In this thesis we give an exposition of the notion of category and the Baire category theorem as a set theoretical method for proving existence. The category method was introduced by René Baire to describe the functions that can be represented by a limit of a sequence of continuous real functions. Baire used the term functions of the first class to denote these functions. The usage of the Baire category theorem and the category method will be illustrated by some of its numerous applications in real and functional analysis. Since the usefulness, and generality, of the category method becomes fully apparent in Banach spaces, the applications provided have been restricted to these spaces. To some extent, basic concepts of metric topology will be revised, as the Baire category theorem is formulated and proved by these concepts. In addition to the Baire category theorem, we will give proof of equivalence between different versions of the theorem. Explicit examples, of first class functions will be presented, and we shall state a theorem, due to Baire, providing a necessary condition on the set of points of continuity for any function of the first class.

<p>In this thesis we give an exposition of the notion of <em>category </em>and the <em>Baire category theorem </em>as a set theoretical method for proving existence. The category method was introduced by René Baire to describe the functions that can be represented by a limit of a sequence of continuous real functions. Baire used the term <em>functions of the first class </em>to denote these functions.</p><p>The usage of the Baire category theorem and the category method will be illustrated by some of its numerous applications in real and functional analysis. Since the usefulness, and generality, of the category method becomes fully apparent in Banach spaces, the applications provided have been restricted to these spaces.</p><p>To some extent, basic concepts of metric topology will be revised, as the Baire category theorem is formulated and proved by these concepts. In addition to the Baire category theorem, we will give proof of equivalence between different versions of the theorem.</p><p>Explicit examples, of first class functions will be presented, and we shall state a theorem, due to Baire, providing a necessary condition on the set of points of continuity for any function of the first class.</p><p> </p>

In this paper, we use the following scheme to construct a continuous, nowhere-differentiable function 𝑓 which is the uniform limit of a sequence of sawtooth functions 𝑓ₙ : [0, 1] → [0, 1] with increasingly sharp teeth. Let 𝑋 = [0, 1] x [0, 1] and 𝐹(𝑋) be the Hausdorff metric space determined by 𝑋. We define contraction maps 𝑤₁ , 𝑤₂ , 𝑤₃ on 𝑋. These maps define a contraction map 𝑤 on 𝐹(𝑋) via 𝑤(𝐴) = 𝑤₁(𝐴) ⋃ 𝑤₂(𝐴) ⋃ 𝑤₃(𝐴). The iteration under 𝑤 of the diagonal in 𝑋 defines a sequence of graphs of continuous functions 𝑓ₙ. Since 𝑤 is a contraction map in the compact metric space 𝐹(𝑋), 𝑤 has a unique fixed point. Hence, these iterations converge to the fixed point-which turns out to be the graph of our continuous, nowhere-differentiable function 𝑓. Chapter 2 contains the background we will need to engage our task. Chapter 3 includes two results from the Baire Category Theorem. The first is the well known fact that the set of continuous, nowhere-differentiable functions on [0,1] is a residual set in 𝐶[0,1]. The second fact is that the set of continuous functions on [0,1] which have a dense set of proper local extrema is residual in 𝐶[0,1]. In the fourth and last chapter we actually construct our function and prove it is continuous, nowhere-differentiable and has a dense set of proper local extrema. Lastly we iterate the set {(0,0), (1,1)} under 𝑤 and plot its points. Any terms not defined in Chapters 2 through 4 may be found in [2,4]. The same applies to the basic properties of metric spaces which have not been explicitly stated. Throughout, we will let 𝒩 and 𝕽 denote the natural numbers and the real numbers, respectively.