Show $f$ is discontinuous at every odd integer if $f(x)=x, -1< x< 1, $ $f(x+2)=x,\forall x\notin (-1,1)$

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Let $f$ be a real function defined as follows:

$f(x)=x, -1< x< 1, $

$f(x+2)=x,\forall x\notin (-1,1)$

Show that $f$ is discontinuous at every odd integer.

My work:

The function is continuous in $(-1,1)$. I have proved discontinuity at $x=-1, 1$.

Now, for any integer $x=2n+1, n\in I$, the function is coming out to be continuous as per the following reasoning.

At $x=2n+1$

LHL = $\lim \limits_{h \to 0}f(2n+1-h)=\lim \limits_{h \to 0}f[(2n+1-h-2)+2]=\lim \limits_{h \to 0}2n+1-h-2=2n-1$

RHL = $\lim \limits_{h \to 0}f(2n+1+h)=\lim \limits_{h \to 0}f[(2n+1+h-2)+2]=\lim \limits_{h \to 0}2n+1+h-2=2n-1$

Also, $f(2n+1)=f[(2n+1-2)+2]=2n-1$

So, according to me, LHL=RHL=$f(2n+1)$.

How is it discontinuous at odd integers?

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There is a problem with the definition of $f(x)$.

Lets analyse it at $x=0.8$ (this would work for any $|x|<1$):

  • By the first definition, $f(0.8)=0.8$.

  • By the second definition, $f(0.8)=f(-1.2+2)=-1.2$ since $-1.2<-1$

Then, as for one value of $x$ we have two different values of $f(x)$, either this is not a function or it is not well defined.

(However, for odd integers greater than $3$, it should be continuous since for those sufficiently large values $f(x)=x-2$)