Interpolation and Polynomial

Approximation
Engineers and scientists commonly assume that
relationships between variables in a physical
problem can be approximately reproduced from
data given by the problem.
Interpolation refers to determining a function
that exactly represents a collection of data.
Usually polynomial interpolation is preferred
(Why?)
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The Taylor polynomials agree as closely as possible
with a given function at a specific point, but they
concentrate their accuracy only near that point.
First Six Taylor’s polynomials for about x=0

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The graphs of these Taylor polynomials
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Taylor’s polynomials concentrate their
accuracy only near a single point
Consider
the Taylor polynomials for n ≥ 0 are

When we approximate
for larger values of n, the approximations
become increasingly inaccurate.
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Result are shown in the following Table.

This limits Taylor polynomial approximation to

the particular situation.
The primary use of Taylor polynomials in
numerical analysis is not for approximation
purposes; instead it is for the derivation of
numerical techniques.
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LAGRANGE POLYNOMIALS
If we are given
Then Lagrange Interpolation Polynomial is
given as

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EXAMPLE: Using the numbers, or nodes, x0
= 2, x1 = 2.5, and x2 = 4 to find the second
interpolating polynomial for f(x) = 1/x. Also
approximate f(3).
SOLUTION:

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MTH-351 Numerical Methods
• EXAMPLE: Use Lagrange’s interpolation formula
to find y, when x=10, if the values of x and y are
as given below:
x 5 6 9 11

y 12 13 14 16

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DIVIDED DIFFERENCES: ,

Divided-difference methods introduced in this

section are used to successively generate the
polynomials themselves.
Divided differences can be defined as the difference
between two successive values of the entry divided
by the difference between them.
 Given n+1 data points,
, there can be n+1 zeroth
divide differences of the function f, denoted by
for i=0,1,2,3,…..,n.
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There are n first divided differences of f,
for i=0,1,2,3,…..,n.

The process ends with the single nth divided

difference,

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 DIVIDED DIFFERENCE TABLE:

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DIVIDED DIFFERENCE TABLE:

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EXAMPLE: Construct Divided difference table
for the following data

Solution: Divided difference table can be

constructed as
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1.0 0.7651977
-0.4837057
1.3 0.6200860 -0.1087339
-0.5489460
1.6 0.4554022 -0.0494433
-0.5786120
1.9 0.2818186 0.0118183
-0.5715210
2.2 0.1103623

MTH-351 Numerical Methods