Exercise 4.5.4

Let g be continuous on an interval A and let F be the set of points where g fails to be one-to-one; that is,

F = { x A : f ( x ) = f ( y )  for some  y x  and  y A }

Show F is either empty or uncountable.

Answers

Suppose F is nonempty, let x , y A with x y and f ( x ) = f ( y ) . Pick z ( x , y ) such that f ( z ) f ( x ) (if z does not exist f is constant over ( x , y ) and we are finished early). By the Intermediate Value Theorem every L ( f ( x ) , f ( z ) ) has an x ( x , z ) with f ( x ) = L . And since L ( f ( z ) , f ( y ) ) as well we can find y ( z , y ) with f ( y ) = L , thus f ( y ) = f ( x ) and so f is not 1-1 at every L ( f ( x ) , f ( z ) ) which is uncountable.

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2022-01-27 00:00
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