 Solution

The intermediate value theorem says that if $f:[a,b]\to \mathbb{R}$ is a continuous function, then every value between $f(a)$ and $f(b)$ is attained at some point of $[a,b]$.

Endpoint values are already attained. Suppose $f(a)<y<f(b)$ and define $E=\{x\in [a,b]:f(x)<y\}$. It is nonempty and bounded above, so $c=\sup E$ exists. Continuity at $a$ ensures that $E$ contains points to the right of $a$, and continuity at $b$ ensures that no point sufficiently close to $b$ belongs to $E$. Hence $a<c<b$.

By the definition of the supremum, there are points of $E$ approaching $c$. If $f(c)>y$, continuity would exclude all such nearby points from $E$, a contradiction. If $f(c)<y$, continuity would put some point to the right of $c$ in $E$, again a contradiction. Therefore $f(c)=y$. When $f(a)>f(b)$, apply this argument to $-f$. This proves the intermediate value theorem in all cases.