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

To find the critical numbers solve LaTeX:  \displaystyle f'(x) = 0 . The derivative is LaTeX:  \displaystyle f'(x) = 27 x^{2} + 66 x + 7 . Solving LaTeX:  \displaystyle 27 x^{2} + 66 x + 7 = 0 gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle x = \left[ - \frac{7}{3}, \  - \frac{1}{9}\right] . Using the 2nd derivative test gives:
LaTeX:  \displaystyle f''\left( - \frac{7}{3} \right) = -60  which is less than zero, so the function is concave down and LaTeX:  \displaystyle f\left(- \frac{7}{3}\right) = 51 is a local maximum.
LaTeX:  \displaystyle f''\left( - \frac{1}{9} \right) = 60  which is greater than zero, so the function is concave up and LaTeX:  \displaystyle f\left(- \frac{1}{9}\right) = \frac{131}{81} is a local minimum.