Chapter 2
Roots of Equations
- False-Position Method
Learning Outcome
At
the end of the lecture student should
be able to use the False-Position Method
to estimate the root of the equation.
False-Position Method
Let f (x)
be real and continuous function
xl
xuto
f ( xl )
f ( xu )
in the interval from
and
f ( xl ) f ( xu ) 0
and
)
have oppositef (x
signs
xl
xu x-axis
The graph of
crosses
the
f ( x) values
0
xu
between the
and xand
hence
l
f (x)
a root of
lies between
and
.
f ( xu )
xl
f ( xl )
xu
root
False-Position Method
xu , f ( xu )
the points xl , f ( xl ) and
joined together by a straight line. The
intersection of this line with the x-axis
represents an improved estimate of the
f (x)
root.
xu , f ( xu )
x
Now,
xl
xl , f ( xl )
xu
root
False-Position Method
By
using the fact that the slope of the
xl
xr and ,
lines connecting the points
xr points
xu and
and the
are the same:
f ( xl )
f ( xu )
xr xl xu xr
f (x)
f ( xu )
xr
xl
f ( xl )
xu
root
False-Position Method
Solving
for xr we have
xu f ( xl ) xl f ( xu )
xr
.......................(1)
f ( xl ) f ( xu )
This is one form of the method of false
position.
False-Position Method
An
alternative form can be obtained as
follows:
xu f ( xl ) xl f ( xu )
xu f ( xl )
xl f ( xu )
xr
f ( xl ) f ( xu )
f ( xl ) f ( xu ) f ( xl ) f ( xu )
xu
xu f ( xl )
xl f ( xu )
xu
f ( xl ) f ( xu )
f ( xl ) f ( xu )
xu f ( xl ) xu f ( xl ) xu f ( xu ) xl f ( xu )
xu
f
(
x
)
f
(
x
)
l
u
xu
f ( xu )( xu xl )
f ( xu )( xl xu )
xu
.............(2)
f ( xl ) f ( xu )
f ( xl ) f ( xu )
False-Position Method
As
compare to Eq.(1) this form involves
one less function evaluation and one
less multiplication.
Because of the input values we use to
represent the quantities are
approximate values, a significant error
may arise if large arithmetic (addition,
subtraction, multiplication, division)
manipulations are taken place.
False-Position Method
The value of xr computed with Eq.(2) then replaces
xl
xu
whichever of the two initial guesses,
and
which
f ( xr ) as
yields a function value with the same sign
.
f (x)
f ( xu )
xr
f ( xr )
f ( xl )
xl
xu
root
False-Position Method
this way, the values ofxl andxu
always bracket the true root. The
process is repeated until the root is
estimated adequately.
The algorithm is identical to the one for
bisection with the exception that Eq.(2) is
used for step 2.
In addition, the same stopping criterion
is used to terminate the computation.
In
Example 1
The
velocity v of a falling parachutist is
given by v gm 1 e ct m
where g=9.8 m/s. For a parachutist with
a drag coefficient c=15kg/s, compute
the mass m so that the velocity is
v=35m/s at t=9s. Use the false-position
s a
0level
.1%. of
method to determine m to
ml 50 ofmu 70. and
Use initial guesses
Solution
Substituting
the given values in the
velocity equation:
9.8m
(15)( 9 )
m
35
1 e
15
135
9.8m
f ( m)
1 e m 35 0
15
The
correct mass can be determined by
finding the root of f(m)=0.
Solution
First
iteration:
mr mu
f (mu )(ml mu )
f (70)(50 70)
70
f (ml ) f (mu )
f (50) f (70)
(4.085732597)(20)
60.51423
(4.528713416 4.085732597)
f (ml ) f (mr ) f (50) f (60.51423)
70
(4.528713416)(0.288463929) 1.30637 0
Therefore,
ml 50
the new bracket is
and mu mr 60.51423
Solution
Second
iteration:
f (mu )(ml mu )
f (60.51423)(50 60.51423)
mr mu
60.51423
f (ml ) f (mu )
f (50) f (60.51423)
59.88461
59.88461 60.51423
100% 1.051%
59.88461
f (ml ) f (mr ) f (50) f (59.88461) 0.08491 0
Therefore,
ml 50
the new bracket is
andmu mr 59.88461
Solution
Third
iteration:
f (mu )(ml mu )
f (59.88461)(50 59.88461)
mr mu
59.88461
f (ml ) f (mu )
f (50) f (59.88461)
59.84386
59.84386 59.88461
100% 0.068% s 0.1%
59.84386
Thus,
after 3 iterations, a value of 59.84386kg
is determined with an approximate error of
0.068%.
Solution
This
result can be verified by
substituting into the equation for
velocity to give
9.8(59.84386)
(15)( 9 )
59.84386
v
1
15
35.00121 m / s
Pitfalls of the False-Position
Method
Although
the false-position method
seems to be the bracketing method of
preference, there are cases where it
performs poorly and the bisection
method yields superior results.
Example 2
Use
bisection and false-position to
locate the root of
f ( x) x10 1
between x=0 and 1.3.
Solution
The
true value of the root of f(x)=0 is
x10 1 0
x10 1
1
10
The
x (1) 1
initial guesses are
xl 0
and
xu 1.3
Solution
Using
bisection the results are summarized
as below:
xl
xu
xr
f ( xl ) f ( xr )
a (%) t (%)
1.3
0.65
+ve
0.65
1.3
0.975
+ve
33.3
2.5
0.975
1.3
1.1375
-ve
14.3
13.8
0.975
1.1375
1.05625
-ve
7.7
5.6
0.975
1.05625
1.015625
-ve
4.0
1.6
After
5 iterations, the t
than 2%
35
is reduced to less
Solution
For false-position, the results are summarized as below:
xl
xr
xu
f ( xl ) f ( xr )
a (%)
t (%)
1.3
0.09430
+ve
0.09430 1.3
0.18176
+ve
4.81
81.8
0.18176 1.3
0.26287
+ve
30.9
73.7
0.26287 1.3
0.33811
+ve
22.3
66.2
0.33811 1.3
0.40788
+ve
17.1
59.2
90.6
After 5 iterations, the
has only been reduced to about59%.
a t Note
that the results have undesirable feature that
. This is not
good because it means that we could stop the computation based on
the erroneous assumption that the true error is at least as good as the
approximate error. This is due to the slow convergence to the root.
Pitfalls of the False-Position
Method
computation is stopped when the a
falls below the s , while the root
estimate is still far from the exact value.
However, we can verify the root
estimate by substituting it into the
function f(x) and see whether or not the
value it produces near to zero.
The
