October 8, 2009
No CommentsHow to Use the Second Derivative Test
Description
A detailed tutorial on how to use the second derivative test. Step by step tutorial including several examples of how to use the second derivative test for reference.
Overview
The second derivative test is more well-known than the first derivative test, and is often thought to be more accurate. The second derivative test states that if the second derivative of a function is less than zero, then there is a local maximum at x. If the second derivative of a function is greater than zero, then there is a local minimum at x. However, if the second derivative of a function is equal to zero, then the local maximum or minimum cannot be determined. Then you must use the first derivative test to figure it out. The second derivative test can also be used to figure out the concavity of a function – that is, if a curve is pointing up or down. This is normally used to help create the image of the function on a graph.
