fundamental theorem of integral calculus
The derivative of a real function, which has on a whole interval a constant (http://planetmath.org/ConstantFunction) value , vanishes in every point of this interval:
The converse theorem of this is also true. Ernst Lindelöf calls it the fundamental theorem of integral calculus (in Finnish integraalilaskun peruslause). It can be formulated as
Theorem. If a real function in continuous![]()
and its derivative vanishes in all points of an interval, the value of this function
![]()
does not change on this interval.
Proof. We make the antithesis that there were on the interval two distinct points and with . Then the mean-value theorem guarantees a point between and such that
which value is distinct from zero. This is, however, impossible by the assumption of the theorem. So the antithesis is wrong and the theorem .
The contents of the theorem may be expressed also such that if two functions have the same derivative on a whole interval, then the difference of the functions is constant on this interval. Accordingly, if is an antiderivative of a function , then any other antiderivative of has the form , where is a constant.