[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference rusure::math

Title:Mathematics at DEC
Moderator:RUSURE::EDP
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2083
Total number of notes:14613

182.0. "Generalization of Rolle's Thm" by HARE::STAN () Sun Nov 18 1984 17:26

Tony Gaglione asks the following problem (which comes from a VPI exam):

Let a, b, and k be real numbers. (a < b)
Suppose f is continuous on [a,b] and differentiable on (a,b).
Suppose f(a)=f(b)=0.
Let g(x)=f'(x)+kf(x).
Prove that there is a c in the open interval (a,b) such that g(c)=0.

Note: the case k=0 is Rolle's Theorem.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
182.1TAV02::NITSANMon Nov 19 1984 05:388
- Let c be such that f'(c)=0.
- If f(c) is also 0, that's it. Otherwise, w.l.g f(c)>0.
- Because f is continguous, there is an interval (s,t) around c where f(x)>0,
  and f(s)=f(t)=0 (may be s=a and/or t=b).
- By the definition of f', we get f'(s)>0 and f'(t)<0, thus g(s)>0 and g(t)<0.
- g is continuous (?) so there exist a point c2 in (s,t) such that g(c2)=0. []

                                                                 ND
182.2HARE::STANMon Nov 19 1984 13:441
g is not necessarily continuous.
182.3TAV02::NITSANWed Nov 21 1984 00:3111
SOLUTION182 V1.1
----------------

If f(x)=0 all over --> finished. Otherwise, there exist an interval (s,t) such
that f(s)=f(t)=0 and w.l.g.(*) f(x)>0 inside. In (s,t) define h(x)=ln(f(x))+kx,
which is cont. and diff. in (s,t). lim h(x)=-inf in s,t (since f(s)=f(t)=0), so
there exist s<u<v<t such that h(u)=h(v). In [u,v] h is cont. and diff., so by
Roll's Thm there exist u<c<v such that h'(c)=0 ==> f'(c)/f(c)+k=0 ==>
==> f'(c)+kf(c)=0.  []

[ (*) If f(x)<0 in (s,t), then def h(x)=ln(-f(x))+kx ]
182.4TAV02::NITSANWed Nov 21 1984 00:4212
I think it can be generalized even more, by the same proof:
-----------------------------------------------------------

Instead of defining h(x)=ln(f(x))+kx, define h(x)=ln(f(x))+B(x), where B(x) is
cont.diff.function, BOUNDED (both sides) in (a,b), so by the same argument:

h'(c)=0 ==> f'(c)/f(c)+B'(c)=0 ==> f'(c)+f(c)B'(c)=0.

In Roll's: B(x)=constant.
In our example: B(x)=kx.

                                 NITSAN
182.5TAV02::NITSANTue Jan 01 1985 00:311
   199.0 ???