$f$ is continuous, no constant and periodic $\implies$ f is bounded

calculusperiodic functionsreal-analysis

$f:\mathbb R \longrightarrow \mathbb R$ is continuous, no constant and periodic $\implies$f is bounded.

My answer:

Suppose $f$ is unbounded, we have many possibilities, but since $f$ is continuous so it is unbounded

$$ \text{Does not exist} \displaystyle\lim_{x\to\infty} f(x)
\text{ or} \displaystyle\lim_{x\to\infty} f(x)=\infty
$$

If the limits do not exist how do I?

Suppose that $\displaystyle\lim_{x\to+\infty} f(x)=+\infty$ the remaining cases are treated in an analogous way.

Now
$\displaystyle\lim_{x\to+\infty} f(x)=+\infty \iff \forall \epsilon>0 \, \exists \delta>0: x>\delta \implies f(x)>\epsilon$.
As $f$ is periodic, let us suppose of period $P$, for $a\in\mathbb R$, $f(a)=f(a+P)=…=f(a+nP), n\in\mathbb N$.

For $\epsilon=2f(a)>0$,
$\exists \delta>0, \forall x>\delta \implies f(x)>2f(a)$ but this is a contradiction (isn't it?), because in $]\delta,+\infty[$ has of existing natural $m$ such that $a+mP>\delta$ because $\mathbb N$ is not increased (is it correct?), and in this case, $f(a+mP)=f(a)<2f(a)$.
What do you think ?

Best Answer

You want to show that $f(\mathbb{R})$ is a bounded set. Now observe that by periodicity, there is a compact interval $[a,b]$ such that $f(\mathbb{R}) = f([a,b])$. What do we know about the image of compact sets under continuous functions?