Find the difference quotient of LaTeX:  \displaystyle f(x)=- 4 x^{3} + 2 x^{2} + 9 x + 10 .

The difference quotient is LaTeX:  \displaystyle \frac{f(x+h)-f(x)}{h} . Evaluating LaTeX:  \displaystyle f(x+h)=9 h + 9 x - 4 \left(h + x\right)^{3} + 2 \left(h + x\right)^{2} + 10 and expanding gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle f(x+h)=- 4 h^{3} - 12 h^{2} x + 2 h^{2} - 12 h x^{2} + 4 h x + 9 h - 4 x^{3} + 2 x^{2} + 9 x + 10 Evaluating the difference quotient gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle \frac{(- 4 h^{3} - 12 h^{2} x + 2 h^{2} - 12 h x^{2} + 4 h x + 9 h - 4 x^{3} + 2 x^{2} + 9 x + 10)-(- 4 x^{3} + 2 x^{2} + 9 x + 10)}{h} Simplifying gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle \frac{- 4 h^{3} - 12 h^{2} x + 2 h^{2} - 12 h x^{2} + 4 h x + 9 h}{h}=- 4 h^{2} - 12 h x + 2 h - 12 x^{2} + 4 x + 9