[Math] To show a function is Riemann integrable.

real-analysisriemann sumself-learning

Given a function

$$v(x) =\begin{cases} 0&\text{if } x=0\\
1&\text{if }x\in(0,1]\end{cases}$$

How do I show that $v$ is Riemann integrable in $[0,1]$?

Hints on how to do this??

Best Answer

Well, first figure out what you think the integral should be (just as you would figure out what you think a limit should be before you attempt an $\varepsilon$-$\delta$ proof), and call it $I$. Hint: the function takes the value $1$ pretty much everywhere.

Then, you wish to establish that $I$ actually is the integral. You need to show that $I(f) \le I \le U(f)$, where $I(f)$ is the supremal value of lower sums of $f$ over all partitions, and $U(f)$ is the infimal value of upper sums of $f$ over all partitions.

It's not difficult to show that $U(f) = I$. Just show $U(f, P) \ge I$ for all partitions $P$, and find a particular partition such that $U(f, P) = I$ (this shouldn't be hard: literally any partition $P$ should do!).

To establish that $L(f) = I$, you only need to show that $L(f) \ge I$, since we automatically have $L(f) \le U(f)$. You need to construct a sequence of partitions $P_n$ such that $L(f, P_n) \rightarrow I$. Since $x = 0$ is the one and only problematic point, I suggest isolating $x = 0$ in an increasingly small part, for example, $$P_n = \lbrace [0, 1/n], [1/n, 1] \rbrace$$ should do the trick! Compute $L(f, P_n)$. It should be a very simple sequence in terms only of $n$, and it should approach $I$.

Good luck!