CHAPTER II

Finding Roots of Real Single Valued Functions

Exercises
The Bisection Method

1. Locate all the roots of f , then approximate each one of them up to 3 decimal figures
using the Bisection method.

(a) f (x) = x − 2 sin x

(b) f (x) = x3 − 2 sin x
(c) f (x) = ex − x2 + 4x + 3
(d) f (x) = x3 − 5x − x2

2. Show that the following equations have infinitely many roots by graphical methods.
Use the Bisection method to determine the smallest positive value up to 4 decimal
figures.

(a) tan x = x
(b) sin x = e−x
(c) cos x = ex
(d) ln(x + 1) = tan(2x)

3. The following functions have a unique root in the interval [1, 2]. Use the Bisection
method to approximate that root up to 3 decimal figures. Compare the number of
iterations needed to reach that precision with the predictable “theoretical” value.

(a) f (x) = x3 − ex
(b) f (x) = x2 − 4x + 4 − ln x
(c) f (x) = x3 + 4x2 − 10
(d) f (x) = x4 − x3 − x − 1
(e) f (x) = x5 − x3 + 3
(f) f (x) = e−x − cos x
1
(g) f (x) = ln(1 + x) − x+1

4. The following functions have a unique root in the interval [0, 1]. Use the Bisection
method to approximate that root up to 5 decimal figures. Compare the number of
iterations needed to reach that precision with the predictable “theoretical” value.

1
 (a) f (x) = e−x − 3x
(b) f (x) = ex − 2
(c) f (x) = e−x − x2
(d) f (x) = cos x − x
√
(e) f (x) = cos x − x
(f) f (x) = ex − 3x
(g) f (x) = x − 2−x
(h) f (x) = 2x + 3 cos x − ex
(i) f (x) = sin x − x3

5. Prove that the function f (x) = ln(1 − x) − ex has a unique negative root. Use the
Bisection method to calculate the first four iterations.

6. Prove that the function f (x) = ex − 3x has a unique positive root. Use the Bisection
method to calculate the first four iterations.

7. The bisection method generates a sequence of intervals {[a0 , b0 ], [a1 , b1 ], ...}. Prove or
disprove the following estimates.

(a) |r − an | ≤ 2|r − bn |
(b) |r − bn | ≤ 2−n (b0 − a0 )
an +rn
(c) rn+1 = 2
bn +rn
(d) rn+1 = 2
(e) |r − an | ≤ 2|r − bn |
(f) |r − bn | ≤ 2−n |b0 − a0 |

Newton’s and the Secant Methods

8. Use three iterations of Newton’s method to compute the root of the function f (x) =
e−x − cos x that is nearest to π/2

9. Use three iterations of Newton’s method to compute the root of the function f (x) =
x5 − x3 − 3 that is nearest to 1.

10. The polynomial p(x) = x4 + 2x3 − 7x2 + 3 has 2 positive. Find them by Newton’s
method, correct to four significant figures.

11. Use Newton’s method to compute ln 3 up to five decimal figures.

√
12. Approximate ± e up to 7 decimal figures using Newton’s method.

2
13. Compute the first four iterations using Newton’s method to find the negative root of
the function f (x) = x − e/x.

14. Use Newton’s method to approximate the root of the following functions up to 5
decimal figures, located in the interval [0, 1]. Compare the number of iterations used
to reach that precision with the predictable “theoretical” value.

(a) f (x) = ex − 3x
(b) f (x) = x − 2−x
(c) f (x) = 2x + 3 cos x − ex
(d) f (x) = sin x − x3

15. To approximate the reciprocal of 3, i.e. r = 13 , using Newton’s method:

(a) Define some appropriate non polynomial function that leads to an iterative for-
mula not dividing by the iterate. Specify the restrictions on the initial condition
if there are any.
(b) Choose two different values for the initial condition to illustrate the local character
of convergence of the method.

16. Based on Newton’s method, approximate the reciprocal of the square root of a positive
number R, i.e. √1R , using first a polynomial function, and secondly a non polynomial
function. Determine the necessary restrictions on the initial conditions, if there are
any.
−1
17. To approximate the negative reciprocal of the square root of 7, i.e. r = √
7
, using
Newton’s method:

(a) Define some appropriate non polynomial function that leads to an iterative for-
mula not dividing by the iterate. Specify the restrictions on the initial condition
if there are any.
−1
(b) Use Newton’s method to approximate r = √
7
up to 4 decimal figures.
√
item Approximate 2 up to 7 decimal figures using Newton’s method.
√
18. The number R (R > 0), is a zero of the functions listed below. Based on Newton’s √
method , determine the iterative formulae for each of the functions that compute R.
Specify any necessary restriction on the choice of the initial condition, if there is any.

(a) a(x) = x2 − R
(b) b(x) = 1/x2 − 1/R
(c) c(x) = x − R/x

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 (d) e(x) = 1 − R/x2
(e) g(x) = 1/x − x/R
(f) h(x) = 1 − x2 /R
19. Based on Newton’s method , determine an iterative sequence that converges to π.
Compute π up to 3 decimal figures.
20. Let f (x) = x3 − 5x + 3.
a - Locate all the roots of f .
b - Use successively the Bisection and Newton’s methods to approximate the largest
root of f correct to 3 decimal places.
c- How many iterations are theoretically needed using each method, to calculate a root
up to 3 decimal places ? Compare these values with the results obtained in (b).
1
21. To approximate the cubic root of a positive number a, i.e. r = a 3 , where 1 < a ≤ 2,
using Newton’s method:
1
(a) Define some appropriate polynomial function f (x) with unique root r = a 3 , then
write the formula of Newton’s iterative sequence {rn }.
1
(b) Assume that, for r0 = 2, the sequence {rn } is decreasing and satisfies: a 3 = r <
... < rn+1 < rn < rn−1 < ... < r1 < r0 = 2.
Prove then that: |rn+1 − r| ≤ (rn − r)2 for all n ≥ 0.
n
(c) Prove by recurrence that: |r − rn | ≤ |r − r0 |2 , for all n ≥ 0
(d) Assuming |r0 − r| ≤ 12 . Estimate the least integer n0 such that |rn0 − r| ≤ ( 21 )32 .
22. Let p(x) = c2 x2 + c1 x + c0 be a quadratic polynomial with one of its roots r located
in an interval (a, b), with
0
min |p (x)| ≥ d > 0
a≤x≤b

Using Newton’s method with r0 sufficiently close to r:

a- Show that if rn ∈ (a, b) then |rn+1 − r| ≤ C|rn − r|2 ,
where C = |cd2 | .
b - Let en = C|r − rn |. Show that if rn ∈ (a, b) then en+1 ≤ e2n . Give also the condition
on |r0 − r| that makes e0 < 1, and therefore en < 1 for all n.
1 n
c- Assume |r0 − r| = 2C . Show by recurrence that en ≤ (e0 )(2 ) , then estimate the
smallest value np of n, so that:
|rnp − r|
≤ 2−p .
|r0 − r|