3.

Situations involving Rolles theorem and Mean value Theorem

The Mean Value Theorem is one of the most important theoretical tools in Calculus. It states that if f(x) is defined and continuous on the interval [a,b] and differentiable on (a,b), then there is at least one number c in the interval (a,b) (that is a < c < b) such that

The special case, when f(a) = f(b) is known as Rolle's Theorem. In this case, we have f '(c) =0. In other words, there exists a point in the interval (a,b) which has a horizontal tangent. In fact, the Mean Value Theorem can be stated also in terms of slopes. Indeed, the number

Rolles theorem states that if f is a function dened on a closed interval [a, b] such that the following three conditions hold: (i) f is continuous on [a, b] (ii) f is dfferentiable on the open interval (a, b) (iii) f(a) = f(b) = 0, then there exists c ! (a, b) such that f 0 (c) = 0. (It turns out that the condition that both f(a) and f(b) be equal to zero is not necessary we can weaken it to simply requiring that f(a) equal f(b).

A simple situation:
Assume that f is a continuous, real-valued function, defined on an arbitrary interval I of the real line. If the derivative of f at every interior point of the interval I exists and is zero, then f is constant.

Proof: Assume the derivative of f at every interior point of the interval

I exists and is zero. Let (a, b) be an arbitrary open interval in I. By the mean value theorem, there exists a point c in (a,b) such that:

This implies that f(a) = f(b). Thus, f is constant on the interior of I and thus is constant on I by continuity.