Strange Functions in Real Analysis

Strange Functions in Real Analysis Synopsis

Strange Functions in Real Analysis, Third Edition differs from the previous editions in that it includes five new chapters as well as two appendices. More importantly, the entire text has been revised and contains more detailed explanations of the presented material. In doing so, the book explores a number of important examples and constructions of pathological functions. After introducing basic concepts, the author begins with Cantor and Peano-type functions, then moves effortlessly to functions whose constructions require what is essentially non-effective methods. These include functions without the Baire property, functions associated with a Hamel basis of the real line and Sierpinski-Zygmund functions that are discontinuous on each subset of the real line having the cardinality continuum.Finally, the author considers examples of functions whose existence cannot be established without the help of additional set-theoretical axioms. On the whole, the book is devoted to strange functions (and point sets) in real analysis and their applications.