Saddle Point

Note the nipple points and the cleve point.

In mathematics, a saddle point is a point in the domain of a function that is a stationary point but not a local extremum. The name derives from the fact that the prototypical example in two dimensions is a surface that curves up in one direction, and curves down in a different direction, resembling a saddle or a mountain pass. In terms of contour lines, a saddle point in two dimensions gives rise to a contour that appears to intersect itself.

Read more about Saddle Point:  Mathematical Discussion, Other Uses

Famous quotes containing the words saddle and/or point:

    The dress makes the person; the saddle the horse.
    Chinese proverb.

    In philosophical inquiry, the human spirit, imitating the movement of the stars, must follow a curve which brings it back to its point of departure. To conclude is to close a circle.
    Charles Baudelaire (1821–1867)