Find the local maximum and minimum of LaTeX:  \displaystyle f(x) = - 7 x^{3} + 33 x^{2} - 9 x + 3 .

To find the critical numbers solve LaTeX:  \displaystyle f'(x) = 0 . The derivative is LaTeX:  \displaystyle f'(x) = - 21 x^{2} + 66 x - 9 . Solving LaTeX:  \displaystyle - 21 x^{2} + 66 x - 9 = 0 gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle x = \left[ \frac{1}{7}, \  3\right] . Using the 2nd derivative test gives:
LaTeX:  \displaystyle f''\left( \frac{1}{7} \right) = 60  which is greater than zero, so the function is concave up and LaTeX:  \displaystyle f\left(\frac{1}{7}\right) = \frac{116}{49} is a local minimum.
LaTeX:  \displaystyle f''\left( 3 \right) = -60  which is less than zero, so the function is concave down and LaTeX:  \displaystyle f\left(3\right) = 84 is a local maximum.