MAT131 - Optional project
due before Monday 12/7 to get any credit

This optional project investigates Newton's method, by doing several examples. In each case, you can use a calculator, or a computer, or even do them by hand. You need not show intermediate calculations, but write down the sequence of approximations you get for each trial. In every case, you can stop when the approximation you get is good to 3 decimal places (that is, when .

1. Use Newton's method to approximate all of the solutions of where

Use for one of your starting values-- the others are up to you.

2. Use Newton's method to approximate all of the solutions of where

Use for one of your starting values-- the others are up to you.

3. Use Newton's method to approximate all of the solutions of where

Use for one of your starting values-- the others are up to you.

4. The behavior of the approximations you found starting at should be different'' for , , and -- indeed, two of them probably behave differently from all your other choices. Explain what is unusual about them. Can you give a possible explanation? (look at the graphs of the functions for a hint).

Scott Sutherland 2002-08-29