L1_9_Newton-Raphson Method

Newton-Raphson Method

Newton-Raphson method is one of the most frequently used methods to solve

transcendental equations. This method is generally used to improve the result
obtained by bisection method, false-position or iterative method.

In this method, at first an initial approximate value of the desired root is taken
using intermediate value theorem. After that a correction factor is taken to get
the exact root.

Let us suppose x 0 be an approximate value of the desired root of an equation of

the form f ( x)  0 and h being the correction factor to get the exact value of the
root.

We, therefore, say that the value ( x0  h) will be a root of the equation f ( x)  0
i.e. f ( x0  h)  0 .

Now, expanding it by Taylor’s series, we get

h 2 //
f ( x0  h)  f ( x0 )  hf / ( x0 )  f ( x0 )  ...............  0
2
If h is sufficiently small, the second and higher order terms of h can be
neglected. Therefore, the above equation can be written as

f ( x0 )  hf / ( x0 )  0

f ( x0 )
h   , provided that f / ( x0 )  0
f / ( x0 )

Therefore, the first approximation of the exact root becomes

f (x )
x1  ( x0  h)  x0  / 0
f ( x0 )

In order to find a better approximation, we then repeat the above process until
the root is obtained with desired accuracy.

The general form of the Newton-Raphson formula can be written as

f ( xn )
xn 1  xn  n = 0, 1, 2, …………
f / ( xn )

1
 L1_9_Newton-Raphson Method

Problem: Find 12 to four decimal places using Newton-Raphson method.

Solution:

Let us suppose, x  12 or, x 2  12  0 .

Now, we take f ( x)  x 2  12

 f / ( x)  2 x

Now, f (3)  32  12  3

And f (3.5)  3.52  12  0.25 .

Hence at least one root lies in the interval (3, 3.5)
Now, taking x0  3.5 and using Newton-Raphson formula,

f ( xn )
xn 1  xn 
f / ( xn )
we get the following successive approximations:

f ( x0 ) (3.5) 2  12
x1  x0  /  3.5   3.46429
f ( x0 ) 2  3.5

f ( x1 ) (3.46429 ) 2  12
x2  x1  /  3.46429   3.46410
f ( x1 ) 2  3.46429

f ( x2 ) (3.46410 ) 2  12
x3  x2  /  3.46410   3.46410
f ( x2 ) 2  3.46410

Since x2  x3  3.4641 , correct to four decimal places, the desired root is 3.4641.

Home work:

Use Newton-Raphson method to find a root, correct to four decimals, of the

following equations:
(1) x 3  2 x  5  0 (Ans: 2.0946)
(2) x sin x  cos x  0 (Ans: 2.7984)
x
(3) x  e (Ans: 0.5671)
(4) 𝑥 3 − 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 1 = 0 (Ans: 1.8019)
(5) 𝑥 − 3𝑥 + 1 = 0
2
(Ans: 0.3820)
(6) 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 − 2 = 0 (Ans: 0.5615)
(7) 𝑥 − 4𝑥 + 𝑥 + 5 = 0
3 2
(Ans: -0.9122)