Find the local maximum and minimum of LaTeX:  \displaystyle f(x) = 9 x^{3} - 39 x^{2} - 9 x + 2 .

To find the critical numbers solve LaTeX:  \displaystyle f'(x) = 0 . The derivative is LaTeX:  \displaystyle f'(x) = 27 x^{2} - 78 x - 9 . Solving LaTeX:  \displaystyle 27 x^{2} - 78 x - 9 = 0 gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle x = \left[ - \frac{1}{9}, \  3\right] . Using the 2nd derivative test gives:
LaTeX:  \displaystyle f''\left( - \frac{1}{9} \right) = -84  which is less than zero, so the function is concave down and LaTeX:  \displaystyle f\left(- \frac{1}{9}\right) = \frac{203}{81} is a local maximum.
LaTeX:  \displaystyle f''\left( 3 \right) = 84  which is greater than zero, so the function is concave up and LaTeX:  \displaystyle f\left(3\right) = -133 is a local minimum.