Question

What is the local maximum value of this function? (Round answer to the nearest thousandth.)
g(x)=x^3+5x^2-17x-21

Answer 1

You need to find the critical points, which means the points at which the derivative = 0.

So find the derivative:
g(x)=x^3+5x^2-17x-21
g'(x) = 3x^2 + 10x - 17

Set equal to 0:
3x^2 + 10x - 17

Find a, b such that ab = -17, a + b = 10 and factor. Post your work.