SOLVING EQUATIONS

WITH ONE UNKNOWN

(OPEN METHODS)
Secant Method
Fixed Point Iteration
 Secant
Method method requires the
While the Newton-Raphson
function to be differentiable, the secant method
has no such requirement. In the secant method,
the secant line is used to approximate the
tangent line.
The process starts with two initial points and
which are both close to the zero that is being
approximated. The choice of these initial points
is based on a knowledge of a bracket that
contains a zero of the function. This is obtained
by the incremental search method.

Given two initial points and we obtain the
corresponding points on the graph of the
function , namely and . The equation of the
secant line containing the two points on the
graph
is

Here we used the point and the slope which is

equal to . Set and solve for . Denote the
solution by . Then we get


Then we check the value . If this is close to zero
we stop. How close to zero? If there is a
specified tolerance , then we must have . If this
inequality is not satisfied, then we update the
initial pair of points as follows:

Then we repeat the process of getting the

intercept by the same formula


Here is a summary of the procedure: Assume
that the tolerance is . Start with a pair if initial
values

and . search aids in getting and )

(Incremental
1. Compute . Test: Is it true that ? If YES, we
stop and take as our estimate for the zero
of . If not, update the initial points as
follows: and
2. Go to Step 1.

A graphical explanation of the method is given

in the next slide.


secant
line
Zero of
SECANT
METHOD

update:

Example. Find a root of the equation

Solution. By the incremental search method,

there is a zero of in the interval and also in
the interval . Let us find the zero of the
function in the interval . Let us try and . The
results of computation is tabulated below.
1.5 1.6 1.418
1.6 1.418 1.40963
1.418 1.40963 1.40962
0.02236

So we take as our answer. What is the
accuracy of this answer? How many decimal
places? We compute for the absolute value of
the difference between the last two values of
and it is . Hence our answer is correct to four
decimal places.

Exercise. Find a root of the equation in the

interval using the secant method correct to
three decimal places.
 Fixed Point Iteration
Sometimes itMethod

is possible to write an equation in
the form . As an example, consider the equation

We may write this equation in the following

forms:


As another example, the equation may be
written in the following forms:

In some cases it may be very difficult or even
impossible to obtain the form . For example,
can you try the equation


Now, let us assume that an equation can be
written in the form . We may use this equation
as our iteration equation.

Let be an initial guess for the root of the

equation (guess is guided by incremental
search). We compute for and call the value . If
the difference between and is small enough,
then we are close to the root of the equation.
Otherwise, we compute for and call the value .
We again compare and by getting . If the
difference is not very small, we continue. In

Example. Find a root of the equation using
the fixed point iteration.

Solution. Clearly, . Therefore, we can start
with the initial guess We rewrite the function
in the form by doing some manipulations:

So, . With , we have . But then is undefined.
Therefore, the iteration fails. Let us try a new
initial point .


But then again, is undefined. In a case like
this, we try another way of writing the function
in the required form .

Let us start at and tabulate our results.
 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1.5 1.83 1.63 1.76 1.68 1.73 1.69
56 11 06 00 08 9
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
1.71 1.70 1.63 1.71 1.71 1.71 1.71

9 9 11 25 06 18 10
The difference between the last two values is .
Therefore, we can take the answer 1.711 and this
is correct to three decimal places.

Exercise. Find the root of the equation that is
known to lie in the interval using the fixed
point iteration method, correct to four decimal
places.

Exercise. In solving the equation by the fixed

point iteration method, we have two options:

or

One of the two equations above will give you a

divergent sequence and the other one will give
a convergent sequence. Find the root of the
equation correct to three decimal places.