SECANT METHOD

Although the Bisection Method always converges, the speed of convergence is

usually too slow for general use. The secant method does not have the root-
bracketing property of the Bisection Method. As a consequence, the method does not
always converge, but when it does converge, it generally does so much faster than
the bisection method.

We use two stopping conditions in the Secant Method. First, we assume that pi
is sufficiently accurate when / pi – pi-1 / is within a given tolerance. Also, a safeguard
exit based upon a maximum number of iterations is given in case the method fails to
converge as expected.

The approximation pn+1 for n>1, to a root of f(x)=0 is computed from the
approximations pn and pn-1 using the equation:

f(pn) (pn - pn-1)

Pn+1 = pn - ---------------------
f(Pn) - f(pn-1)

Examples:

1. Find the root of f(x) = X6 – x – 1 accurate to within error tolerance of

E = 0.001. Set p0=2, p1=1.
2. Find the root of f(x) = x3 – x2 –x -1 accurate to within error tolerance of
E=0.0001. Set p0=2, p1=1.5
3. Find the root of f(x) = x2 – 6 accurate to within error tolerance E=0.001.
Set p0=2, p1=3
 1. Find the root of f(x) = X6 – x – 1 accurate to within error tolerance of
E = 0.001. Set p0=2, p1=1.

n pn f(pn) pn - pn-1
0 2 (a) -

1 (b) -1 -1
1.01
2 6 (c) 0.01613

3 (d) 0.6575 (e)

4 1.118 (f) -0.07292

5 (g) -0.0224 (h)

1.13
6 5 (i) 0.00229

7 (j) 0.0000 (k)

At P=_______________, tolerance of 0.001 is met.

2. Find the root of f(x) = x3 – x2 –x -1 accurate to within error tolerance of

E=0.0001. Set p0=2, p1=1.5
n pn f(pn) pn - pn-1
0 2 1 (a)

1 1.5 (b) -0.5

2 (c) -0.2614 (d)

1.85
3 7 (e) 0.06795

4 (f) -0.0042 (g)

1.83
5 9 (h) 0.00075

6 (i) 0.0000 (j)

At P=_______________, tolerance of 0.0001 is met.

3. Find the root of f(x) = x2 – 6 accurate to within error tolerance E=0.001. Set
p0=2, p1=3

n pn f(pn) pn - pn-1
0

At P=_______________, tolerance of 0.001 is met.

Answers:
Answers:
1)

n pn f(pn) pn - pn-1
0 2 61 -

1 1 -1 -1
1.01
2 6 -0.9154 0.01613
1.19
3 1 0.6575 0.17445

4 1.118 -0.1685 -0.07292

1.13
5 3 -0.0224 0.01488
1.13
6 5 0.0010 0.00229
1.13
7 5 0.0000 -0.00009

2)

n pn f(pn) pn - pn-1
0 2 1 -

1 1.5 -1.3750 -0.5

1.78
2 9 -0.2614 0.28947
1.85
3 7 0.1007 0.06795
1.83
4 9 -0.0042 -0.01890
1.83
5 9 -0.0001 0.00075
1.83
6 9 0.0000 0.00001

3)

n pn f(pn) pn - pn-1
0 2 -2 -
1 3 3 1
2.4000
2 0 -0.24000 -0.60000
2.4444
3 4 -0.02469 0.04444
2.4495
4 4 0.00025 0.00510
2.4494
5 9 0.00000 -0.00005