LCKurtz
Science Advisor
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Getting to your original question where ##f''(x) = 0## can the function be convex. Others have pointed out if you have this equation holding in an interval, the function is linear there. But if you just have ##f''(c)=0## for a single point, that just tells you that the function may be concave up, down, or neither depending on higher derivatives at that point. Think about ##y = x^4## at ##x=0##. It is obviously concave up at ##x=0## but ##f''(0) = f'''(0) = 0## and ## f^{4}(0)=24##. But ##x^3## has neither concavity at ##0##. And for ##x^n## for larger values of ##n## it's the same story, only more so.