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Prove f has maximum value in R
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[QUOTE="lep11, post: 5440367, member: 392681"] [h2]Homework Statement [/h2] Let f: ℝ→ℝ be continuous function such that f(x) approaches 0 when x---> -∞ and f(0)=2. In addition, f is decreasing when x≥3. Prove f has a maximum (greatest value) in ℝ. [h2]Homework Equations[/h2] Theorem: If function f is continuous on a closed interval [a, b], then f has maximum and minimum in [a, b]. [B] 3. The Attempt at a Solution [/B] Because f(x) approaches 0 when x ---> -∞ then there exists a<0 such that a<0 ⇒ |f(x)-0|=|f(x)|<2. So a<0 ⇒ f(x)<2. Because f is continuous in ℝ, it's also continuous on a closed interval [a,3]⊂ℝ and there's the theorem in our lecture notes that says now ∃x[SUB]0[/SUB]∈[a,3] such that f(x)≤f(x[SUB]0[/SUB]) ∀x∈[a,3]. Since a is negative, 0∈[a,3] and therefore f(x[SUB]0[/SUB])≥f(0)=2. [B][I]Because f is decreasing when x≥3, f(x)≤f(x[SUB]0[/SUB]), when x>x[SUB]0[/SUB]≥3.[/I][/B] The idea is to divide ℝ into intervals so that we get closed interval to apply the theorem. In a summary: ##a<0 ⇒ f(x)<2≤f(x_0)## ##x∈[a,3] ⇒f(x)≤f(x_0)## ##x≥3 ⇒f(x)≤f(x_0)## ∴ f has greatest value/maxima in ℝ. Is this proof correct and rigorious enough? I think I have made a mistake in the end when it comes to the fact that f is decreasing when x≥3. [/QUOTE]
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Prove f has maximum value in R
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