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How do you find stationary points and determine their nature?
Maths
Higher
SQA

How do you find stationary points and determine their nature?

To find stationary points, differentiate the function and solve dy/dx = 0. Substitute each x-value into the original function to find the y-coordinate. To determine the nature, use a nature table showing the sign of dy/dx on each side of the point, or use the second derivative. State each point and its nature.

Formula
dy/dx = 0 at a stationary point
Reviewed by
November 10, 2026

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