Fixed Point Iteration

The fixed point iteration method in numerical analysis is used to find an approximate
solution to algebraic and transcendental equations. Sometimes, it becomes very tedious to find
solutions to cubic, bi-quadratic and transcendental equations; then, we can apply specific
numerical methods to find the solution; one among those methods is the fixed point iteration
method. The fixed point iteration method uses the concept of a fixed point in a repeated manner
to compute the solution of the given equation. A fixed point is a point in the domain of a function
g such that g(x) = x. In the fixed point iteration method, the given function is algebraically
converted in the form of g(x) = x. In the realm of mathematics, the Fixed Point Iteration method
is instrumental in root-finding problems. It's a reliable tool for solving equations and systems of
equations, both linear and nonlinear. As such, it sees widespread use in numerical analysis,
scientific computing, and various mathematical models.

The idea of the fixed point iteration methods is to first reformulate a equation to an
equivalent fixed point problem: f (x) = 0 ⇐⇒ x = g(x), and then to use the iteration: with an
initial guess x0 chosen, compute a sequence: xn+1 = g(xn), n ≥ 0, in the hope that xn → α.
There are infinite many ways to introduce an equivalent fixed point problem for a given
equation; e.g., for any function G(t) with the property G(t) = 0 ⇐⇒ t = 0, we can take g(x) = x
+ G(f (x)). The resulting iteration method may or may not converge, though.

Algorithm of Fixed Point Iteration Method

Fixed-point iteration is a numerical method used to approximate solutions to equations in

● Choose the initial value xo for the iterative method. One way to choose xo is to find the
values x = a and x = b for which f(a) < 0 and f(b) > 0. By narrowing down the selection
of a and b, take xo as the average of a and b.
 ● Express the given equation, in the form x = g(x) such that |g’(x)| < 1 at x = xo. If there is
more than one possibility of g(x), choose the g(x) which has the minimum value of g’(x)
at x = xo.
● By applying the successive approximations xn = g(xn – 1), if f is a continuous function,
we get a sequence of {xn} which converges to a point lo, which is the approximate
solution of the given equation.

Fixed point iteration method is an open and simple method for finding the real root of a
nonlinear equation by successive approximations. It requires only one initial guess to start. Since
it is an open method its convergence is not guaranteed.

Discussion and Analysis

Figure 1: Code for the Fixed Point Iteration

We are given the equation: f(x) = x^3 + 2x - 1, solving the equation using fixed-point
iteration: To use fixed-point iteration, we need to find a way to rewrite our equation so that x is
on one side. This is g(x). For this equation, it's a bit tricky, and you might need to experiment to
find a good g(x). We start with a guess for the solution, and we hope it's close to the actual
answer. In this case, we began with an initial guess of 1. We decide how accurate we want the
answer to be (tolerance) and how many times we're willing to repeat the process (maximum
iterations). For this example, we wanted the answer to be accurate up to 0.0001, and we set a
maximum of 20 tries. We use our guess and the g(x) function to calculate a new guess. We keep
doing this over and over. Each time, we get closer to the real answer. But sometimes, we don't
get there within our set tolerance or before we reach the maximum number of tries. In this
specific case, the method didn't give us an accurate answer within 20 tries. This can happen
when the equation is not very suitable for this method. It doesn't mean the method is bad; it just
means it's not always the best choice for every equation. When fixed-point iteration doesn't work
well for an equation, we might need to try other methods designed for more complex equations.
Also, adjusting the initial guess or trying different g(x) functions can sometimes help. It's a bit
like experimenting to find the right approach. Using numerical methods like fixed-point iteration
involves a bit of trial and error.

Result and Discussion

Figure 2: Result for the equation x^3+2x-1 using the fixed point iteration

The fixed-point iteration was applied to the equation x^3 + 2x - 1 with an initial guess of
1, a tolerance of 0.0001, and a maximum of 20 iterations. The fixed-point iteration did not
converge to a solution within the specified tolerance of 0.0001 within the maximum of 20
iterations. After 20 iterations, the approximate solution found by the iteration is approximately
0.75490003. This approximate solution represents an estimate for a root of the equation x^3 + 2x
- 1, but it is not as accurate as the solution obtained with a higher maximum number of iterations.
The lack of convergence in this case may be due to the choice of the initial guess, the iteration
function, or the maximum iteration limit. To achieve a more accurate solution, you may need to
adjust these parameters or try a different numerical method.

In summary, the fixed-point iteration with the specified parameters did not converge to a
solution within the tolerance and maximum iteration limits, indicating the need for further
refinement or a different approach to solve the equation x^3 + 2x - 1.
References
Admin. (2022, April 13). Fixed Point Iteration | Fixed Point Iteration Method &amp; Example.

BYJUS. https://byjus.com/maths/fixed-point-iteration/

Kamel, M. (2023, July 2). 4-Fixed-point iteration and how to use it? Engineering Oasis.

https://magedkamel.com/4-fixed-point-iteration/

Timur : planetcalc member. (n.d.). Online calculator: Fixed-point iteration method.

https://planetcalc.com/2824/