Classify the discontinuity of a piecewise function at a breakpoint
Consider the piecewise function
Determine whether is continuous at . If it is not continuous, classify the discontinuity at as removable, jump, or infinite, and justify your classification using the one-sided limits of at .
Hint
Compute using and using . Compare these two one-sided limits to each other, and also compare their common value (if any) to .
Step-by-step solution
First find the one-sided limits at . From the left, , so . From the right, , so .
Since the left-hand limit () and right-hand limit () are both finite but not equal to each other, does not exist, and the graph has a break where the two pieces do not meet. Because both one-sided limits are finite (no infinite behavior) but disagree, this is a jump discontinuity at .
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