Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2015 / iii / Paper 5 / 3 / 1 / b

Reflect $u$ across the two endpoints of $I$ into a slightly larger interval, giving an $H^1$ extension, and multiply by a smooth cutoff function equal to one near $\overline{I}$. Convolve the resulting function on $\mathbb{R}$ with a mollifier. The convolutions $u_{\epsilon }$ are smooth; differentiation commutes with convolution of the weak derivative. Continuity of translations in $L^2$ proves both $u_{\epsilon }\to u$ and $u_{\epsilon }^{\prime }\to u^{\prime }$ in $L^2(I)$, hence convergence in the Sobolev norm.

To obtain convergence almost everywhere, select a sequence with $\Vert u_n-u{\Vert }_2\le 2^{-n}$. Then $\int {\sum }_n|u_n-u{|}^2<\infty$, so the summands tend to zero almost everywhere. Thus a smooth approximating sequence converges both in $H^1$ and almost everywhere. This is density of smooth functions in a Sobolev space; smooth functions need not vanish at the endpoints.