If a quantity y varies with another quantity x, satisfying some rule y = f(x), then f'(x) represents the rate of change of y with respect to x.
First Derivative Test: Let f be a function defined on an open interval I. Let f be continuous at a critical point c in I. Then
(i) If f ′(x) changes sign from positive to negative as x increases through c, i.e., if f ′(x) > 0 at every point sufficiently close to and to the left of c, and f ′(x) < 0 at every point sufficiently close to and to the right of c, then c is a point of local maxima.
(ii) If f ′(x) changes sign from negative to positive as x increases through c, i.e., if f ′(x) < 0 at every point sufficiently close to and to the left of c, and f ′(x) > 0 at every point sufficiently close to and to the right of c, then c is a point of local minima.
(iii) If f ′(x) does not change sign as x increases through c, then c is neither a point of local maxima nor a point of local minima. Infact, such a point is called point of inflexion.