# Math Help - IVT with ln Question

1. ## IVT with ln Question

Hi there, I used to post here occasionally but my account was either deactivated or more likely I lost my password/username etc...

Anyway, my question is this,

use the intermediate value theorem to prove that equation lnx + x = 3 has a solution in the interval [1,e]

Basically I know how to use the theorem but including ln and base e have lost me. Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

2. Originally Posted by Trevor
Hi there, I used to post here occasionally but my account was either deactivated or more likely I lost my password/username etc...

Anyway, my question is this,

use the intermediate value theorem to prove that equation lnx + x = 3 has a solution in the interval [1,e]

Basically I know how to use the theorem but including ln and base e have lost me. Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
You want to show that $f(x)=\ln(x)+x-3$ has a root in $[1,e]$. Evaluating $f(1)$ gives us $\ln(1)+1-3=-2$. Evaluating $f(e)$ gives us $\ln(e)+e-3=e-2$.

Since $f(1)<0$ and $f(e)>0$, we know that (by the IVT) $\exists~x_0\in[1,e]$ such that $f(x_0)=0$.