MATH 2091

Real Analysis
Syllabus
Fall 2008
Instructor: Sam Smith
Office: Barbelin 230, email [email protected], x1559
Office Hours: Mon 11:00-1:00, Tues. 1:00-3:00, or by appointment.
Text: Abbot, Understanding Analysis, Springer-Verlag
Course Description: The discovery and development of the calculus represents one of the
fundamental achievements. of mathematics as well as one of its most richly historical stories.
With beginnings in the method of exhaustion by limits of Archimedes, the development of
calculus traces through the tangent line computations of Fermat, the publication of Newton’s
Principia, the early, remarkable applications for physics achieved by Newton and his
contemporaries, through substantial depth-changes in the hands of Riemann, Cauchy,
Weierstrass, Cantor and Lebesgue to the present. While the methods of calculus provided
mathematicians with unprecedented computational power, the theoretical issues inherent in
the subject required a first direct confrontation with the horror infiniti, the fear of infinity
that characterized much of mathematics dating from the Greeks. Considerations of infinite
processes – sequences, limits and series -- entailed a major paradigm shift from the
geometry and number theory studied classically. It is not surprising that mathematicians
made false steps and only slowly developed the proper language for calculus. While the study
of real-valued functions flourished in the years following Newton, the lack of rigorous
underpinnings for the subject and the strong reliance on intuition instead of formal proof
eventually led to foundational problems. Faced with contradictory results, nineteenth century
analysts led by Cauchy and Weierstrass revamped the subject by giving precise definitions to
the most basic terms like functions, limits and continuity. Most notably, these
mathematicians formulated the famous ε−δ definition, establishing a new standard of rigor
for the subject and, by extension, for all of mathematics. This increased rigor, in turn, led to
a host of deeper, more profound questions and results about the nature of the real numbers.
For example, Cantor’s theory of cardinality of sets, a measure theory of infinities, emerged
from his work on the analysis of the real numbers. Cantor’s work, in turn, set the stage for
Gödel’s impossibility theorems and other amazing developments in twentieth century
mathematical logic. In analysis, his results were extended by Baire to a fundamental
characterization of the “size” of the set of real numbers with applications to functional
analysis and by Lebesgue to a modern theory of integration.
In this course, we take up the study of real analysis, the rigorous study of functions of a
real variable, following much of the historical path through the material described above.
Many of the concepts and results of this course will be familiar from calculus. We will study
continuity, differentiability, convergence of sequences and series and integrals. In contrast to
your calculus classes, however, our approach to this material will be theoretical. We will be
focused on the proofs! Moreover, we will consider a variety of general questions beyond the
scope of a non-theoretical course. Our inquiry will be example-driven, with highlights
including the Dirichlet and Thomae functions, Cantor’s “middle-thirds” set and Weierstrass’
everywhere continuous but nowhere differentiable function. We will also consider a whole
new class of questions which emerge from but go far beyond the scope of introductory
calculus, including the nature of sets of discontinuities, continuity properties of derivatives
and, as time permits, integrability of functions with discontinuities. We will cover the first
six or seven chapters of the text.
Course Structure: Your responsibilities for this course are: a midterm exam, a final exam, ten
written problem sets and at least one in-class presentations (see below). The dates for these
are indicated on the attached course calendar except for the final exam which will be
scheduled by the registrar.

Learning Goals: Students will be able to prove convergence and divergence of limits using the
ε−δ definition. Students will be know and be able to prove basic theorems about the notions of
completeness, compactness and connectedness. Students will know and be able to prove basic
facts about derivatives and their properties. Students will know and be able to prove basic
facts about infinite series of functions. Students will know the definition of the Riemann
integral and how to compute this from the definition in elementary cases.

Problem Sets: I will hand out problem sets essentially every week. Problems will be of two
types: practice problems, which will reinforce the basic concepts and methods of proof and
further problems, whose solutions will usually be longer and more involved. The practice
problems will be worth a total of 30-40 points and the further problems will be worth
anywhere from 5 to 15 points each. I will collect problem sets on Thursdays (see the attached
calendar). I will not accept practice problems after the due date. Thus you should hand in as
many of these as you have solved. I will accept further problems up to a week late with
appropriate point reductions. Further problems which have not been solved after a weeks time
will become open questions. I will accept solutions to open problems at any time. The
submission of a correct solution to an open problem will, of course, render the problem
closed. Solutions to most of the problems in this course will be proofs. I expect you to write
proofs in complete, grammatical sentences (albeit with symbols). You will lose substantial
points if your work is not neat, well organized and written in complete, sentences.

Grades: The minimal requirements for this course are that you hand in practice problems every
week give at least one presentation and do passing work on the exams. To get a B in this
course you should solve virtually all the practice problems each week, attempt and solve, on
average one further problem a week, give presentations and do reasonably well on the
exams. For an A, you should solve virtually all the practice problems, a large percentage of
the further problems and give one or two presentations of unique solutions. Your
performance on the tests should indicate mastery of the material.

Policy on Collaboration: You are encouraged to discuss the ideas of the class with fellow
students or with me. However, I expect every student to hand in their own work. If you have
gotten considerable help from another (excluding me) you should indicate this on your paper.
 MATH 2091
Real Analysis
Calendar

Fall 2008

Monday Thursday
Sept 1 Sept 4

Sept 8 Sept 11
Problem Set 1 Due
Sept 15 Sept 14
Problem Set 2 Due
Sept 22 Sept 25
Problem Set 3 Due
Sept 29 Oct 2
Problem Set 4 Due
Oct 6 Oct 9
Problem Set 5 Due
Oct 13 Oct 16
Midterm Exam
Oct 20 Oct 23
Fall Break -- No Class
Oct 27 Oct 30
Problem Set 6 Due
Nov 3 Nov 6

Nov 10 Nov 13
Problem Set 7 Due
Nov 17 Nov 20
Problem Set 8 Due
Nov 24 Nov 27
Thanksgiving -- No Class
Dec 1 Dec 4
Problem Set 9 Due
Dec 8 Dec 11
Problem Set 10 Due
Dec 15
Final Exams