The Mean Value Theorem says there’s at least one point where the slope of the tangent line on a smooth curve equals the slope of the secant line between the endpoints.
At its heart, the Mean Value Theorem is fairly intuitive. It essentially states that a smooth curve has at least one tangent line whose slope is equal to the
The Mean Value Theorem says there’s at least one point where the slope of the tangent line on a smooth curve equals the slope of the secant line between the endpoints.
Many mathematicians start chanting “MVT! MVT! MVT!” when they see the Mean Value Theorem in action. This is indeed because it is so valuable.