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Well known theorem:

If $f\colon\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}$ is differentiable and $f'(x)=0$ for all $x$, then $f$ is constant.

The assumption of differentiability can be weakened to continuity and one-sided differentiability:

If $f\colon\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}$ is continuous and for every $x$ function $f$ is right differentiable at $x$ and the right derivative equals 0, then $f$ is constant.

This is also a known fact, and the same holds when "right" is replaced with "left".

I wonder if we could make it even stronger:

If $f\colon\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}$ is continuous and for every $x$ left or right derivative exists and equals 0, then $f$ is constant?

(in my version the sides can be different for different points -- this is the difference between my conjecture and the theorem)

larry01
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1 Answers1

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I'm posting this answer because the proof given in the paper by Miller and Vyborny contains a little mistake. What follows is a revised version of their proof.

Assume by contradiction that $f(a)\neq f(b)$ for some $a<b$. We can assume $f(a)<f(b)$ (otherwise replace $f$ by $-f$), $f(a)=0$ (replace $f(x)$ by $f(x)-f(a)$) and $f(b)=1$ (observe that now $f(b)>f(a)=0$ and replace $f(x)$ by $\frac{1}{f(b)}f(x)$).

We can also suppose that $a=0$ (replace $f(x)$ by $f(x+a)$) and $b=1$ (replace $f(x)$ by $f(bx)$). Clearly none of these operations alters the hypothesis. These silly reductions were not necessary, but it is often instructive to see how one can simplify notation for free (via translating/rescaling tricks).

So $f(0)=0$ and $f(1)=1$. Now the core of the proof: define $g(x):=\frac{1}{3}+\frac{x}{3}$ and notice that $g(0)>f(0)$ and $g(1)<f(1)$. Thus $A:=\{x\in [0,1]: g(x)>f(x)\}$ is nonempty. Put $x_0:=\sup A>0$. By continuity we have $g(x_0)\ge f(x_0)$, so $x_0<1$. Since, for any $0<\epsilon<1-x_0$, $x_0+\epsilon\not\in A$, we deduce $g(x_0+\epsilon)\le f(x_0+\epsilon)$ and so, again by continuity, $g(x_0)\le f(x_0)$. So finally $g(x_0)=f(x_0)$.

Now there are two cases: if the right derivative at $x_0$ exists and is $0$, then for $\epsilon>0$ sufficiently small we have $\frac{f(x_0+\epsilon)-f(x_0)}{\epsilon}<\frac{1}{3}$, i.e. $$f(x_0+\epsilon)<f(x_0)+\frac{\epsilon}{3}=g(x_0)+\frac{\epsilon}{3}=g(x_0+\epsilon),$$ which contradicts the fact that $x_0+\epsilon\not\in A$.

If instead the left derivative at $x_0$ exists and is $0$ then for $\epsilon>0$ sufficiently small, say $0<\epsilon\le \epsilon_0$, we have $\frac{f(x_0)-f(x_0-\epsilon)}{\epsilon}<\frac{1}{3}$, i.e. $$f(x_0-\epsilon)>f(x_0)-\frac{\epsilon}{3}=g(x_0)-\frac{\epsilon}{3}=g(x_0-\epsilon).$$ So $x_0-\epsilon\not\in A$. But we also know that $x_0\not\in A$ (this was not guaranteed in the paper referenced above and led to an incomplete proof). Hence $A\cap [x_0-\epsilon_0,x_0]=\emptyset$, contradicting the fact that $x_0=\sup A$. This completes the proof.

Mizar
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