Hessian criterion for convexity
ID: hessian-criterion-for-convexity
On an open convex set, a twice-differentiable real-valued function is convex if and only if its Hessian matrix is a positive semidefinite matrix at every point. In particular continuous second partial derivatives suffice for the differentiability hypothesis. Restrict to any line segment: has . The second-derivative criterion for convexity proves both implications, because convexity is equivalent to convexity of all such restrictions.
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