Session 14: Stationary points and applications of differentiation

1. Rates of change.
2. Stationary points.
3. Stationary points - example.
4. Comment on local and global extrema.

• Rates of change and higher-order derivatives.
• Stationary points summary.
• What are stationary points?
• Example - locating the stationary point of a quadratic function.
• Example - locating the stationary point(s) of a cubic function.
• Example - locating the stationary point(s) of a quartic function.
• The first derivative test.

How do these concepts relate to the equations of motion?

In this session we learned about how calculus connects the velocity, displacement, and acceleration of an object. But you may already know some "rules" about how these things are related, such as the equations of motion, or the idea that "velocity is displacement divided by time". So how do these all fit together, and what rule should you use? See an important note on that here.

• Lecture slides.

• Maxima and minima.