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Construct explicit bijective functions such that:

  1. $f:[0,1)→[0,∞)$

  2. $g:[a,b)→(c,d]$ with $a<b$ and $c<d$

  3. $h:[0,1]→[0,1)$ (this isn't possible with a continuous function)

And than you have to explain how you got this function.

I have got the last one: $$h(x) = \begin{cases} g(x) & \text{for } x \neq 0, \\ 0 & \text{for } x = 0. \end{cases}$$ where $$g(x) = \begin{cases} 1/(n+1) & \text{for } x = 1/n, n\in\mathbb{N}, \\ x & \text{otherwise}. \end{cases}$$ I don't know how to get the other ones and how to explain the last one. Can somebody help me?

alexwlchan
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1 Answers1

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Intriguingly, the last one is the trickiest. And while you have used the essential trick, you didn't do it completely right.

b) should be rather trivial, just let $g(x)=d-\frac{d-c}{b-a}\cdot(x-a)$.

For a) one can take something like $f(x)=\tan (\frac \pi2 x)$ or alternatively, $$f(x)=\begin{cases}0&\text{if }x=0\\\frac1x-1&\text{otherwise}\end{cases}$$

The trick with c) i sthat we want to get rid of the one endpoint $1$, so we might want to leave most points fixed and move $1$ to $\frac12$. Howevre, this implies we cannot leave $\frac12$ fixed and have to move it aways, say to $\frac13$. And so on. Explicitly $$h(x)=\begin{cases}\frac1{n+1}&\text{if } x=\frac1n,n\in\mathbb N\\ x&\text{otherwise}\end{cases}$$ I recommend you lookup "Hilbert's hotel".

In all cases above you should take a moment to check the necessary properties. That is, to show that $\phi\colon A\to B$ is a bijection, you need to show that

  • for each $x\in X$, the value $\phi(x)$ is indeed $\in Y$
  • $\phi$ is onto, that is for each $y\in Y$ we can exhibit some $x$ with $\phi(x)=y$
  • $\phi$ is 1-to-1, that is if $\phi(x_1)=\phi(x_2)$ for $x_1,x_2\in X$ then $x_1=x_2$.