Bisectional Method

In Mathematics, the bisection method is a straightforward technique to find numerical

solutions to an equation with one unknown. Among all the numerical methods, the bisection
method is the simplest one to solve the transcendental equation. The bisection method in
numerical analysis is a fundamental and straightforward technique for finding the approximate
roots of a real-valued function. It separates the interval and subdivides the interval in which the
root of the equation lies. It's valuable when dealing with functions that are continuous and
change signs over a given interval. The method begins with an initial interval [a, b] where the
function's values at the endpoints have opposite signs, satisfying the intermediate value theorem.
Through a series of iterations, the method successively narrows down the interval by bisecting it
and examining the function's sign at the midpoint. Depending on whether the midpoint's value
has the same sign as the left or right endpoint, the interval is adjusted accordingly. This process
continues until the interval becomes small or the function's value at the midpoint is nearly zero.
While the bisection method is relatively slow in convergence, it offers robustness and versatility
since it doesn't require knowledge of the function's derivative and can handle a wide range of
functions. Consequently, it serves as a reliable starting point for root-finding, especially when
more efficient methods are applied subsequently to enhance accuracy.

The principle behind this method is the intermediate theorem for continuous functions. It
works by narrowing the gap between the positive and negative intervals until it closes in on the
correct answer. This method narrows the gap by taking the average of the positive and negative
intervals.

The bisection method relies on the concept of the Intermediate Value Theorem, which is a
fundamental result in calculus and real analysis. The Intermediate Value Theorem states that for
any continuous function \(f(x)\) defined on a closed interval \([a, b]\), if \(f(a)\) and \(f(b)\) have
different signs, then there exists at least one value \(c\) within the interval \([a, b]\) where \(f(c) =
0.0\) (i.e., a root or zero of the function). The bisection method leverages this concept by
repeatedly dividing the interval \([a, b]\) into two subintervals and then determining which
subinterval contains a root. By continually halving the interval and examining the signs of the
function values at the endpoints of the subintervals, the method effectively homes in on the root's
location. The bisection method's underlying concept is the Intermediate Value Theorem, which
guarantees the existence of a root in an interval with a sign change in a continuous function. This
property allows the method to systematically locate and approximate the root of the function.

Bisection Method Algorithm

The bisection method relies on the principle of bracketing the root within a given interval
[a, b], where the function changes sign. This condition ensures the existence of a root within the
interval. The method operates through a series of iterative steps.

For any continuous function f(x),

● Find two points, say a and b such that a < b and f(a)* f(b) < 0
● Find the midpoint of a and b, and say “t”
● t is the root of the given function if f(t) = 0; else follow the next step
● Divide the interval [a, b] – If f(t)*f(a) <0, there exist a root between t and a
● – else if f(t) *f (b) < 0, there exist a root between t and b
● Repeat the above three steps until f(t) = 0.

The bisection method is an approximation method to find the roots of the given equation
by repeatedly dividing the interval. This method will divide the interval until the resulting
interval is found, which is extremely small.
Discussion and Analysis

Figure 1: Code for the Bisectional Method

The code shown in the figure is an implementation of the bisection method to find the
2
root of the equation f(x) = x - 3104. The bisection method is an iterative numerical technique
used to find the root of a real-valued function. The basic idea is to start with two initial guesses
that bracket the root (i.e., the function has opposite signs at those points), and then iteratively
refine the guess until the root is found within a specified tolerance. The function f(x) is defined
to represent the equation f(x) = x^2 - 3104. The `Bisection` function is implemented to perform
the bisection method. It takes three arguments: `x0` and `x1` are the initial guesses, and `e` is the
tolerable error (the desired level of accuracy). The code then takes user input for the initial
guesses `x0` and `x1` and the tolerable error `e`. The user's input values are converted to
floating-point numbers. The code checks if the initial guesses `x0` and `x1` bracket the root. If
their product is not less than 0 (meaning they have the same sign), the code prints a message
indicating that the guess values do not bracket the root. If the initial guesses do bracket the root,
the `Bisection` function is called with the provided values, and the bisection method is applied to
find the root. The bisection method is executed in a loop until the absolute value of `f(x2)` is less
than the specified tolerable error `e`. In each iteration, it calculates a new approximation `x2` and
updates `x0` and `x1` based on the sign of `f(x0) * f(x2)`. Once the root is found within the
specified tolerance, the code prints the final result. To use this code to find the root of equation
f(x) = x^2 - 3104, enter a first guess for `x0` which is 50, enter a second guess for `x1` which is
60, and enter a tolerable error `e` which is 0.00001. The code will perform the bisection method
to find the root and display the result.
Result and Discussion

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Figure 2: Result for the equation x -3104 using the bisectional method
The result obtained from the bisection method implementation is a root
approximation of the function f(x) = x^2 - 3104. Starting with the initial guesses of 50
and 60 and a tolerable error of 0.00001, the bisection method went through 25 iterations
to narrow down the interval where the root exists. The iterative process, as shown in the
output, effectively divided the interval into smaller subintervals, systematically
approaching the root. The final result, which is approximately 55.71355313, represents a
very close approximation to the actual root of the function. This result demonstrates the
bisection method's reliability and accuracy in finding roots, provided the initial interval
 brackets the root and the specified tolerance level is met. It's essential to choose initial
guesses and a tolerance level carefully to ensure the success of the method, and this result
demonstrates the effectiveness of the bisection method in finding the root of the function
f(x) = x^2 - 3104 and locating roots with precision. The initial guesses and the specified
tolerable error were used to perform a series of iterations, each step further narrowing
down the interval where the root is located. The method successfully converged to an
approximation of the root, which is approximately 55.71355313. It's important to note
that the bisection method is a reliable approach for root-finding, and the choice of initial
guesses and tolerable error is crucial for its success. In this case, the method worked
efficiently, providing a close approximation to the root within the specified tolerance. The
result not only showcases the functionality of the bisection method but also highlights the
importance of understanding the behavior of the function when selecting initial guesses
and tolerance levels. It's a valuable technique for solving equations and finding roots in
various mathematical and scientific applications.

References
Admin. (2021, August 4). Bisection Method - definition, procedure, and example. BYJUS.

https://byjus.com/maths/bisection-method/

Wikipedia contributors. (2023, September 5). Bisection method. Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisection_method#:~:text=In%20mathematics%2C%20the

%20bisection%20method,two%20values%20with%20opposite%20signs.