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Lecture Notes Numerical Methods

The document discusses numerical methods for finding roots of functions, emphasizing the importance of continuity and sign changes. It outlines three methods: Interval Bisection, Linear Interpolation, and the Newton-Raphson Method, detailing their processes and considerations for accuracy. Key points include the necessity of careful initial point selection in Newton's Method to ensure convergence and the importance of using exact values in calculations.

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22 views7 pages

Lecture Notes Numerical Methods

The document discusses numerical methods for finding roots of functions, emphasizing the importance of continuity and sign changes. It outlines three methods: Interval Bisection, Linear Interpolation, and the Newton-Raphson Method, detailing their processes and considerations for accuracy. Key points include the necessity of careful initial point selection in Newton's Method to ensure convergence and the importance of using exact values in calculations.

Uploaded by

mervinlo
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Numerical Methods

Numerical Methods to solve f(x) = 0

Basic Concept: Sign Diagram and Locating Roots

If :

1) f(x) is continuous on the interval [a, b]


2) f(a) and f(b) have opposite sign

Then:

1) F(x) has at least 1 root, for a < x < b

Note logical fallacies:

1) At least 1 root doesn’t mean exactly 1 root


2) No sign change doesn’t imply no root
3) Functions with vertical asymptote has sign change but not continuous
Numerical Method 1: Interval Bisection

1) f(a) and f(b) have opposite sign on the interval [a, b]


2) take the mid-point (a+b) / 2 as the 1st solution approximation, then repeat the process until
required degree of accuracy is achieved.

Example:
Example

Numerical Method 2: Linear Interpolation

1) Draw a straight line between the points (a, f(a)) and (b, f(b))
2) The x-intercept is the 1st approximation 𝑥1
3) Use similar triangle properties and ratios to estimate 𝑥1 , and find 𝑓(𝑥1)
4) Replace the end with same sign as 𝑓(𝑥1), then repeat the process until required degree of
accuracy is achieved.

Example:
Example:

Numerical Method 3: The Newton-Raphson Method (Newton’s Method)

The Newton-Raphson Formula is:

𝑓(𝑥𝑛 )
𝑥𝑛+1 = 𝑥𝑛 −
𝑓 ′(𝑥𝑛 )

1) The method uses tangent line to find increasing accurate approximation of x.


2) 𝑥𝑛+1 is the point at which the tangent line at 𝑥𝑛 intersects x-axis.
3) If 𝑥0 is chosen carefully, it will converge quickly
4) If 𝑥0 is not chosen carefully, it might converge slowly, or even fail.
Example: if the initial point is close to turning point, ie the derivative is close to 0, the tangent will
intercept x-axis far away from the initial point.

Example: if at any point it is a turning point, then the method with fail because the derivative = 0. I.e.
the tangent is a horizontal line and will never intersect with x-axis.
Example:

Final Note: Don’t use approximated value in each iteration. Use exact value and use calculator
memory function to store exact values.

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