121. Hessian Matrix

121.1. Hessian Matrix

Square matrix of second-order partial derivatives

Describes the local curvature of a multivariable function

Input:

Output: Scalar

Diagonal entries:

Second derivative of with respect to a single variable twice

How the slope of changes as you move along the direction

Off-diagonal entries: where

How the slope in one direction changes when you move in a different direction

: How the rate of change of along changes as you move in the direction

Symmetric (Clairaut-Schwarz theorem):

Example
  • Symbolic Hessian
  • Evaluate at

Each entry is now a scalar, and the Hessian is numeric