saddle point

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. a point at which a function of two variables has partial derivatives equal to zero but at which the function has neither a maximum nor a minimum value.

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Etymology

Origin of saddle point

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

YV: We are sitting on a saddle point, prepared to tip in either direction.

From The Guardian • May 6, 2020

This graph has a saddle point at the origin.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

An example of a saddle point appears in the following figure.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

One way this can happen is at a saddle point.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

In this graph, the origin is a saddle point.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016