Functions for which all points are local extrema (Q2520033)

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.