03 The second-derivative test
Compute f″(x) and substitute the x-coordinate of each stationary point:
- f″(a) < 0 ⟹ f has a local maximum at x = a.
- f″(a) > 0 ⟹ f has a local minimum at x = a.
- f″(a) = 0 ⟹ the test fails; go back to the sign of f′ (it may be a maximum, a minimum or a point of inflection).
Worked example
f(x) = 2x³ − 9x² + 12x − 3 ⟹ f′ = 6x² − 18x + 12 = 6(x − 1)(x − 2) ⟹ stationary at x = 1, 2. f″ = 12x − 18.
- f″(1) = −6 < 0 ⟹ maximum at (1, 2).
- f″(2) = 6 > 0 ⟹ minimum at (2, 1).
Finding constants from a given extremum
If f(x) = ax³ + bx² has a maximum at (1, 3), then f(1) = 3 ⟹ a + b = 3, and f′(1) = 3a + 2b = 0 ⟹ solving, a = −6, b = 9.