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$f:[0,1] \to \mathbb R$ is a continuously differentiable function, and $f(\frac{1}{2})=0$. I'm trying to show $$( \int_0^1{f(x)} \, dx)^2 \le \frac{1}{4} \int_0^1 (f'(x))^2 \, dx $$ I tried using the mean value theorem but got nowhere. Are there any hints? Thank you!

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Note that $f(x) = \int_{1 \over 2}^x f'(t)dt$ and Cauchy Schwartz gives $|f(x)| \le \|f'\| \sqrt{|x-{1 \over 2}|}$.

Since $\int_0^1 \sqrt{|x-{1 \over 2}|}dx = {\sqrt{2} \over 3}$, we get $(\int_0^1 f(x) dx)^2 \le (\int_0^1 |f(x)| dx)^2 \le {2 \over 9} \int_0^1 (f'(x))^2 dx$ with a little to spare :-).

copper.hat
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