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The Bisection Method

Introduction

Bisection Method:

Bisection Method = a numerical method in Mathematics to find a root of a given function

Root of a function:

Root of a function f(x) = a value a such that:

f(a) = 0

Example:

Function: f(x) = x2 - 4

Roots: x = -2, x = 2

Because:
f(-2) = (-2)2 - 4 = 4 - 4 = 0
f(2) = (2)2 - 4 = 4 - 4 = 0

A Mathematical Property

Well-known Mathematical Property:

If a function f(x) is continuous on the interval [a..b] and sign of f(a) ≠ sign of f(b), then:

There is a value c ∈ [a..b] such that: f(c) = 0

I.e., there is a root c in the interval [a..b]

Example:

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The Bisection Method

The Bisection Method is a successive approximation method that narrows down an interval that contains a root of
the function f(x)

The Bisection Method is given an initial interval [a..b] that contains a root

(We can use the property sign of f(a) ≠ sign of f(b) to find such an initial interval)

The Bisection Method will cut the interval into 2 halves and check which half interval contains a root of the function

The Bisection Method will keep cut the interval in halves until the resulting interval is extremely small

The root is then approximately equal to any value in the final (very small) interval.

Example:

Suppose the interval [a..b] is as follows:

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We cut the interval [a..b] in the middle: m = (a+b)/2

Because sign of f(m) ≠ sign of f(a) , we proceed with the search in the new interval [a..b]:

We can use this statement to change to the new interval:

b = m;

In the above example, we have changed the end point b to obtain a smaller interval that still contains a root

In other cases, we may need to changed the end point b to obtain a smaller interval that still contains a root

Here is an example where you have to change the end point a:

Initial interval [a..b]:

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After cutting the interval in half, the root is contained in the right-half, so we have to change the end
point a:

Example: find the root of f(x) = x2 − 5 between [0, 4]

There is a root between [0,4] because::

f(0) = 02 − 5 = −5
f(4) = 42 − 5 = 11

Start:

a = 0; f(a) = -5
b = 4; f(b) = 11

Iteration 1:

m = (a + b)/2 = 2

f(m) = 22 − 5 = -1

Because f(m) < 0, we replace a with m

a = 2; f(a) = -1
b = 4; f(b) = 11

Iteration 2:

m = (a + b)/2 = 3

f(m) = 32 − 5 = 4

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Because f(m) > 0, we replace b with m

a = 2; f(a) = -1
b = 3; f(b) = 4

Iteration 3:

m = (a + b)/2 = 2.5

f(m) = 2.52 − 5 = 1.25

Because f(m) > 0, we replace b with m

a = 2; f(a) = -1
b = 2.5; f(b) = 1.25

And so on....

Rough description (pseudo code) of the Bisection Method:

Given: interval [a..b] such that: sign of f(a) ≠ sign of f(b)

repeat (until the interval [a..b] is "very small")

{
a+b
m = -----; // m = midpoint of interval [a..b]
2

if ( sign of f(m) ≠ sign of f(b) )

{
use interval [m..b] in the next iteration
(i.e.: replace a with m)
}
else
{
use interval [a..m] in the next iteration
(i.e.: replace b with m)
}
}

Approximate root = (a+b)/2; (any point between [a..b] will do

because the interval [a..b] is very small)

Re-writing the pseudo code in term of a while-statement:

Given: interval [a..b] such that: sign of f(a) ≠ sign of f(b)

while (interval [a..b] is NOT "very small")

{
a+b
m = -----; // m = midpoint of interval [a..b]
2

if ( sign of f(m) ≠ sign of f(b) )

{
use interval [m..b] in the next iteration
(i.e.: replace a with m)
}
else
{
use interval [a..m] in the next iteration
(i.e.: replace b with m)
}
}

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Approximate root = (a+b)/2; (any point between [a..b] will do
because the interval [a..b] is very small)

Structure Diagram of the Bisection Algorithm:

Example execution:

We will use a simple function to illustrate the execution of the Bisection Method

Function used:

f(x) = x2 - 3

Roots: √3 = 1.7320508... and −√3 = −1.7320508...

