[Math] Verifying the mean value theorem

calculus

I got this question wrong on a test, I am not sure what went wrong.

Verify that the function satisfies the Mean Value Theorem and then find all numbers $c$ that satisfy the conclusion of the Mean Value Theorem.

$$f(x) = x + \sin 2x, [0, 2\pi]$$

This one I wasn't so sure what to do because I have no idea how to find two values that are equal to each other so I just plugged in $0$ and $2\pi$ and I got $-1$ as the answer which was wrong.

Best Answer

We have to verify (copied from wikipedia...)

If a function $f(x)$ is continuous on the closed interval $[a, b]$, where $a < b$, and differentiable on the open interval $(a, b)$, then there exists a point $c$ in $(a, b)$ such that $$f \ '(c) = \dfrac{f(b) - f(a)}{b - a}$$

In this case, $f$ is continuous and differentiable, as it is the sum of terms that contain so-called $C^{\infty}$ functions.

$a = 0; b = 2 \pi$

$f(a) = f(0) = 0$;
$f(b) = f(2 \pi) = 2 \pi$.

Can you take the derivative and set it equal to $\dfrac{2 \pi - 0}{2 \pi - 0} = 1$ ?