proof of least and greatest value of function
is continuous![]()
, so it will transform compact sets into compact sets.Thus since is compact, is also compact. will thus attain on the interval a maximum and a minimum value because real compact sets are closed and bounded
.
Consider the maximum and later use the same argument for to consider the minimum.
By a known theorem (http://planetmath.org/FermatsTheoremStationaryPoints) if the maximum is attained in the interior of the domain, then , since is differentiable![]()
.
If the maximum isn’t attained in and since it must be attained in either or is a maximum.
For the minimum consider and note that will verify all conditions of the theorem and that a maximum of corresponds to a minimum of and that.