mean value theorem: Meaning and Definition of

mean' val'ue the"orem

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the theorem that for a function continuous on a closed interval and differentiable on the corresponding open interval, there is a point in the interval such that the difference in functional values at the endpoints is equal to the derivative evaluated at the particular point and multiplied by the difference in the endpoints. Also called
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.