Find the coordinates of the stationary point of y = x^2 + x - 2

At a stationary point, the gradient/slope of the graph is 0. To find the gradient of y, we differentiate with respect to x.This gives us dy/dx = 2x + 1. Since we want to find where the gradient is 0, we set dy/dx = 2x + 1 = 0. Solving we find that x = -1/2.We now have the x coordinate of the stationary point, we now need to find the y coordinate. We plug this value back into our original equation y = x^2 + x - 2, giving us (-1/2)^2 + (-1/2) - 2 = -9/4.Therefore, the co-ordinates of the stationary point are (-1/2, -9/4).

MC
Answered by Martin C. Maths tutor

5187 Views

See similar Maths A Level tutors

Related Maths A Level answers

All answers ▸

Differentiate with respect to x: 3 sin^2 x + sec 2x


How do I do implicit differentiation?


Calculate the value of the definite integral (x^3 + 3x + 2) with limits x=2 and x=1


The equation of a line is y=3x – x^3 a) Find the coordinates of the stationary points in this curve, stating whether they are maximum or minimum points b) Find the gradient of a tangent to that curve at the point (2,4)


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning