2

1 A curve has equation y = x2 + .

x

dy d2 y
(i) Write down expressions for and 2 . [3]
dx dx

(ii) Find the coordinates of the stationary point on the curve and determine its nature. [4]
9709/01/O/N/04

2 The equation of a curve is y = (2x − 3)3 − 6x.

dy d2 y
(i) Express and 2 in terms of x . [3]
dx dx

(ii) Find the x-coordinates of the two stationary points and determine the nature of each stationary
point. [5]
© UCLES 2007 9709/01/O/N/07

3 The equation of a curve C is y = 2x2 − 8x + 9 and the equation of a line L is x + y = 3.

(i) Find the x-coordinates of the points of intersection of L and C . [4]

(ii) Show that one of these points is also the stationary point of C . [3]
© UCLES 2008 9709/01/M/J/08

4
y

C D

y = x 3 – 6x 2 + 9x

x
O B

The diagram shows the curve y = x3 − 6x2 + 9x for x ≥ 0. The curve has a maximum point at A and a
minimum point on the x-axis at B. The normal to the curve at C (2, 2) meets the normal to the curve
at B at the point D.

(i) Find the coordinates of A and B . [3]

(ii) Find the equation of the normal to the curve at C . [3]

9709/01/M/J/09
5 The equation of a curve is y = x4 + 4x + 9.

(i) Find the coordinates of the stationary point on the curve and determine its nature. [4]

(ii) Find the area of the region enclosed by the curve, the x-axis and the lines x = 0 and x = 1. [3]

9709/11/O/N/09

The equation of a curve is y =

9
2−x
6 .
dy
(i) Find an expression for and determine, with a reason, whether the curve has any stationary
dx
points. [3]

9709/11/O/N/10

1
7 A curve has equation y = + x.
x−3

dy d2 y
(i) Find and 2 . [2]
dx dx
(ii) Find the coordinates of the maximum point A and the minimum point B on the curve. [5]
9709/13/O/N/10

√
8 The equation of a curve is y = (8x − x2 ). Find
dy
(i) an expression for , and the coordinates of the stationary point on the curve, [4]
dx
9709/12/O/N/11

9
A curve y = f (x) has a stationary point at P (3, −10). It is given that f ′ (x) = 2x2 + kx − 12, where k is
a constant.

(i) Show that k = −2 and hence find the x-coordinate of the other stationary point, Q. [4]

(ii) Find f ′′ (x) and determine the nature of each of the stationary points P and Q. [2]
9709/13/O/N/11

10 It is given that a curve has equation y = f (x), where f (x) = x − 2x + x.

3 2

(i) Find the set of values of x for which the gradient of the curve is less than 5. [4]

(ii) Find the values of f (x) at the two stationary points on the curve and determine the nature of each
stationary point. [5]
9709/11/M/J/12
11 A curve has equation y = 2x + 1
. Verify that the curve has a stationary point at x = 2 and
(x − 1)2
determine its nature. [5]
9709/11/O/N/12

12 A curve is such that

dy 3
= 2(3x + 4) 2 − 6x − 8.
dx

d2 y
(i) Find . [2]
dx2
(ii) Verify that the curve has a stationary point when x = − 1 and determine its nature. [2]
9709/13/O/N/12

1 − 12
13 A curve has equation y = f x
and is such that f ′ x
= 3x 2 + 3x − 10.
1
(i) By using the substitution u = x 2 , or otherwise, find the values of x for which the curve y = f x

has stationary points. [4]

(ii) Find f ′′ x
and hence, or otherwise, determine the nature of each stationary point. [3]

9709/11/M/J/13

k2
14 A curve has equation y = + x, where k is a positive constant. Find, in terms of k, the values of
x+2
x for which the curve has stationary points and determine the nature of each stationary point. [8]
9709/13/O/N/13

15 In the expansion of
2 + ax6 , the coefficient of x2 is equal to the coefficient of x3 . Find the value of
the non-zero constant a . [4]
© UCLES 2014 9709/13/O/N/14

16 The equation of a curve is y = x3 + px2 , where p is a positive constant.

(i) Show that the origin is a stationary point on the curve and find the coordinates of the other
stationary point in terms of p. [4]

(ii) Find the nature of each of the stationary points. [3]

Another curve has equation y = x3 + px2 + px.

(iii) Find the set of values of p for which this curve has no stationary points. [3]
9709/11/M/J/15
 8
17 A curve has equation y = + 2x.
x

dy d2 y
(i) Find and 2 . [3]
dx dx

(ii) Find the coordinates of the stationary points and state, with a reason, the nature of each stationary
point. [5]
9709/11/O/N/15

18 In the expansion of x + 2k
7 , where k is a non-zero constant, the coefficients of x4 and x5 are equal.
Find the value of k . [4]
9709/12/O/N/15

19 The function f is defined by f x
= 2x + x + 1
−2 for x > −1.

(i) Find f ′ x
and f ′′ x
and hence verify that the function f has a minimum value at x = 0. [4]

A − 12 , 3
y = 2x + x + 1
−2

B 1, 2 41

x
O

The points A − 12 , 3
and B 1, 2 41
lie on the curve y = 2x + x + 1
−2 , as shown in the diagram.

