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A student claims that

If a curve y=f(x) satisfies d2ydx2=0 at some point, then it has a point of inflection at that point.

Explain, with the aid of a diagram, why

y=x4

is a counterexample to this claim.


You can show that the curve has a local minimum point at x=0 by considering the fact that the curve is symmetrical about the y axis (because f(x)=f(−x), i.e. the function x4 is even).