Solving a Complex Analysis Problem: Finding Critical Points of k(x)

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"Let a,b be in R with a>0 and f(x)=ax^3+bx. Let k(x)=[f''(x)]/[1+(f'(x))^2]^(3/2). Find the critical points of k(x) and use the first derivative test to classify them."

This seems incredibly quantitative and complicated for an analysis assignment. There must be a theorem of some kind I can use to solve this, but I can't see it.
 
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I used to think that expressions like "such and such is too complicated for an analysis assignment" just shouldn't be used.

Now that I'm in my second year of analysis courses, I would like my professor to know that expressions like "such and such is too complicated for an analysis assignment" should be employed far more often :smile: .
 
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There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
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