Chapter 1, Exercise 1, p 45

Part (i)
The point of inflection of a curve is where the second derivative is zero. The
cubic Y = X 3 + AX 2 + BX + C therefore has a point of inflection when

6X + 2A = 0 that is when X = −A/3

Part (ii)

P P

Figure 1: Left: General cubic. Right: Same cubic after the substitution

So if we make the substitution X = (x − A/3) this will move the curve in a

horizontal direction so that this point of inflection P is on the Y axis.
It can be seen from the right of Figure 1 that apart from any vertical shift
due to the constant term c, the new equation in x must be an odd function
of x and so the term in x2 must disappear. So after the substitution the
equation must be of the form:

Y = x3 + bx + c

Part (iii)
Substituting X = (x − A/3) gives:
Y = (x − A/3)3 + A(x − A/3)2 + B(x − A/3) + C
Y = (x − A/3)2 (x + 2A/3) + B(x − A/3) + C
Y = (x2 − 2Ax/3 + A2 /9)(x + 2A/3) + B(x − A/3) + C
Y = x3 − 2Ax2 /3 + A2 x/9 + 2Ax2 /3 − 4A2 x/9 + 2A3 /27 + B(x − A/3) + C

1
Y = x3 − A2 x/3 + 2A3 /27 + B(x − A/3) + C

As expected from the discussion in part (ii) above, the term in x2

disappears.