University of Palestine
Gaza Strip
Civil Engineering College
Numerical analysis
CIVL 3309
Formerly CVL 3308
Dr. Suhail Lubbad
Numerical analysis
CIVL 3309
Formerly CVL 3308
We continue on Chapter 5
Lecture Ch5.3: Bracketing method: False-Position
5.3 False-Position Method
An Alternative for the bisection method
based on graphical information
HOW?
When the bisection method is used, a sign change is looked for.
But there was no consideration to the values of the function at the
boarders (Xl, Xu)
Consider if f(Xl) is much closer to ZERO than f(Xu)
ROOT is closer to (Xl) than (Xu)
HOW can we use this fact?
How to employ the fact that the function-value at one end is smaller
than the other?
Draw a line between (Xl) and (Xu)
The intersection of this line with the x-axis is an estimate of where the
ROOT lies
The replacement of the function curve by a line doesn't give the right
place of the root but Gives a false position of the ROOT
HENCE the name of the method.
A
Similar triangles A and B
WHY?
From triangles similarity:
$X −X % $X −X %
r
= l r u
f $X % f $X %
l u
f $X %$X −X %
X =X − u l u
r
f $X %−f $X %
u
l u
Box 5.1 page 133
Shows the derivation of the above relation.
Bonus Analysis
Consider if f(Xu) is much closer to ZERO than f(Xl)
ROOT is closer to (Xu) than (Xl)
Derive a similar (alternative) formula to be used
Note, you would use the same strategy as the one
used in the last three slides
Example 5.5
Use the false-position method to determine the root of the same
problem in example 5.1
Which we made last lecture
What does this mean?
The true value of the root is 14.7802
What is the difference between
True relative Error
and
Estimate Relative Error ?
In Example 5.5
[ ]
Xl Xu
When using the False-position method
Xu is getting smaller and closer to the root
where Xl stays fixed
To estimate relative error is calculated as in Bisection method by
equation 5.2
∣ ∣
new old
x −x
&=a
100 % r
new
r
x r
False-Position is preferred
over Bisection method in
terms of Error fall with
increasing iterations
Sometimes Bisection method gives faster results and performance than
False-position method
What is the
ROOT?
False position suggest
f(xl) closer to 0 than f(xu)
Thus
xl is close to the root than xu
Which is opposite to our case
as the figure indicates
One-sidedness nature of False-position method
( One point may stay fixed )
This nature can lead to poor (slow) convergence
Modification:
One can check whether the new ROOT is closer to ZERO
than the previous ROOT.
Detect if one of the boundaries stays fixed,
If there is one, then:
Divide it in half the function value at the that boundary
This is called the modified false-position method
Incremental Search
What if there are multiple ROOTS
Subdivide the region into smaller subintervals and check any sign
change
Example 5.6 with a stopping criterion of 0.01%
Method Iteration Number
Bisection 14
Standard False-Position 39
Modified False-Position 12
Coding and translation of the pseudoCODE
Into a programming language
Matlab or Excel are both equally accepted
Simple Matlab Code
Bisection Method
Modified false-position
method
See figure next page