Functions for which all points are local extrema (Q2520033)
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English | Functions for which all points are local extrema |
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Functions for which all points are local extrema (English)
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28 January 2009
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The authors give two elementary proofs that every continuous function \(f: [0,1]\to \mathbb R\) which has local maximum or minimum at each point is a constant. The first proof focuses on the topological properties of the set \([0,1]\). The general result is this: Theorem 1. Let \(X\) be a connected separable metric space. Then every continuous function \(f: X\to\mathbb R\) with local maximum or minimum at each point is a constant. The second proof uses the linear order. Theorem 2. Let \(X\) be a connected separable linearly ordered space. Then every continuous function \(f: X\to\mathbb R\) that has local extremum at each point is a constant. At the same time the authors provide an example of a compact connected linearly ordered space \(X\) and a continuous function \(f: X\to\mathbb R\) which has local extremum at each point, but is not constant.
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metric space
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separable space
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local extremum
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continuous function
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