Positive derivative implies increasing. Let IRI\subseteq\mathbb R be an , and let f:IRf:I\to\mathbb R be continuous on II and at every . If

f(x)>0f'(x)>0

for every interior point xIx\in I, then ff is strictly increasing on II.

Indeed, the applied to x<yx<y gives f(y)f(x)=f(c)(yx)>0f(y)-f(x)=f'(c)(y-x)>0 for some c(x,y)c\in(x,y).