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applying calculus to coordinate geometry (1 Viewer)

jchoi

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Hey all, we all know by textbook that:
second derivative can give us the nature of a stationary point, whether minimum or maximum.

I know this, and I can do these, but I'm starting to wonder why. I've tried drawing a few graphs and seeing what I can make sense of this, can anyone explain to me?

Thanks
 
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Hey all, we all know by textbook that:
second derivative can give us the nature of a stationary point, whether minimum or maximum.

I know this, and I can do these, but I'm starting to wonder why. I've tried drawing a few graphs and seeing what I can make sense of this, can anyone explain to me?

Thanks
why do you want 'to make sense of it'? its not in the syllabus.. if you understand it.. be happy with that - some people don't even understand it..
 

Drongoski

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why do you want 'to make sense of it'? its not in the syllabus.. if you understand it.. be happy with that - some people don't even understand it..
He may know of it . . . but certainly does not understand it.
 
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jchoi

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Oh wells, I figured out now, thanks for all the help(?).

It's because it's looking at the gradient of the gradient or simply taking example of a parabola, when it's gradient is negative, it's a minimum and vice versa.
 

Trebla

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Hey all, we all know by textbook that:
second derivative can give us the nature of a stationary point, whether minimum or maximum.

I know this, and I can do these, but I'm starting to wonder why. I've tried drawing a few graphs and seeing what I can make sense of this, can anyone explain to me?

Thanks
For example, if second derivative is positive at the stationary point then it is concave up at that point. The only way a stationary point can behave in a concave up fashion is by taking the form of a local minimum.
 

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