Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2018 / ib / Paper 2 / 12F / c / Solution

Let $P_n$ be the finite-dimensional vector space of real polynomials of degree at most $n$. For fixed $a>0$,is a norm: if it vanishes, the polynomial vanishes on an interval and hence is the zero polynomial. Alsois a norm on $P_n$. By finite-dimensional equivalence of norms, there is $C>0$, depending only on $n$ and $a$, such that $M(p)\le CN(p)$. ThereforeThe extreme value theorem supplies $y\in [0,a]$ at which the last supremum is attained, and hence