Algebra Tutorials!  
     
Friday 11th of October
   
Home
Square Roots and Radical Expressions
Solving Radical Equations
Simplifying Radical Expressions
Irrational Numbers in General and Square Roots in Particular
Roots of Polynomials
Simplifying Radical Expressions
Exponents and Radicals
Products and Quotients Involving Radicals
Roots of Quadratic Equations
Radical Expressions
Radicals and Rational Exponents
Find Square Roots and Compare Real Numbers
Radicals
Radicals and Rational Exponents
Theorems on the Roots of Polynomial Equations
SYNTHETIC DIVISION AND BOUNDS ON ROOTS
Simplifying Radical Expressions
Exponents and Radicals
Properties of Exponents and Square Roots
Solving Radical Equations
Rational Exponents and Radicals,Rationalizing Denominators
Rational Exponents and Radicals,Rationalizing Denominators
Quadratic Roots
Exponents and Roots
Multiplying Radical Expressions
Exponents and Radicals
Solving Radical Equations
Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring and Extracting Roots
Newton's Method for Finding Roots
Roots of Quadratic Equations Studio
Roots, Radicals, and Root Functions
Review division factoring and Root Finding
Radicals
Simplifying Radical Expressions
Multiplying and Simplifying Radical Expressions
LIKE RADICALS
Multiplication and Division of Radicals
Radical Equations
BOUNDING ROOTS OF POLYNOMIALS
   
Try the Free Math Solver or Scroll down to Tutorials!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Please use this form if you would like
to have this math solver on your website,
free of charge.


Newton's Method for Finding Roots


Objective: This module shows how to implement Newton’s Method using a Maple procedure
in order to find a real root of an equation f(x) = 0. This iteration method leads naturally
to a do loop that can terminate when we are close to the root. This loop is placed inside the
procedure. The Maple commands in this module are


plot, abs, proc



The geometric idea behind Newton’s method is that the x-intercept of a tangent line to
the function f(x) is close to the root of the equation f(x) = 0.
The method begins with
a guess, x0, that is based on knowing where f is positive and negative. For example, if
f(x) = x3 + 2x2 − 3, then the Intermediate Value Theorem tells us that a root is between
0 and 2, since f(0) = −3 < 0 and f(2) = 13 > 0. Suppose x0 = 0.5. Then we construct
the tangent line at x0 and find its x-intercept, x1, as the next guess at the root. The method
continues until the guesses converge (that is, show no change) to the root.

Recall that the tangent line at x0 has slope f'(x0). The tangent line is then y = f'(x0) +
D(f)(x0)(x − x0) where we make use of the D(f) command. We plot the function together
with the tangent line to show that the intercept of the line comes close to the root of f(x):

> f:=x->xˆ3+2*xˆ2-3;
> x[0]:=0.5;
> tanline[0]:=x->f(x[0])+D(f)(x[0])*(x-x[0]);
> plot({f(x),tanline[0](x)},x=0..2,y=-5..5);

We can compute the intercept of the tangent line by solving for x:
f(x0) + D(f)(x0)(x − x0) = 0 implies that x − x0 = −f(x0)/D(f)(x0), or
x = x0 − f(x0)/D(f)(x0)

We can call this x value tanzero(x[0]). From the formula above, we see that tanzero
can be written as a function:

> tanzero:= x->evalf(x-f(x)/D(f)(x));

Note that the Newton’s method approximation is put inside a evalf(). The purpose of
evalf() is to force Maple to evaluate the answer in the decimal form, instead of an algebraic
expression. Moreover, if we let x[1]:=tanzero(x[0]), we can see that the tangent line
at x1 has an intercept that is a better approximation to the root than that at x0. To see this,
execute the following Maple commands:

> x[1]:=tanzero(x[0]);
> tanline[1]:=x->f(x[1])+D(f)(x[1])*(x-x[1]);
> plot({f(x),tanline[0](x),tanline[1](x)},x=0..2,y=-5..5);

4.1 Execute the commands x[1]:=tanzero(x[0]); x[2]:=tanzero(x[1]); repeatedly
until the output converges to 1. For each execution of the command, what is the
number of decimal places that are correct in each approximation?

4.2 Implement the sequence of commands in Exercise 4.1 using a for loop. Before the loop
begins, define the initial guess using the label x[0]:=0.3;.

4.3 Terminate the loop in Exercise 4.2 if two successive approximations are very close; that is,
if abs(x[i-1]-x[i])<0.001. Use the initial guess x[0]:=0.2; Your loop should
have enough iterations that the if .. then .. statement was for sure invoked.

The proc()...end; Command

Another programming feature, similar to the for...do...od; and the if...then...fi;
command structures, is the Maple procedure. A procedure is a group of commands that performs
a particular task. The proc command typically has input variables (in order to complete
a task) and returns one or more answers (depending on the task). For example, the following is
a procedure that computes x2 + 3x, given an input value x:

> f:=proc(x)
local output;
output:=xˆ2+3*x;
RETURN(output);
end;

Notice that the proc ... end command begins with stating the function name (f), and we
define f as a procedure. Inside the procedure, we calculate the output value using the variable
output, and then RETURN the output value. To execute this procedure, say, we would like to
evaluate f(2), simply type

> f(2);

Within the procedure, you need to define any labels you use as local. In the previous
example, the variable output is a local variable inside the procedure only.

Notice that we can also define f(x) by f:=x->x∧2+3*x. In fact, Maple turns this definition
to a procedure, as shown by the output (if you turn the output into Maple notation mode).
Procedures are, however, a lot more powerful in performing complex tasks. For example, the
following is a procedure that computes the first and second derivatives of a function f. Notice
that f has to be defined as an expression:

> Derivs:=proc(f)
local df,ddf;
df:=diff(f,x);
ddf:=diff(diff(f,x), x);
RETURN(df,ddf);
end;

To execute this procedure, say, we want to find the first and second derivative of x3 + 2x − 5,
the user simply enters

> Derivs(xˆ3+2*x-5);

4.4 Implement the above procedure Derivs in your worksheet. Explain what the code for
Derivs did in each line.

Here’s another example that determines if a quadratic function f(x) = ax2+bx+c has two real
roots, one real root, or two complex roots. The procedure uses the extension of the if ...
then ... else statement to if ... then ... elif ... else. Look up
the structure in the Maple help section.

> RootType:=proc(a,b,c)
local discrim;
discrim:=bˆ2-4*a*c;
if discrim > 0 then RETURN("two real roots")
elif discrim < 0 then RETURN("two complex roots")
else RETURN("one real root")
fi;
end;

4.5 Enter the above procedure into your worksheet. Execute the command RootType(1,3,2).
What does this command do? Which polynomial is it checking?

4.6 Write a procedure called ispositive where the procedure returns “true” if the input
value is positive, otherwise, it returns “false”. Test the accuracy of your procedure by
evaluating ispositive(1), ispositive(-2), ispositive(0). (Hint: start with
ispositive:=proc(x) )

4.7 Incorporate Newton’s method that we developed in 4.2 into a procedure newton(f, s,
n) where f is the input function in terms of x; s represents the initial guess x[0]; and n is the
number of iterations that you want to carry out in the loop. Test your procedure by evaluating
newton(x->x∧3+2*x∧2-3, 0.2, 3), newton(x->x∧3+2*x∧2-3, 5, 10).
 

Copyrights © 2005-2024