Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Background of project

This project described the application of Interpolation in civil engineering by creating the
problem statement which is required to solve Lagrange Polynomial Interpolation and Newton-
Divided Difference.

Interpolation is refer to determining a function that exactly represents a collection of data. The
most elementary type of interpolation consists of fitting a polynomial to a collection of data
points. There are two categories of interpolation which is polynomial interpolation which
includes Lagrange interpolating polynomial and Newton’s Interpolatory divided-difference
method and another one is piecewise polynomial interpolation which include natural cubic spline
and clamped cubic spline.

Although named after Joseph-Louis Lagrange, who published it in 1795, the method was first
discovered in 1779 by Edward Waring. It is also an easy consequence of a formula published in
1783 by Leonhard Euler. Interpolation is also used simplify complicated function by sampling
data points and interpolating them using simpler function. Polynomials are commonly used for
interpolate and integrate which is known as polynomial interpolation and the general formula
given as below.

Newton’s divided difference interpolation formula is a interpolation technique used when the
interval difference is not same for all sequence of values. The condition that Divided differences
used are symmetric with respect to the arguments for example independent of the order of
arguments. Divided difference is a recursive division process and that method can be used to
calculate the coefficient in the interpolation polynomial in the Newton form.
[0 ]
( f i ) =f i i=0,1 , … n

[ j] ( f i+1 )[ j−1] −( f i )[ j−1]

( f i ) =1+ , j=1,2,…n
xi +1−x i

Pn ( x ) =( f 0 )[ 0] + ( f 0 )[1] + ( f 0 )[ 2](x- x 0 ¿ (x- x 1 ¿ +….( f 0 )[n ](x- x 0 ¿ (x- x 1 ¿… (x- x n−1 ¿

Therefore, the report is prepared to understand the process including the calculation by involved
creating our problem statement which is classified in environmental engineering areas.