Bisection Method of Solving a Nonlinear Equation

What is the bisection method and what is it based on?

One of the first numerical methods developed to find the root of a nonlinear equation f ( x )=0 was the
bisection method (also called binary-search method). The method is based on the following theorem.

Theorem An equation f ( x )=0 , where f ( x) is a real continuous function, has at least one root between
x λ and x μ if f ( x λ ) f ( x μ ) >0

Note that if f ( x λ ) f ( x μ ) >0, there may or may not be any root between x λ and x μ (Figures 2 and 3). If
f ( x λ ) f ( x μ ) <0, then there may be more than one root between x λ and x μ (Figure 4). So, the theorem
only guarantees one root between x λ and x μ .
Bisection method
Since the method is based on finding the root between two points, the method falls under the category
of bracketing methods

Since the root is bracketed between two points, x λ and x μ , one can find the midpoint, x m between x λ
and x μ . This gives us two new intervals
1. x λ and x m , and
2. x m and x μ
Is the root now between x λ and x m or between x m and x μ ? Well, one can find the sign of f ( x λ ) f ( x m) ,
and if f ( x λ ) f ( xm ) < 0, then the new bracket is between x λ and x m, otherwise, it is between x m and x μ .

So, you can see that you are literally halving the interval. As one repeats this process, the width of the
interval [ x λ , x μ ] becomes smaller and smaller, and you can zero in to the root of the equation f ( x )=0.
The algorithm for the bisection method is given as follows:

Algorithm for the bisection method

The steps to apply the bisection method to find the root of the equation f ( x )=0 are:
1. Choose x λ and x μ as two guesses for the root such that f ( x λ ) f ( x μ ) <0, or in other words, f (x)
changes sign between x λ and x μ .

2. Estimate the root, x m, of the equation f ( x )=0as the mid-point between x λ and x μ as
xλ+ xμ
x m=
2
3. Now check the following
a. If f ( x λ ) f ( xm ) < 0, then the root lies between x λ and x m; then x λ =x λ and x μ =xm .
b. If f ( x λ ) f ( xm ) > 0, then the root lies between x m and x μ ; then x λ =x m and x μ =x μ.

4. Find the new estimate of the root

xλ+ xμ
x m=
2
Find the absolute relative approximate error as

| |
new old
x m −x m
∈a = new
100
xm

new
where x m = estimated root from present iteration
old
x m = estimated root from previous iteration

5. Compare the absolute relative approximate error |∈a| with the pre-specified relative error
tolerance ∈s . If |∈a|>∈s , then go to Step 3, else stop the algorithm. Note one should also check
whether the number of iterations is more than the maximum number of iterations allowed. If so,
one needs to terminate the algorithm and notify the user about it.

Example:
You are working for ‘XYZ Company’ that makes floats for ABC commodes. The floating ball has a specific
gravity of 0.6 and has a radius of 5.5 cm. You are asked to find the depth to which the ball is submerged
when floating in water. The equation that gives the depth x to which the ball is submerged under water
is given by
x 3−0.165 x 2+ 3.993 x 10−4
Use the bisection method of finding roots of equations to find the depth x to which the ball is
submerged under water. Conduct three iterations to estimate the root of the above equation. Find the
absolute relative approximate error at the end of each iteration, and the number of significant digits at
least correct at the end of each iteration.

Solution: The ball would be submerged between x=0 and x=2 r , where r = radius of the ball
0 ≤ x ≤ 0.11

Let us assume x λ =0 , x μ =0.11

Check if the function changes sign between x λ and x μ

3
f ( x λ ) =f ( 0 )=0 −0.165 ¿
f ( x μ )=(0.11)3 −0.165 ¿

Hence
f ( x λ ) f ( x μ )=( 3.994 x 1 0−4 )( −2.662 x 1 0−4 ) <0
So, there is at least one root between x λ and x μ , that is between 0 and 0.11

Iteration 1
The estimate of the root is
xλ+ xμ
x m=
2
0+0.11
¿
2
x m=0.055

f ( x m ) =f ( 0.055 )=¿
f ( x λ ) f ( x μ )=f ( 0 ) f ( 0.055 )=( 3.993 x 10−4 ) ( 6.655 x 1 0−4 ) >0
Hence the root is bracketed between mx and u x , that is, between 0.055 and 0.11. So, the lower and
upper limit of the new bracket is
x λ =0.055 , x μ=0.11
At this point, the absolute relative approximate error ∈a cannot be calculated as we do not have a
previous approximation.

