Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford / 2015 / Prelims / Mathematics II / 6 / b / ii

Choose $h_n=\min \{1/n,(b-c)/2\}>0$. Then $h_n\to 0$ and $[c,c+h_n]\subset (a,b)$. The mean value theorem states that a continuous function on a closed interval, differentiable in its interior, has an interior derivative equal to its endpoint difference quotient. It gives $x_n\in (c,c+h_n)$ withHere $x_n\ne c$, $x_n\to c$, and the right-hand side tends to $f^{\prime }(c)$ by differentiability at $c$. If $L={\lim }_{x\to c}{f}^{\prime }(x)$ exists, the same values $f^{\prime }(x_n)$ must tend to $L$. Uniqueness of the limit of a sequence givesThus a derivative cannot have a removable discontinuity at a point where the original function is differentiable. The proof also excludes an infinite limit of a function there, since the displayed difference quotients have a finite limit of a sequence.