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Let $f\colon I \to I$ be differentiable in the closed interval $I$ s.t. $|f'(x)|\le c$ for some $c<1$.

  1. Show that there exists a single $a$ in $I$ s.t. $f(a) = a$

  2. Given $n\in\mathbb{N}$, define $f_n = f \circ f\circ\dots\circ f$ (composed $n$ times). Show that as $n$ approaches infinity $f_n(x)$ approaches $a$ for all $x\in I$.

In 1. I've been able to prove that there can't be more than one, but I couldn't yet prove there must be one.

In 2. I've said that for every $x \ne a$, $f(x) \ne x$, which makes it so the sucessive composite functions go around $I$, and when they eventually get to $a$, they stay there. Is it enough?

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    this might help you [link](http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/2091209/prove-f-mathbbr-rightarrow-mathbbr-x-n1-fx-n-with-fx-thet) It is pretty much the same question.2017-01-16
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    @Del In your example, $f(x)$ is not a map from $I$ to $I$.2017-01-16

1 Answers 1

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$I=[u,v]$ Suppose that $(a)=a$, $f(b)=b, b\neq a$, you have $|f(b)-f(a)|=|f'(d)||b-a|$ this implies that $|b-a|

$g(x)=f(x)-x)$, $g(u)\geq 0, g(v)\leq 0$, IVT implies that there exists $a$ such that $g(a)=0$ and $f(a)=a$.

$|f^{n+1}(x)-f^n(x)|m$, $|f^n(x)-f^m(x)|\leq |f^n(x)-f^{n-1}(x)|+..+|f^{m+1}(x)-f^m(x)|\leq |f(x)-x|(c^{n-1}+...+c^m)=|f(x)-x|c^m(1-c^{n-m})/(1-c)$, so it is a Cauchy sequence contained in $I$ so it converges in $I$, write $y=lim_nf^n(x)$, $f(y)=f(lim_nf^n(x))=lim_nf^{n+1}(x)$ since $f$ is continue and $f(y)=y$. We deduce $y=a$ since $a$ is the unique fixed point.

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    why do you say that there exists g(u) => 0 and g(v) <= 0 ?2017-01-16
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    $I=[u,v]$, thus $x\in [u,v]$ implies $u\leq x$ since $f(u)\in [u,v], f(u)\geq u$ and $g(u)=f(u)-u\geq 0$.2017-01-16