CHE 555

NUMERICAL METHODS AND

OPTIMIZATION

WEEK 2

Roots of Equations: Bracketing method

Graphical method
Bisection method
False Position method

LESSON OUTCOMES
At the end of this topic, the students will be able:
To identify and apply the bracketing methods to
solve roots of equations

Roots of Equation
Root of equation is obtained at value of x when the f(x)=0
Before digital computers, root of algebraic and transcendental
equations could be found by
direct method that can be solved analytically, but not easy for complex
function
plot function and determine where it crosses the x axis, but it lacks of
precision

Why?

ax 2 bx c 0
But

b b 2 4ac
x
2a

ax 5 bx 4 cx 3 dx 2 ex f 0 x ?
sin x x 0 x ?
4

Roots of Equations

Bracketing methods
Methods start with two
initial guesses that bracket
(or contain) the root and
then systematically reduce
the width of the bracket.

Open methods
Methods involve systematic
trial-and-error iterations but
no need for the initial
guesses to bracket the root.

 Graphical Methods
This is a simple method to get an estimate of
the root of the equation f(x) =0.
The function f(x) is plotted against x and the
location(s) where it crosses the x axis (i.e. f(x) =
0) provides a rough approximation of the root(s).

Graphical techniques are limited practical value (not

precise).

It can be utilized to obtain rough estimates of roots.

These estimates can be used as initial guesses for

advanced
numerical methods.
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Example
Use the graphical approach to determine the drag coefficient c needed for
a parachutist of mass m = 68.1kg to have a velocity of 40m/s after free
falling for time t=10s. Note: acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s2.
Solution
From equation that derived
from Newtons second law for
the parachutists velocity:

It can be expressed in the

form of f(c) = 0.
gm
f (c )
(1 e ( c / m ) t ) v
c

Inserting all
parameters:
f (c )

the

known

667.38
(1 e 0.146843c ) 40
c

Various values of c can be

inserted into the right hand
side of eq. to calculate f(c)

 The resulting curve crosses

the c axis between 12 and 16.
Visual inspection of the plot
provides a rough estimate of
the root at 14.75.
c

f(c)

34.115

17.653

12

6.067

16

-2.269

20

-8.401

Upper bound,
f(xu)

f(xl) and f(xu) have

different signs then,
f(xl) f(xu) < 0

Lower bound,
f(xl)

f(x)

f(x)

*
x

x
Xl

Xl

Xu

a. f(xl) and f(xu) have the same sign, no

roots or even number of roots in interval
f(x)

Xu

c. f(xl) and f(xu) have the same sign, there

are roots or even number of roots in interval
f(x)

Xu

*
x

*
b. Function has different signs at the end
Xl

points, there will be an odd number of

roots in the interval

Xl

Xu

d. Function has different signs at the end

points, there will be an odd number of
roots in the interval

 Bisection Method
From the graphical method, we found that when a function
f(x) is continuous and real in the interval from xl to xu , and
f(xl) and f(xu) have opposite
f(xsigns,
) f(x ) < 0
l

then there is at least one real root between xl and xu.

10

Procedure for bisection method

Choose xl and xu guesses point, and ensure

f(xl)f(xu) < 0
Estimate the root, xr by

If f(xl) f(xr) <0 the root lies in the lower

subinterval, then set xr as xu, and repeat to
find new x
If f(xl) f(xr) r>0 the root lies in the upper
subinterval, then set xr as xl, and repeat to
find new xr
If f(xl)f(xr)=0 the root equals to xr, STOP!!
xrnew xrold
Compare s with a.If a< s, stop.
a
100 %
new
xr

Otherwise repeat the process.

Example
Use the bisection method to determine the drag coefficient c needed for a
parachutist of mass m = 68.1kg to have a velocity of 40m/s after free falling
for time t=10s. Note: acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s2. Given s=0.5%
and true value = 14.7802.
667.38
f (c )
(1 e 0.146843c ) 40
c

Solution

Guess two values of the unknown that give values for f(c) with different signs.
From previous example, f(c) changes sign between 12 and 16. Therefore,
set xl = 12 and xu = 16.
Estimate the root,

xr

xl xu 12 16

14
2
2

Compute the product of function value at lower bound and at midpoint,

f ( xl ) f ( xr ) f (12) f (14) 6.067(1.569) 9.519 0

No sign change occurs between lower bound and midpoint. Thus, root must be
located between 14 and 16. Set xl = 14 and xu = 16.
12

 Calculate new xr,

xr

xl xu 14 16

15
2
2

Compare a with s.

xrnew xrold
15 14
a
100
%

100 % 6.667% s
new
xr
15

f (product
xl ) f ( xr )of function
f (14) f (15
) 1.569(0.425) 0.667 0
Compute the
value at lower bound and at midpoint,
The root is between 14 and 15. Set xl = 14 and xu = 15.
Calculate new xr,

xr

xl xu 14 15

14.5
2
2

xrnew xrold
14.5 15
100 %
100 % 3.448% s
Compareaa with s.new
xr
14.5

13

 Repeat the calculation until termination criteria is met.

