calculus - Proving Mean Value Theorem with Rolle's Theorem?

How to prove the Mean Value Theorem using Rolle's Theorem? I am getting the impression that it is possible by adding a linear function to a function where Rolle's theorem applies to prove the MVT. However, I can't quite turn this idea into a rigorous mathematical argument.

Answer

For $f$ continuous on $[a,b]$ and differentiable on $(a,b)$, the standard proofs I've seen use the function that gives the difference of $f$ and the function whose graph is the line segment joining the points $\bigl(a,f(a)\bigr)$ and $(b,f(b)\bigr)$;
$$\phi(x)=f(x)-f(a)-{f(b)-f(a)\over b-a}(x-a).$$

From the continuity and differentiablity of $f$ (and standard theorems such as the difference of continuous functions is continuous) it follows that $\phi$ is continuous on $[a,b]$ and differentiable on $(a,b)$. Since $\phi(a)=\phi(b)=0$, Rolle's theorem applies to $\phi$ on $[a,b]$. Writing down the result obtained from Rolle's Theorem gives all that is desired.