A saddle point is a critical point on the surface of a multivariable function where the slopes are zero in all directions, but it is not a local maximum or minimum. It resembles a saddle in shape, with a concave up curvature in one direction and a concave down curvature in another. This unique nature means that saddle points are significant when analyzing the behavior of functions, especially in optimization problems.
congrats on reading the definition of saddle point. now let's actually learn it.