(ii) Find the distance AB. [2]

(iii) Find, showing all necessary working, the area of the shaded region. [6]
9709/13/O/N/15

20 A curve has equation y = 8x + 2x − 1
− .1 Find the values of x at which the curve has a stationary
point and determine the nature of each stationary point, justifying your answers. [7]

9709/13/M/J/16
 1 9
21 The point P 3, 5
lies on the curve y = − .
x−1 x−5
(i) Find the x-coordinate of the point where the normal to the curve at P intersects the x-axis. [5]

(ii) Find the x-coordinate of each of the stationary points on the curve and determine the nature of
each stationary point, justifying your answers. [6]

9709/11/O/N/16

22 A curve has equation y = kx − 3
−1 + kx − 3
, where k is a non-zero constant.

(i) Find the x-coordinates of the stationary points in terms of k

stationary point, justifying your answers. [7]
9709/13/O/N/16

3
23 The function f is defined for x ≥ 0 by f x
= 4x + 1
2 .

(i) Find f ′ x
and f ′′ x
. [3]

The first, second and third terms of a geometric progression are respectively f 2
, f ′ 2
and kf ′′ 2
.

(ii) Find the value of the constant k. [5]

9709/12/F/M/17


24 The equation of a curve is y = 8 x − 2x.

(i) Find the coordinates of the stationary point of the curve. [3]
2
(ii) Find an expression for d 2y and hence, or otherwise, determine the nature of the stationary point.
dx
[2]
(iii) Find the values of x at which the line y = 6 meets the curve. [3]

(iv) State the set of values of k for which the line y = k does not meet the curve. [1]
9709/12/M/J/17

25 Points A and B lie on the curve y = x2 − 4x + 7. Point A has coordinates 4, 7
and B is the stationary
point of the curve. The equation of a line L is y = mx − 2, where m is a constant.

(i) In the case where L passes through the mid-point of AB, find the value of m . [4]
(ii) Find the set of values of m for which L does not meet the curve. [4]
9709/12/O/N/17

yd
26 A curve is such that = −x2 + 5x − 4.
dx

(i) Find the x-coordinate of each of the stationary points of the curve. [2]

d2 y
(ii) Obtain an expression for and hence or otherwise find the nature of each of the stationary
dx2
points. [3]
9709/12/O/N/17
 @
A6
2
27 (i) Find the term independent of x in the expansion of − 3x . [2]
x

(ii) Find the value of a for which there is no term independent of x in the expansion of
@ A6
2
1 + ax2
− 3x . [3]
x
9709/13/O/N/17

A curve has equation y = 12 x2 − 4x 2 + 8x.

3
28

(i) Find the x -coordinates of the stationary points. [5]

d2 y
(ii) Find . [1]
dx2
(iii) Find, showing all necessary working, the nature of each stationary point. [2]

9709/12/F/M/18

29 The curve with equation y = x3 − 2x2 + 5x passes through the origin.

(i) Show that the curve has no stationary points. [3]

9709/11/M/J/18

18
30

y = x + 1
2 + x + 1
−1

x=1
A

x
O 1

The diagram shows part of the curve y = x + 1
2 + x + 1
−1 and the line x = 1. The point A is the
minimum point on the curve.

(i) Show that the x-coordinate of A satisfies the equation 2 x + 1
3 = 1 and find the exact value of
d2 y
at A. [5]
dx2
9709/13/M/J/18
31 A curve has equation y = 2x − 1
−1 + 2x.

dy d2 y
(i) Find and 2 . [3]
dx dx

(ii) Find the x-coordinates of the stationary points and, showing all necessary working, determine
the nature of each stationary point. [4]

9709/12/F/M/19

32 The equation of a curve is y = x3 + x2 − 8x + 7. The curve has no stationary points in the interval
a < x < b. Find the least possible value of a and the greatest possible value of b. [4]

9709/13/O/N/19

33 The equation of a curve is y = 3 − 2x
3 + 24x.

dy d2 y
(a) Find expressions for and . 2 [4]
dx dx
(b) Find the coordinates of each of the stationary points on the curve. [3]

(c) Determine the nature of each stationary point. [2]

9709/11/M/J/20

34 The equation of a curve is y = 54x − 2x − 7
3 .

dy d2 y
(a) Find and 2. [4]
dx dx
(b) Find the coordinates of each of the stationary points on the curve. [3]

(c) Determine the nature of each of the stationary points. [2]

9709/12/M/J/20

The equation of a curve is y = 2x + 1 + for x > − 12 .

1
2x + 1
35

dy d2 y
(a) Find and 2 . [3]
dx dx
(b) Find the coordinates of the stationary point and determine the nature of the stationary point. [5]
9709/13/O/N/20
36 The function f is defined by f x
= x2 + + 2 for x > 0.
x

(a) Given that the curve with equation y = f x
has a stationary point when x = 2, find k . [3]

(b) Determine the nature of the stationary point. [2]

(c) Given that this is the only stationary point of the curve, find the range of f. [2]

9709/12/O/N/21

1
37 The equation of a curve is y = 3x + 1 − 4 3x + 1
2 for x > − 13 .
dy d2 y
(a) Find and 2 . [3]
dx dx

(b) Find the coordinates of the stationary point of the curve and determine its nature. [4]

9709/12/M/J/22

1
38 A curve has equation y = ax 2 − 2x, where x > 0 and a is a constant. The curve has a stationary point
at the point P, which has x-coordinate 9.
Find the y-coordinate of P
. [5]
9709/11/O/N/22