Sigma Percentile
JEE Main 2021 (31 Aug Shift 2)
LEVELJEE Main

Animated Solution for Mathematics - Differentiation: Let be any continuous function on and twice differentiable on . If and , then

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Visualized Solution

Visualizing the Given Conditions

  • Given: is continuous on and twice differentiable on .
  • Points: , , .
  • Observation: All three points lie on the straight line .

Defining the Auxiliary Function

  • To apply Rolle's Theorem, we need a function that is zero at the boundaries.
  • Define an auxiliary function: .
  • Since and are continuous and differentiable, is also continuous on and differentiable on .

Evaluating at Given Points

  • The function has roots at .

Applying Rolle's Theorem on

  • Consider the interval .
  • Since , Rolle's Theorem applies.
  • There exists at least one point such that .
  • Geometrically, the tangent to at is parallel to .

Applying Rolle's Theorem on

  • Now consider the interval .
  • Since , Rolle's Theorem applies again.
  • There exists at least one point such that .
  • The tangent to at is also parallel to .

Applying Rolle's Theorem to

  • We now know that and .
  • The function is continuous and differentiable.
  • Apply Rolle's Theorem to on the interval .
  • There exists some such that .

Relating back to

  • Recall our auxiliary function: .
  • First derivative: .
  • Second derivative: .
  • Since for some , it follows that for that same .

Conclusion and Key Takeaway

  • Since and , the interval is completely inside .
  • Therefore, for some .
  • Key Takeaway: If a function intersects a line at points, its -th derivative vanishes at least once.

The Sigma Insight: Mean Value Theorems

Solution Diagram

Analyzing the Setup

We are given a function that is continuous on and twice differentiable on . We are provided with three specific coordinates: , , and .
If you plot these points, you see they are perfectly collinear, sitting on the line . This line serves as our geometric anchor for the problem.

The Magic of the Auxiliary Function

The challenge here is that Rolle's Theorem requires . Since and , they are not equal, so we cannot apply the theorem directly to .
We introduce the Auxiliary Function . When we evaluate this at our known points, we find:
We have transformed the problem into one where is zero at three distinct points, allowing us to unleash the power of Rolle's Theorem.

The First Layer

Finding the Tangents
Consider the interval . Since and , Rolle's Theorem guarantees there exists some such that .
Because , this implies . Geometrically, the tangent to our curve at is perfectly parallel to the line .
Now, we repeat this for the interval . Since and , there must exist some such that .

The Second Layer

The Curvature
Now, consider the function . We know and .
Since is twice differentiable, is continuous and differentiable. We apply Rolle's Theorem to on the interval .
This guarantees there exists some such that the derivative of , which is , is zero. Because , differentiating twice gives:
Therefore, we conclude that for some .

The Grand Conclusion

We have proven that for some . This is a powerful result in calculus.
The key takeaway for your JEE preparation is this: if a function intersects a straight line at points, its -th derivative will vanish at least once. This is the elegance of calculus—using the structure of derivatives to reveal the hidden geometry of the function.

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