inflection point
Where curves change
An inflection point is where a curve changes from bending one way to bending the other—from concave to convex or vice versa.
The mathematical term has become common in business and cultural commentary for any moment when a trend shifts direction: The pandemic was an inflection point for remote work.
The usage often implies a turning point of major significance, though technically an inflection point is about the rate of change, not the direction.
Mathematical analysis system
- derivativeFunction's rate of change
- concavityInward-curving surface quality
- curveSmooth, angleless line
- tangentLine touching curve once
slope · second derivative · function · graph · curvature · parabola · polynomial · rate of change
Point of rotation
- watershedDrainage area boundary
- crossroadsMeeting of routes
- thresholdPoint of beginning
- catalystAgent enabling change
defining moment · game changer · breakthrough · paradigm shift · fork in the road · juncture · milestone · critical juncture
Forceful interruption of process
- market shiftChange in economic conditions
- growth curveGraph of increase
- scalingClimbing or resizing
- startupNew business enterprise
trajectory · valuation · hockey stick · Series A · IPO · hypergrowth · pivot · restructuring
Violent governmental overthrow
- reformationProcess of improving institutions
- renaissancePeriod of renewed vitality
- upheavalViolent disturbance of order
- epochDistinct historical period
era · watershed moment · paradigm shift · social change · movement · uprising · independence · abolition
calculus
Mathematical analysis system
- derivativeFunction's rate of change
- concavityInward-curving surface quality
- curveSmooth, angleless line
tangent · slope · second derivative · function · graph · curvature · parabola · polynomial · rate of change · differential
pivot
Point of rotation
- watershedDrainage area boundary
- crossroadsMeeting of routes
- thresholdPoint of beginning
catalyst · defining moment · game changer · breakthrough · paradigm shift · fork in the road · juncture · milestone · critical juncture · sea change
disruption
Forceful interruption of process
- market shiftChange in economic conditions
- growth curveGraph of increase
- scalingClimbing or resizing
startup · trajectory · valuation · hockey stick · Series A · IPO · hypergrowth · pivot · restructuring · turnaround
revolution
Violent governmental overthrow
- reformationProcess of improving institutions
- renaissancePeriod of renewed vitality
- upheavalViolent disturbance of order
epoch · era · watershed moment · paradigm shift · social change · movement · uprising · independence · abolition · suffrage
- economyGDP, money, inflation, inflation rate, GNP
- crossroadscrossroads, fork in the road, fork in road, junction, juncture
- turning pointsdefining moment, pivotal event, pivotal moment, crossroads, crux
- data patternstrend, spike, outlier, cluster, gap
- Growth Metricsgrowth rate, annual growth, revenue growth, organic growth, rapid growth
- thresholdslimit, threshold, brink, edge, boundary
inflection pointextremum
Function's boundary value
local maximum · maximum · local minimum · minimum · peak
inflection pointsteady state
Unchanging system condition
plateau · status quo · stasis · equilibrium · linear progression
point, inflection, deflection, inflected, uninflected, inflecting, inflections