Root Finding- Newton’s

Method
B48BD Process Design A
Newton’s Method- Root finding
You have a function f(x), eg

Find the roots of function!

I.e. find all x values that fulfill this function.

Arrange in such form where f(x)=0!

 3 2
  𝑥 +133=11 𝑥 +10 𝑥
•Arrange
  in such form

So,

And a3= 1; a2= -11; a1= -10 and a0= 133

Now for a range of -6 <x <12 on a graph….can find the roots- where the
three f(x)=0 are !
 3 2
  𝑓 ( 𝑥 )=𝑥 −11 𝑥 −10 𝑥+133
150 f(x)

100

50

0 x
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
-50

-100

-150

-200
Newton’s method- finding roots
• Is an Iterative method
• Need to have a guess value, x0
• Find the tangent at x0  How???
• The tangent of x0 (blue line) passes
through x1 that has a coordinate of
(x1,0).
• Calculate f(x1)
• If f(x1) is not =0, hence x1 is not the
root!
 Newton’s method- finding roots
• If f(x1) is not =0, hence x1 is not the root!
• What’s next? Continue from this point…
closer to the root x
• Find the tangent at x1
• The tangent of x1 (green line) passes
through x2 that has a coordinate of (x2,0).
• Calculate f(x2)
• If f(x2) is not =0, hence x2 is not the root!
• Repeat until f(xn) =0
 Tangent line is a linear line
How to find x2? y = mx + c
Let’s define tangent line (red) as
g(x) = ax + b
f(x1)
Slope of tangent line a= f’(x)

f(x2)
• g(x1)= ax1 + b
• g(x2)= ax2 + b
x2 x1
• We know, g(x2)= 0

Hence, ax2 + b = 0
x2 = -b/a
 Let’s define tangent line (red) as
How to find b? g(x) = ax + b
Slope of tangent line a= f’(x)

f(x1) Both f(x1) and g(x1) intersects at x1

• So, g(x1)= f(x1)
f(x2)
From g(x) = ax + b
x2 x1
b = g(x) – ax
b = f(x) - f’(x) x