Let f(x) = e^x - 4x. Then, we need to use Newton's Method to find the two roots of f(x).

Since f '(x) = e^x - 4, Newton's Method yields the iterative scheme

x(n+1) = x(n) - [e^(x(n)) - 4x(n)] / [e^(x(n)) - 4]
= [x(n) e^(x(n)) - e^(x(n))] / [e^(x(n)) - 4]
= e^(x(n)) * (x(n) - 1) / [e^(x(n)) - 4]
= (x(n) - 1) / [1 - 4e^(-x(n))].
Letting x(1) = 0 (near the smaller root):
x(2) = (x(1) - 1) / [1 - 4e^(-x(1))] = -1 / -3 = 0.333333
x(3) = 0.357246
x(4) = 0.357403
x(5) = 0.357403.
Thus, one root is 0.357 (to 3 decimal places).
Letting x(1) = 2 (near the bigger root):
x(2) = 2.180270
x(3) = 2.152951
x(4) = 2.153293
x(5) = 2.153292
Thus, the other root is 2.153 (to 3 decimal places).

1. Let f(x) = x ex.

a. Show that the function f has a root.
b. Use Newton's method to find an approximation of that root accurate to 6
decimal places. You may use a calculator.

Solution
a. f(0) = 1 < 0, f(1) = 1 e1 > 0, and f is continuous. So by the intermediatevalue theorem f has root x0, which is in
(0, 1).
b. We have

f '(x) = 1 + e x. Let the initial guess be a = 0.5. Then: