Points of Inflection

Inflection points are points where the function changes concavity, i.e. from being “concave up” to being “concave down” or vice versa.

The second derivative of a function determines the local maximum or minimum, inflection point values. These can be identified with the help of the below conditions:

  • If f”(x) < 0, then the function f(x) has a local maximum at x.
  • If f”(x) > 0, then the function f(x) has a local minimum at x.
  • If f”(x) = 0, then
  • it is not possible to conclude anything about the point x

Second Order Derivatives: Rules , Formula and Examples (Class 12 Maths)

The Second Order Derivative is defined as the derivative of the first derivative of the given function. The first-order derivative at a given point gives us the information about the slope of the tangent at that point or the instantaneous rate of change of a function at that point.

Second-Order Derivative gives us the idea of the shape of the graph of a given function. The second derivative of a function f(x) is usually denoted as f”(x). It is also denoted by D2y or y2 or y” if y = f(x)

Let y = f(x)

Then, dy/dx = f'(x)

If f'(x) is differentiable, we may differentiate (1) again w.r.t x. Then, the left-hand side becomes d/dx(dy/dx) which is called the second order derivative of y w.r.t x.

In this article, we have covered Graphical Representation of Second-Order Derivatives along with formulas, examples and many more.

Table of Content

  • Second Order Derivatives Overview
  • Second Order Derivatives Examples
  • Second-Order Derivatives of a Function in Parametric Form
  • Graphical Representation of Second-Order Derivatives
  • Concavity of Function
  • Concave Down
  • Points of Inflection

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Second Order Derivatives Overview

CategoryDetailsDefinitionThe second order derivative of a function[Tex]f(x)f(x)f(x)[/Tex] is the derivative of its first derivative [Tex]f′(x)f'(x)f′(x)[/Tex]. It measures how the rate of change of f′(x)f'(x)f′(x) itself changes.NotationDenoted as [Tex]f′′(x)f”(x)f′′(x), d2ydx2\frac{d^2y}{dx^2}dx2d2y​, or d2fdx2\frac{d^2f}{dx^2}dx2d2f​.[/Tex] Significance– Concavity: [Tex]f′′(x)>0f”(x) > 0f′′(x)>0[/Tex] indicates the graph of [Tex]f(x)f(x)f(x)[/Tex] is concave up. [Tex]f′′(x)<0f”(x) < 0f′′(x)<0[/Tex] indicates concave down– Inflection Points: Points where f′′(x)=0f”(x) = 0f′′(x)=0 may indicate a change in concavity, known as inflection points. Basic Rules[Tex]- Constant Rule: f(x)=c⇒f′′(x)=0f(x) = c \Rightarrow f”(x) = 0f(x)=c⇒f′′(x)=0 – Power Rule: f(x)=xn⇒f′′(x)=n(n−1)xn−2f(x) = x^n \Rightarrow f”(x) = n(n-1)x^{n-2}f(x)=xn⇒f′′(x)=n(n−1)xn−2 – Exponential Rule: f(x)=ex⇒f′′(x)=exf(x) = e^x \Rightarrow f”(x) = e^xf(x)=ex⇒f′′(x)=ex – Logarithmic Rule: f(x)=ln⁡(x)⇒f′′(x)=−1x2f(x) = \ln(x) \Rightarrow f”(x) = -\frac{1}{x^2}f(x)=ln(x)⇒f′′(x)=−x21​[/Tex]...

Second Order Derivatives Examples

Example 1: Find d2y/dx2, if y = x3?...

Second-Order Derivatives of a Function in Parametric Form

To calculate the second derivative of the function in the parametric form we use the chain rule twice. Hence to find the second derivative, we find the derivative with respect to t of the first derivative and then divide by the derivative of x with respect to t. Suppose that x = x(t) and y = y(t), then its Parametric form in Second Order:...

Graphical Representation of Second-Order Derivatives

Graphically the first derivative represents the slope of the function at a point, and the second derivative describes how the slope changes over the independent variable in the graph....

Concavity of Function

Let f(x) be a differentiable function in a suitable interval. Then, the graph of f(x) can be categorized as:...

Concave Down

The opposite of concave up, in which the y-value decreases from left to right, is called concave down....

Points of Inflection

Inflection points are points where the function changes concavity, i.e. from being “concave up” to being “concave down” or vice versa....

Second Order Derivatives – FAQs

What is a second-order derivative?...

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