Classify all stationary points

Problem

Find and classify every critical point of f(x,y)=x4−2x2+y2f(x,y)=x^4-2x^2+y^2. Is ff convex on all of R2\mathbb R^2?

Reveal answer or reference solution
∇f=(4x3−4x,2y),\nabla f=(4x^3-4x,2y),

so the critical points are (0,0)(0,0), (1,0)(1,0), and (−1,0)(-1,0). The Hessian is

H=diag⁡(12x2−4,2)H=\operatorname{diag}(12x^2-4,2)

At (0,0)(0,0) it has eigenvalues −4,2-4,2, so this point is a saddle. At each of (±1,0)(\pm1,0) it is diag⁡(8,2)\operatorname{diag}(8,2), so both are strict (indeed global) minima with value −1-1. The function is not convex on all of R2\mathbb R^2 because ∂2f/∂x2=−4\partial^2 f/\partial x^2=-4 at the origin.

Outcome

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