The second transvectant of a form over itself is called the Hessian of the form.
This can be verified by equating to zero the five coefficients of the Hessian (ab) 2 axb2.
But if the given curve has a node, then not only the Hessian passes through the node, but it has there a node the two branches at which touch respectively the two branches of the curve; and the node thus counts as six intersections; so if the curve has a cusp, then the Hessian not only passes through the cusp, but it has there a cusp through which it again passes, that is, there is a cuspidal branch touching the cuspidal branch of the curve, and besides a simple branch passing through the cusp, and hence the cusp counts as eight intersections.
For the cubic (ab) 2 axbx is a covariant because each symbol a, b occurs three times; we can first of all find its real expression as a simultaneous covariant of two cubics, and then, by supposing the two cubics to merge into identity, find the expression of the quadratic covariant, of the single cubic, commonly known as the Hessian.
When R =0, and neither of the expressions AC - B 2, 2AB -3C vanishes, the covariant a x is a linear factor of f; but, when R =AC - B 2 = 2AB -3C =0, a x also vanishes, and then f is the product of the form jx and of the Hessian of jx.