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CH 7

The document discusses properties of differentiable functions including Rolle's theorem, the mean value theorem, and Darboux's theorem. Rolle's theorem states that if a function is continuous on a closed interval and differentiable on the open interval except for the endpoints, where it is equal, then it must have a point where the derivative is 0. The mean value theorem extends this to relate the derivative at some point to the slope of the function over the interval. Darboux's theorem concerns properties of the derivative between endpoints.

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Syamsuar Bahardi
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36 views4 pages

CH 7

The document discusses properties of differentiable functions including Rolle's theorem, the mean value theorem, and Darboux's theorem. Rolle's theorem states that if a function is continuous on a closed interval and differentiable on the open interval except for the endpoints, where it is equal, then it must have a point where the derivative is 0. The mean value theorem extends this to relate the derivative at some point to the slope of the function over the interval. Darboux's theorem concerns properties of the derivative between endpoints.

Uploaded by

Syamsuar Bahardi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 7: Properties of differentiable functions

Theorem: (Rolle’s Theorem) Suppose that a < b and f : [a, b] → R is continuous on


[a, b]. If f (a) = f (b) and f is differentiable on (a, b) then there exists a point x0 ∈ (a, b)
such that f 0 (x0 ) = 0.

Figure 18: Rolle’s Theorem.

Proof:
1. If f is constant on [a, b] then f 0 (x) ≡ 0 on (a, b). Hence we may suppose that f is not
constant on [a, b].
2. Therefore, either (i) max{f (x) : x ∈ [a, b]} > f (a) = f (b) or (ii) min{f (x) : x ∈
[a, b]} < f (a) = f (b). We shall only consider case (i) as case (ii) is similar.
3. Choose x0 ∈ (a, b) such that f (x0 ) = sup{f (x) : x ∈ [a, b]}. Then since f (x) 6 f (x0 )
for all x ∈ [a, b], (f (x) − f (x0 ))/(x − x0 ) 6 0 for all x ∈ [a, b] with x0 < x.
4. Therefore, f+0 (x0 ) = limx→x+0 (f (x) − f (x0 ))/(x − x0 ) 6 0.
5. On the other hand, f (x) − f (x0 ) 6 0 for all x ∈ [a, b] with x < x0 and so (f (x) −
f (x0 ))/(x − x0 ) > 0 for all x ∈ [a, b] with x < x0 .
6. Therefore, f−0 (x0 ) = limx→x−0 (f (x) − f (x0 ))/(x − x0 ) > 0.
7. Now since f is differentiable at x0 , f+0 (x0 ) = f−0 (x0 ) and so

f 0 (x0 ) = f+0 (x0 ) = f−0 (x0 ) = 0.

2
Exercise: Let f : [−1, 1] → R be defined by, f (x) := (x + 1)m (x − 1)n . Show that
f 0 (x0 ) = 0, where x0 := (m − n)/(m + n).
Example: Consider the function f : [−1, 1] → R defined by, f (x) := |x|. Show that
f 0 (x) never equals 0. Does this contradict Rolle’s theorem?
Answer: First, note that f 0 (0) does not exist and f 0 (x) = 1 if x > 0 and f 0 (x) = −1 if
x < 0. Therefore, f 0 (x) never equals 0. However, this does not contradict Rolle’s theorem,

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Figure 19: Continuity on [a,b] is needed for Rolle’s Theorem.

because although f is continuous on [−1, 1] and f (−1) = f (1), f is not differentiable on


(−1, 1). 2
Theorem: (Mean Value Theorem) Suppose that a < b and f : [a, b] → R is continuous
on [a, b]. If f is differentiable on (a, b) then there a point x0 ∈ (a, b) such that

f (b) − f (a)
f 0 (x0 ) = .
b−a

Figure 20: Mean Value Theorem .

Proof:
1. Let h : [a, b] → R be the equation of the line joining the points (a, f (a)) and (b, f (b)),
ie:
f (b) − f (a)
h(x) := (x − a) + f (a).
b−a

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2. Now let us consider the function g : [a, b] → R defined by g(x) := f (x) − h(x), ie: g(x)
is the difference between f (x) and the line described by h.
3. Then g is continuous on [a, b], differentiable on (a, b) and g(a) = g(b).
4. Therefore by Rolle’s theorem there exists a point x0 ∈ (a, b) such that g 0 (x0 ) =
f (b) − f (a)
f 0 (x0 ) − h0 (x0 ) = 0, ie: f 0 (x0 ) = h0 (x0 ) = . 2
b−a
Example: Suppose that f : R → R is differentiable. Show that f is increasing if, and
only if, f 0 (x) > 0 for all x ∈ R.
Answer: Suppose that f 0 (x) > 0 for all x ∈ R.
Let a, b be any real numbers such that a < b; we need to show that f (a) 6 f (b).
First we note that f is continuous on [a, b] and differentiable on (a, b). Therefore, by the
mean value theorem there exists a point x0 ∈ (a, b) such that
f (b) − f (a) = f 0 (x0 ) · (b − a) > 0.

From this it follows that f (a) 6 f (b).


Conversely, suppose that f is increasing on R. Let x0 be any point in R and let x0 < x.
Then f (x) > f (x0 ), ie: f (x) − f (x0 ) > 0. Therefore,
f (x) − f (x0 )
>0
x − x0
for all x > x0 and so
f (x) − f (x0 )
f 0 (x0 ) = f+0 (x0 ) = lim+ >0
x→x0 x − x0
. 2
Exercise: Suppose that f : R → R is differentiable. Show that f is strictly increasing if
f 0 (x) > 0 for all x ∈ R.
We now show that the derivative of an (everywhere) differentiable function satisfies an
intermediate value property similar to that satisfied by continuous functions, despite the
fact that f 0 may not be continuous.
Lemma: Suppose that a < b and f : [a, b] → R is differentiable at both a and b. If,
(i) f 0 (a) > 0 then there exists a δ > 0 such that f (x) > f (a) for all x ∈ [a, b] with
a < x < a + δ;
(ii) f 0 (b) < 0 then there exists a δ > 0 such that f (x) > f (b) for all x ∈ [a, b] with
b − δ < x < b.
Proof: We shall only consider case (i) as case (ii) is similar. Since f 0 (a) > 0 there exists
a δ > 0 such that (f (x) − f (a))/(x − a) > 0 for all a < x < a + δ. Therefore, for all
x ∈ [a, b] with a < x < a + δ,
f (x) − f (a)
f (x) − f (a) = · (x − a) > 0.
x−a

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Figure 21: Positive derivative means increasing.

2
Theorem: (Darboux’s Theorem) Suppose that a < b and f : [a, b] → R is differentiable
on [a, b]. If f 0 (a) > k > f 0 (b) (or vice versa) then there exists a point x0 ∈ (a, b) such that
f 0 (x0 ) = k.

Figure 22: Darboux’s Theorem.

Proof: 1. Suppose that f 0 (a) > k > f 0 (b) and consider the function g : [a, b] → R defined
by, g(x) := f (x) − kx.
2. Since g is continuous on [a, b], g attains its maximum value at some point x0 ∈ [a, b].
3. Moreover, since g 0 (a) > 0 and g 0 (b) < 0 it follows from the previous Lemma that
x0 ∈ (a, b).
4. The result now follows as in Rolle’s theorem by showing that g 0 (x0 ) = 0. The proof
for the case f 0 (a) < k < f 0 (b) is similar. 2

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