We will use the starting interval [0..4] since:

f(0) = 02 − 3 = −3
f(4) = 42 − 3 = 13

The interval [0..4] contains a root because: sign of f(0) ≠ sign of f(4)

Steps taken by the Bisection Method:

Iteration 1:

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New interval: [0..2] (it contains √3 = 1.7320508.. !!!)

Iteration 2:

New interval: [1..2] (it contains √3 = 1.7320508.. !!!)

Iteration 3:

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New interval: [1.5 .. 2] (it contains √3 = 1.7320508.. !!!)

And so on !!

Result:

The interval gets smaller and smaller

But it will always contain the root √3

When the interval is smaller than 0.000001, the while-loop will exit

At that moment, the end points of the interval will be very close to root √3

Java program:

// Bisection Method - Solves: x^2 - 3 = 0

public class Bisection01

{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
final double epsilon = 0.00001;
double a, b, m, y_m, y_a;

a = 0; b = 4;

while ( (b-a) > epsilon )

{
m = (a+b)/2; // Mid point

y_m = m*m - 3.0; // y_m = f(m)

y_a = a*a - 3.0; // y_a = f(a)

if ( (y_m > 0 && y_a < 0) || (y_m < 0 && y_a > 0) )
{ // f(a) and f(m) have different signs: move b
b = m;
}
else
{ // f(a) and f(m) have same signs: move a
a = m;
}

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System.out.println("New interval: [" + a + " .. " + b + "]");
// Print progress
}

System.out.println("Approximate solution = " + (a+b)/2 );

}
}

Output:

Initial interval: [0.0 .. 4.0]

New interval: [0.0 .. 2.0] (We did the first 3 by hand above)
New interval: [1.0 .. 2.0]
New interval: [1.5 .. 2.0]
New interval: [1.5 .. 1.75]
New interval: [1.625 .. 1.75]
New interval: [1.6875 .. 1.75]
New interval: [1.71875 .. 1.75]
New interval: [1.71875 .. 1.734375]
New interval: [1.7265625 .. 1.734375]
New interval: [1.73046875 .. 1.734375]
New interval: [1.73046875 .. 1.732421875]
New interval: [1.7314453125 .. 1.732421875]
New interval: [1.73193359375 .. 1.732421875]
New interval: [1.73193359375 .. 1.732177734375]
New interval: [1.73193359375 .. 1.7320556640625]
New interval: [1.73199462890625 .. 1.7320556640625]
New interval: [1.732025146484375 .. 1.7320556640625]
New interval: [1.7320404052734375 .. 1.7320556640625]
New interval: [1.7320480346679688 .. 1.7320556640625]
Approximate solution = 1.7320518493652344

Example Program: (Demo above code)

Prog file: click here

How to run the program:

Right click on link and save in a scratch directory

To compile: javac Bisection01.java

To run: java Bisection01

Finding the roots of a different function

Suppose we want to find the root of

f(x) = x3 + x - 3

in the interval [0..4]

Changes to the Java program:

// Solves: x^3 + x - 3 = 0

public class Bisection02

{
public static void main(String[] args)

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{
final double epsilon = 0.00001;
double a, b, m, y_m, y_a;

a = 0; b = 4;

while ( (b-a) > epsilon )

{
m = (a+b)/2; // Mid point

y_m = m*m*m + m - 3.0; // y_m = f(m)

y_a = a*a*a + a - 3.0; // y_a = f(a)

if ( (y_m > 0 && y_a < 0) || (y_m < 0 && y_a > 0) )
{ // f(a) and f(m) have different signs: move b
b = m;
}
else
{ // f(a) and f(m) have same signs: move a
a = m;
}
System.out.println("New interval: [" + a + " .. " + b + "]");
}

System.out.println("Approximate solution = " + (a+b)/2 );

}
}

Example Program: (Demo above code)

Prog file: click here

How to run the program:

Right click on link and save in a scratch directory

To compile: javac Bisection02.java
To run: java Bisection02

We had to change the body of the Java program to find the root of a different function

This is very inconvenient

It would be more convenient to if we can write:

y_m = f(m);
y_a = f(a);

When we solve a different function, we make changes to the function definition f()

This is indeed possible in Java...

However, we have not study user-defined methods yet.

But we will get there very soon.

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