3
$\begingroup$

I am trying to prove the following:

if $f$ is non negative riemann integrable on $[a,b]$ then there exist $a \leq c \leq d \leq b$ such that $$\int_c^d f(x)dx = 1/2\int_a^b f(x)dx$$

  • 1
    hint: use IVT on $\int^x _af(t)dt$.2017-02-14
  • 0
    what does nonnegative have to do with it?2017-02-14

1 Answers 1

4

Consider $F(x):=\int_a^x f(x)dx$.

$F$ being continuous, the image of interval $[a,b]$ is interval $[0,M]$ with $M:=F(b)=\int_a^b f(x)dx$.

As $F$ takes all the values in $[0,F(b)]$ (by Intermediate Values Theorem), there is, in particular, a value $c$ such that $F(c)=F(b)/2$. (then take $d=b$).