Iteration

xl

xu

xr

a(%)

t(%)

12

16

14

14

16

15

6.667

1.487

14

15

14.5

3.448

1.896

14.5

15

14.75

1.695

0.204

14.75

15

14.875

0.840

0.641

14.75

14.875

14.8125

0.422

0.219

5.279

14

Exercise

nd the root of the 3rd-order polynomial using bisect

f ( x) x 3 x 2 10 x 8 0

n the interval [3.75,5]. The tolerance s is 0.5%.

15

 False Position Method

The false-position method takes into
account the magnitudes of the function at
the lower and upper bounds, f(xl) and f(xu).
For example, if f(xl) is closer to zero than
f(xu) then xl is likely to be closer to the root
xr than xu is.
This results in an improved estimate of
the root.
16

If a real root is bounded by xl

and xu of f(x) = 0, then we can
approximate the solution by
doing a linear interpolation
between the points [xl, f(xl)] and
[xu, f(xu)] to find the xr value
such that l(xr) = 0, l(x) is the
linear approximation of f(x).
Thus, using similar triangle we
can write, f ( x )
f (x )
l

xr xl

l(xr)

xr xu

Solving for xr ,

x r xu

f ( xu )( xl xu )
f ( xl ) f ( xu )

Derivation of method: page 125

17

Procedure for false position method

Choose xl and xu guesses point, , and ensure

f(xl)f(xu) < 0
Estimate the root, xr from

f ( xu )( xl xu )
xr xu
f ( xl ) f ( xu )

Evaluate f(xr), replace xr whichever of xl or xu

yields a function value with the same sign as
f(xr).
If f(xr) = 0 the root equals to xr, terminate the
computation
Compare s with a If a< s, stop. Otherwise
repeat the process.

Example
Use the false position method with guess of xl = 12 and xu = 16 to determine
the drag coefficient c needed for a parachutist of mass m = 68.1kg to have a
velocity of 40m/s after free falling for time t=10s. Note: acceleration due to
gravity is 9.8 m/s2. Given s=0.5% and true value = 14.7802.
f (c )

667.38
(1 e 0.146843c ) 40
c

First iteration

xl 12

f ( xl ) 6.0669

xu 16

f ( xu ) 2.2688

x r 16

2.2688(12 16)
6.0669 ( 2.2688)

14.9113

19

 Second iteration

f ( xl ) f ( x r ) ( 6.0669)( 0.2543) 1.5428

xl 12

f ( xl ) 6.0669

xu 14.9113

f ( xu ) 0.2543

x r 14.9113

[ xu replace by x r ]

0.2543(12 14.9113)
6.0669 ( 0.2543)

14.7942 14.9113
14.7942

14.7942

100% 0.79%

20

 Third iteration

f ( xl ) f ( x r ) ( 6.0669)( 0.0273) 0.1656

xl 12

f ( xl ) 6.0669

xu 14.7942

f ( xu ) 0.0273

x r 14.7942

[ xu replace by x r ]

0.0273(12 14.7942)
6.0669 ( 0.0273)

14.7817 14.7942
14.7817

14.7817

100% 0.0846%

21

Exercise
Find the root of the 3rd-order polynomial using FP
f ( x) x 3 x 2 10 x 8 0

in the interval [3.75,5]. The tolerance s is 0.5%.

22

Lets try
Use both the bisection and false-position method
to find the root of

f ( x) x 4 2 0

in the interval [0, 2] until the approximate

percent relative error is less than 5%.

23

Exercise
(5.4) Determine the roots of f(x) = -12 21x +18x2 2.75x3
with
a) Bisection
b) False position
Using initial guess of xl = -1 and xu = 0 and stopping criterion
of 1%.
(5.6) Determine the positive real root of ln(x4)=0.7
a) Using three iterations of the bisection method with
initial guesses of xl = 0.5 and xu = 2,
b) Using three iterations of the false position method with
same initial guesses as in (a).

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