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Suppose that f: $\mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ is continuous and $f '(x)$ exists $\forall x \gt 0$ and $\lim_{x\to 0} f '(x) = 3$. Does $f '(0)$ exist?

So it's apparent that my function $f$ is continuous on $\mathbb{R}$ and that it is differentiable which is given by saying that $f ' (x)$ exists.

There is a thereom that states " Let $f$ be defined on $[a,b]$; if $f$ has a local maximum at a point $x \in (a,b)$ and if $f '(x)$ exists then $f '(x) = 0$"

I'm curious as to whether or not that theorem is kosher to use. Thanks.

2 Answers2

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I am afraid that the theorem that you quoted will be of no use. Nevertheless what you can do is as follows.

First of all it should be $\lim_{x\to0^{+}}f(x) = 3$ instead of $\lim_{x\to0}f(x) = 3$ as $f'(x)$ exists only for $x>0$ and in that case $f'(0)$ may not exist, for example, consider the function $f(x) = |3x|$.

And if you are assuming that $\lim_{x\to0}f(x) = 3$, then you are assuming implicitly that $f'(x)$ exists for negative values of $x$ sufficiently close to $0$. In that case $f'(0)$ exists and in fact $f'(0) = 3$. Because showing that $f'(0) = 3$ is equivalent to showing that given $\epsilon >0$ there exists $\delta >0$ such that \begin{equation} \biggl{|}\frac{f(x)-f(0)}{x} - 3\biggr{|} < \epsilon \end{equation} whenever $|x|<\delta$. Since $\lim_{x\to0}f(x) = 3$, it follows that given $\epsilon>0$, there exists a $\delta_1>0$ such that $|f'(c)-3|<\epsilon$ whenever $|c|<\delta_1$, $c \neq 0$ obviously. Now choose $\delta = \delta_1$. Now for any $x$ with $|x|<\delta = \delta_1$, we can apply Mean-Value Theorem to $f$ on the interval $I_x$ whose end points are $x$ and $-x$. Applying Mean-Value Theorem will give us that there exists $b\in I_x$ such that \begin{equation} \frac{f(x)-f(0)}{x} = f'(b) \end{equation} In particular, \begin{equation} \biggl{|}\frac{f(x)-f(0)}{x} - 3\biggr{|} = |f'(b) - 3| < \epsilon \end{equation} whence it follows that $f'(0)$ exists and in fact $f'(0) = 3$.

Note: If $\lim_{x\to0^{+}}f(x) = 3$ is the condition then by the same argument what you can actually show is that $f'(0^{+})$ exists and $f'(0^{+})=3$, where $f'(0^{+})$ denotes the right hand derivative of $f$ at $0$. Just apply the Mean-Value Theorem to the interval $[0,x]$ for $x$ sufficiently close to $0$.

Urban PENDU
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After subtracting $f(0)+3x$ from $f$ we may assume $$f(0)=\lim_{x\to0} f'(x)=0\ ,$$ and we want to prove that $f'(0)=0$. For the proof we shall use the MVT as follows: Given an $\epsilon>0$ there is a $\delta>0$ such that $$\bigl|f'(x)\bigr|<\epsilon\qquad(0<|x|<\delta)\ .$$ Assume $0<x<\delta$. Since $f$ is continuous in a full neighborhood of $0$ the MVT guarantees the existence of a $\xi$ with $0<\xi<x$ such that $${f(x)-f(0)\over x}=f'(\xi)\ ,$$ and this implies $$\left|{f(x)-f(0)\over x}\right|<\epsilon\qquad(0<x<\delta)\ .$$ As $\epsilon>0$ was arbitrary we can conclude that $$\lim_{x\to0+}{f(x)-f(0)\over x}=0\ ,$$ and similarly one argues for the lefthand derivative.