Increasing and differentiable implies nonnegative derivative that is not identically zero on any interval

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Statement

On an open interval

Suppose f is a function on an open interval I that may be infinite in one or both directions (i..e, I is of the form (a,b), (a,), (,b), or (,)). Suppose the derivative of f exists everywhere on I. Suppose further that f is an increasing function on I, i.e.:

x1,x2I,x1<x2f(x1)<f(x2)

Then, f(x)0 for all xI. Further, there is no sub-interval of I such that f(x)=0 for all x in the sub-interval.

On a general interval

Suppose f is a function on an interval I that may be infinite in one or both directions and may be open or closed at either end. Suppose f is a continuous function on all of I and that the derivative of f exists everywhere on the interior of I. Further, suppose f is an increasing function on I, i.e.:

x1,x2I,x1<x2f(x1)<f(x2)

Then, f(x)0 for all x in the interior of I. Further, there is no sub-interval of I such that f(x)=0 for all x in the sub-interval.