Mahindra École Centrale, Hyderabad

MA204 (Computational Methods & Scientific Computing), Problem Sheet−I

1. Using Bisection, Secant, Regula-Falsi and Newton-Raphson methods find the smallest positive real roots of

cos x − x ex = 0, correct to three decimal places.

2. Let f : [a, b] → R be continuous and suppose that f (a)f (b) < 0. The Bisection method generates a sequence

of approximations xn which converges to a root c ∈ (a, b) with the property

b−a
|xn − c| ≤ → 0 as n → ∞
2n

Then find the rate of convergence and the asymptotic error constant.

3. Find the rate of convergence and the asymptotic error constant of the secant method and Newton-Raphson

methods.

4. Let a, b ∈ R, the equation x2 + a x + b = 0 has two real roots α and β. Show that the iteration method

xk+1 = −(a xk + b)/xk

is convergent near x = α if |α| > |β|.

5. The equation f (x) = 3 x3 + 4 x2 + 4 x + 1 = 0 has a root in the interval (−1, 0). Determine an iteration

function g(x), such that the sequence of iterations obtained from xk+1 = g(xk ), k = 0, 1, 2, ... converges to a

root.

6. Determine the values of a, b, c (6= 0) ∈ R so that the order of iterative method

f (xk ) f (xk )
xk+1 = xk − a W1 (xk ) − b W2 (xk ), where W1 (xk ) = , W2 (xk ) = 0
f 0 (xk ) f (xk + c W1 (xk ))

for finding a simple root of the equation f (x) = 0 becomes as high as possible.

7. How should the constant α ∈ R be chosen to ensure the fastest possible convergence with the iterative formula

αxn + x−2
n +1
xn+1 = .
α+1

1
 x 1
8. Let c ∈ R be the smallest positive root of f (x) = 20 x3 −20 x2 −25 x+4. Consider, g(x) = x3 −x2 − + , x ∈
4 5
[0, 1]. Then show that f (c) = 0 ⇐⇒ g(c) = c. If x0 = 0, xn+1 = g(xn ), n = 0, 1, 2, . . .. Find the smallest

value of n such that |c − xn | ≤ 10−3 .

√
9. Let a > 0 and f (x) = x2 − a. Let xn be the iterates in Newton’s method with x0 > 0, x0 6= a. Show that
√
xn are strictly decreasing, xn → a and

√ 1 √
2
a − xn+1 = − a − xn
2xn

10. The system of equations y cos(xy) + 1 = 0, sin(xy) + x − y = 0 has one solution close to x = 1, y = 2.

Calculate this solution correct to two decimal places.

Home work

1. Using Bisection, Regula-Falsi, Secant and Newton-Raphson methods find the smallest positive real roots of

(i) x4 − x − 10 = 0, (ii) x − e−x = 0 correct to three decimal places.

2. Consider the Newton’s method for finding the real root c of

f (x) = e−ax − x, 0 < a ≤ 1.

If x0 > 0, then show that

1
|c − xn+1 | ≤ |c − xn |2
2

3. Determine p, q, r so that the order of convergence of iterative method

qa ra2
xn+1 = p xn + 2
+ 5
xn xn
for finding a1/3 becomes as high as possible. For this choice of p, q, r, indicate how the error in xn+1 depends

on error in xn .
Practice problems for Lab

1. Using Bisection, Regula-Falsi, Secant and Newton-Raphson methods find the smallest positive real roots of

cos x − x ex = 0, correct to nine decimal places.

2. Find the root of

x8 − 36 x7 + 546 x6 − 4536 x5 + 22449 x4 − 67284 x3 + 118124 x2 − 109584 x + 40320 = 0 in the interval

[5.5, 6.5]. Change −36 to −36.001 and repeat.