Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2017 / ia / Paper 1 / 9D / c / Solution

Set $h(x)=f(x)-yx$. ThenThe extreme value theorem gives a minimum of $h$ on $[a,b]$. If it occurs in $(a,b)$, the two-sided difference quotient gives $h^{\prime }(c)=0$. If it occurs at $a$, either $h^{\prime }(a)=0$ or a negative right derivative contradicts minimality; the endpoint $b$ is analogous. Hence some $c\in [a,b]$ satisfiesThis proves the Darboux theorem for derivatives in the stated case without assuming that $f^{\prime }$ is continuous.

Because a differentiable function is continuous, defineThe fundamental theorem of calculus gives $F^{\prime }(x)=f^{\prime }(x)+f(x)$. At the endpoints,whileApplying the result just proved to $F$ yields $d\in [a,b]$ with