Lesson #80
Newton's Method




Quote of the Day:
"The lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math."

Objectives:
The student will learn to apply Newton's Method to solving for zeros of equations.



1. Collect Homework.

2. Newton's Method
Newton's Method is a means of approximating the roots of an equation. Graphing calculators have a "Solver" feature which uses Newton's Method for its algorithm. This method assumes that the tangent line is a close approximation of the curve itself.

3. Example:







Repeat this process until your approximation is within the desired bounds.

Remarks:

1. This does not work if the derivative of your initial guess is 0. Pick a new starting point.

2. This does not always converge.

4. Example:



5. Recursive formula for Newton's Method:





4. Assignment
p. 327 (1, 5, 7)

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Send any comments or questions to: David Pleacher