FindRoot behaving funny?
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg15752] FindRoot behaving funny?
- From: "Doug Webb" <D_Webb at prodigy.net>
- Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 03:42:47 -0500 (EST)
- Organization: Prodigy Services, Inc
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Hello,
This is a simplified example of I problem I have run into with
FindRoot. Does anybody have any idea why it's doing what it is? And if
so, how I can make it do what I want, or some other work around? Thanks
for any info. Here's the example:
define a function that takes one input, and outputs two results:
r[x_] := {x, x^2}
It does what's expected:
r[4]
{4,16}
Now, find a solution using FindRoot:
FindRoot[ r[x] == {5, 25}, {x, 2}]
returns an error (rather than the obvious answer of x->5):
FindRoot::"frnum":
"Function {{-3., -21.}} is not a length 1 list of numbers at {x}
={2.}."
It seems that FindRoot REQUIRES you to solve for as many variables as
your function returns. Even though when entered seperatly, r[5] == {5,
25} returns "true". Why? Any ideas? Or any ideas how to get around this
"feature" of FindRoot? Thanks for any input.
Doug
D_Webb at prodigy.net
Douglas.S.Webb at maf.nasa.gov