Iteration 2
The estimate of the root is
xλ+ xμ
x m=
2
0.055+0.11
¿
2
x m=0.0825
f ( x m ) =f ( 0.0825 )=¿
f ( x λ ) f ( x μ )=f ( 0.055 ) f ( 0.0825 )=( 6.655 x 10 ) (−1.62 x 10 ) < 0
−5 −4

Hence, the root is bracketed between x λ and x μ , that is, between 0.055 and 0.0825. So, the lower and
upper limit of the new bracket is
x λ =0.055 , x μ=0.0825
The absolute relative approximate error ∈a at the end of Iteration 2 is

| |
new old
x m −xm
|∈a|= new
100
xm

¿ |
0.0825−0.055
0.0825
100 |
|∈a|=33.33 %
None of the significant digits are at least correct in the estimated root of x m = 0.0825 because the
absolute relative approximate error is greater than 5%.

Iteration 3
The estimate of the root is
xλ+ xμ
x m=
2
0.055+0.0825
¿
2
x m=0.06875
f ( x m ) =f ( 0.06875 )=¿
f ( x λ ) f ( x μ )=f ( 0.055 ) f ( 0.06785 )=( 6.655 x 10−5 ) (−5.563 x 1 0−5 ) <0
Hence, the root is bracketed between x λ and x μ , that is, between 0.055 and 0.06875. So, the lower and
upper limit of the new bracket is
x λ =0.055 , x μ=0.06875
The absolute relative approximate error ∈a at the end of Iteration 3 is

| x new
|
old
m −xm
|∈a|= new
100
xm

¿ |
0.06875−0.0825
0.06875
100 |
|∈a|=20 %
Still, none of the significant digits are at least correct in the estimated root of the equation as the
absolute relative approximate error is greater than 5%. Seven more iterations were conducted. These
iterations are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Root of f ( x )=0 as function of number of iterations for bisection method

Iteration xλ xμ xm |∈a|% f ( x m)
1 0.0000 0.11 0.055 ----- 6.6655 x 10-5
2 0.055 0.11 0.0825 33.33 - 1.622 x 10-4
3 0.055 0.0825 0.06875 20.00 - 5.563 x 10-5
4 0.055 0.06875 0.06188 11.11 4.484 x 10-6
5 0.06188 0.06875 0.06531 5.263 - 2.593 x 10-5
6 0.06188 0.06531 0.06359 2.702 - 1.0804 x 10-5
7 0.06188 0.06359 0.06273 1.370 - 3.176 x 10-6
8 0.06188 0.06273 0.0623 0.6897 6.497 x 10-7
9 0.0623 0.06273 0.06252 0.3436 - 1.265 x 10-6
10 0.0623 0.6252 0.06241 0.1721 - 3.0768 x 10-7

At the end of the 10th iteration,

|∈a|=0.1721 %
Hence the number of significant digits at least correct is given by the largest value of m for which
|∈a|=≤ 0.5 x 102−m
2−m
0.1721 ≤ 0.5 x 10
0.3442 ≤10 2−m
log ( 0.3442 ) ≤2−m
m ≤2−log ( 0.3442 )=2.463
So
m=2
The number of significant digits at least in the estimated root pf 0.06241 at the end of the 10 th iteration
is 2.
Advantages
a) The bisection method is always convergent. Since the method brackets the root, the
method is guaranteed to converge.
b) As iterations are conducted, the interval gets halved. So, one can guarantee the error in the
solution of the equation.

Drawbacks
a) The convergence of the bisection method is slow as it is simply based on halving the
interval.
b) If one of the initial guesses is closer to the root, it will take larger number of iterations to
reach the root.
c) If a function f (x ) is such that it just touches the x -axis (Figure 6) such as
2
f (x )=x =0
it will be unable to find the lower guess,
x ℓ , and upper guess, x u , such that
f (x ℓ )f ( x u )<0
d) For functions f (x ) where there is a singularity and it reverses sign at the singularity, the
1

bisection method may converge on the singularity (Figure 7). An example includes
1
f (x )=
x
where
x ℓ=−2 , x u=3 are valid initial guesses which satisfy
f (x ℓ )f ( x u )< 0
However, the function is not continuous and the theorem that a root exists is also not
applicable.

The equation f (x )=x 2=0 has a single root at x=0 that cannot be bracketed

f (x)

A singularity in a function is defined as a point where the function becomes infinite. For example, for a
function such as 1/ x , the point of singularity is x=0 as it becomes infinite
 2
The equation f (x )=x =0 has a single root at x=0 that cannot be bracketed

f (x)

1
f ( x )= =0
The equation x has no root but changes sign