > 0, there exists a δ > 0 such that |f(z) - f(z₀)| < ε whenever |z - z₀| < δ. This definition leads to powerful results in complex analysis.
23. How does continuity relate to the concept of a limit point?
A function is continuous at a limit point of its domain if and only if its limit at that point exists and equals its value at the point. This relationship is crucial in understanding the behavior of functions near accumulation points and in defining continuity on sets with non-isolated points.
24. What is the role of continuity in defining and understanding improper integrals?
Continuity is important in the study of improper integrals:
25. How does the epsilon-delta definition of continuity relate to the topological definition?
The epsilon-delta definition of continuity is equivalent to the topological definition, which states that a function f is continuous if the preimage of every open set in the codomain is open in the domain. This connection bridges the gap between analysis and topology, providing different perspectives on the same concept.
26. What is the connection between continuity and the concept of a connected set?
Continuous functions preserve connectedness: the image of a connected set under a continuous function is connected. This property is fundamental in topology and is used to prove many important theorems about continuous functions and topological spaces.
27. How does continuity relate to the concept of a fixed point?
Continuity is crucial in fixed point theorems:
28. What is the role of continuity in defining and understanding limits of sequences?
Continuity is closely related to limits of sequences:
29. How does the concept of continuity extend to metric spaces?
In metric spaces, continuity is defined using the metric instead of absolute values:
30. What is the significance of uniform continuity in the theory of Fourier series?
Uniform continuity plays a role in Fourier series:
31. How does the concept of continuity extend to function spaces?
In function spaces, continuity can be defined with respect to various norms or metrics:
32. What is the connection between continuity and the concept of a homeomorphism?
A homeomorphism is a continuous function with a continuous inverse. Homeomorphisms are fundamental in topology:
33. How does one-sided continuity differ from two-sided continuity?
One-sided continuity refers to a function being continuous from either the left or right side of a point, while two-sided continuity (or simply continuity) requires the function to be continuous from both sides. A function can be one-sided continuous without being two-sided continuous.
34. How do you prove a function is continuous using the definition?
To prove a function is continuous using the definition:
35. How does continuity affect the properties of a function?
Continuity affects several properties of a function:
36. What is the role of continuity in calculus?
Continuity plays a crucial role in calculus:
37. What is the significance of the Weierstrass function in the study of continuity?
The Weierstrass function is a famous example of a function that is continuous everywhere but differentiable nowhere. It challenges our intuition about the relationship between continuity and differentiability and demonstrates that continuous functions can be highly irregular.
38. How do you determine if a piecewise function is continuous?
To determine if a piecewise function is continuous:
39. How does continuity affect the graph of a function?
Continuity affects a function's graph in several ways:
40. What is the difference between continuity and smoothness?
Continuity ensures that a function has no breaks or jumps, while smoothness is a stronger condition. A smooth function is not only continuous but also has continuous derivatives up to some order. All smooth functions are continuous, but not all continuous functions are smooth.
41. How does continuity relate to the concept of a function's domain?
Continuity is defined only for points within a function's domain. When discussing continuity, we must consider the function's domain and any restrictions on it. Sometimes, redefining a function's domain can make a discontinuous function continuous.
42. What is the importance of continuity in real-world applications?
Continuity is crucial in many real-world applications:
43. How does continuity affect the solvability of equations?
Continuity plays a crucial role in solving equations:
44. What is the role of continuity in defining trigonometric functions?
Continuity is crucial in defining trigonometric functions:
45. What is the connection between continuity and differentiability in vector-valued functions?
For vector-valued functions, continuity is defined component-wise. A vector-valued function is continuous if and only if all its component functions are continuous. Differentiability for vector-valued functions requires continuity of all partial derivatives, which is a stronger condition than mere continuity.
46. What is the significance of Darboux's theorem in the study of continuity and differentiability?
Darboux's theorem states that the derivative of a differentiable function, if it exists, has the intermediate value property (like continuous functions), even if the derivative itself is not continuous. This theorem highlights a surprising connection between differentiability and a property typically associated with continuity.
47. What is the significance of Lipschitz continuity?
Lipschitz continuity is a stronger form of continuity that bounds the rate of change of a function. A function f is Lipschitz continuous if there exists a constant K such that |f(x) - f(y)| ≤ K|x - y| for all x and y in the domain. Lipschitz continuity ensures:
48. How does continuity affect the properties of inverse functions?
Continuity plays a crucial role in inverse functions:
49. How does continuity affect the properties of convex functions?
Continuity interacts with convexity in several ways:
50. What is the role of continuity in the study of differential equations?
Continuity is crucial in differential equations:
51. How does continuity relate to the concept of a modulus of continuity?
The modulus of continuity quantifies how continuous a function is:

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