Re: Precision Problems
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg19232] Re: Precision Problems
- From: "Allan Hayes" <hay at haystack.demon.co.uk>
- Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 02:06:47 -0400
- References: <7ookac$i3h@smc.vnet.net>
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Holger Strauss <strauss at ika.ruhr-uni-bochum.de> wrote in message news:7ookac$i3h at smc.vnet.net... > Hi, > > I have some numerical precision problems (Mathematica 3.0) > with the following code: > > <<Graphics`Graphics` > f3[x_] := 20 Log[10, 1/(15120 x^4)*(-90720 - 15120 x^2 + 13424 x^4 + > 9 (13440 + 2240 x^2 + 257 x^4) Cos[x] - > 72 (420 + 70 x^2 + 9 x^4) Cos[2x] + > 31 x^4 Cos[3x])] > LogLinearPlot[f3[x], {x,0.05,Pi}] > > As can be seen from the plot, evaluating f3 doesn't work for > small arguments. It seems to me that this is the result of large > numbers being subtracted from each other resulting in a very > small difference. > It it possible to increase the precision of the calculation adequatly? > I already tried to encapsulate the whole function with N[..., 50000], > however, without success... > Is there any other way of successfully evaluating and plotting > f3 for small arguments? > > Holger > Holger: f3[x_] := 20 Log[10, 1/(15120 x^4)*(-90720 - 15120 x^2 + 13424 x^4 + 9 (13440 + 2240 x^2 + 257 x^4) Cos[x] - 72 (420 + 70 x^2 + 9 x^4) Cos[2x] + 31 x^4 Cos[3x])] << Graphics`Graphics` For this example, when all the numbers in f3[x[ are exact we can use LogLinearPlot[ f3[SetPrecision[x, 20]] (*SetPrecision[17] does not work*) , {x, 0.05, Pi}, PlotRange -> All] The point is, that the with N[f3[x],...] in place of f3[x] the plotting function substitutes machine numbers for x; f3[x] is then computed (innacurately), and N[.,nnn] cannot correct this. So we need to increase the precision of the numbers that are substituted for x before f3 computes. Allan --------------------- Allan Hayes Mathematica Training and Consulting Leicester UK www.haystack.demon.co.uk hay at haystack.demon.co.uk Voice: +44 (0)116 271 4198 Fax: +44 (0)870 164 0565 the function computes.