# Math4121 Lecture 3 ## Continue on Differentiation ### Mean Value Theorem #### Theorem 5.9 Generalized Mean Value Theorem If $f,g:[a,b]\to \mathbb{R}$ are continuous on $[a,b]$ and differentiable in $(a,b)$, then there exists a point $x\in (a,b)$ such that $$ [f(b)-f(a)]g'(x)=[g(b)-g(a)]f'(x) $$ Proof: Define $h(x)=[f(b)-f(a)]g(x)-[g(b)-g(a)]f(x)$, $t\in [a,b]$. We need to show that there exists a point $x\in (a,b)$ such that $h'(x)=0$. By previous theorem, it's enough to show that $h$ has a local minimum or maximum in $(a,b)$. By [Extreme Value Theorem](https://notenextra.trance-0.com/Math4111/Math4111_L24#theorem-416-extreme-value-theorem) $$ \begin{aligned} h(a)&=[f(b)-f(a)]g(a)-[g(b)-g(a)]f(a)\\ &=f(b)g(a)-f(a)g(b)\\ h(b)&=[f(b)-f(a)]g(b)-[g(b)-g(a)]f(b)\\ &=g(a)f(b)-g(b)f(a) \end{aligned} $$ So $h(a)=h(b)$. Consider three cases: 1. $h$ is constant on $[a,b]$. Then $h'(x)=0$ for all $x\in (a,b)$. 2. $\exists t\in (a,b)$ such that $h(t)>h(a)=h(b)$. Since every continuous function on a compact interval attains its supremum, and $h(t)>h(a)=h(b)$, the supremum of $h$ on $[a,b]$ is attained at some point $x\in (a,b)$. (Apply [Extreme Value Theorem](https://notenextra.trance-0.com/Math4111/Math4111_L24#theorem-416-extreme-value-theorem) to $h$ on $[a,b]$.) 3. $\exists t\in (a,b)$ such that $h(t)0$. We claim that $\exists t_1\in (a,b)$ such that $g(t_1)