For a harmonic function, put and . Since , its Hessian matrix is
A nonzero determinant is therefore negative, and the two real Hessian eigenvalues are . At a stationary point the quadratic term of the Taylor expansion has both signs. Consequently every such nondegenerate stationary point is a saddle point. This is the nondegenerate stationary points of a planar harmonic function criterion. The same argument applies to , whose stationary points coincide with those of . A zero Hessian determinant is outside this second-order classification.