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FindRoot

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg70356] FindRoot
• From: dimmechan at yahoo.com
• Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2006 03:06:53 -0400 (EDT)

Hello.

Let me deal with something elementary but yet confusing for me.

Consider the equation cos(x)=x.

FindRoot[Cos[x] == x, {x, 5}]
{x -> 0.7390851332151607}

This prints the value of x every time a step is taken.

FindRoot[Cos[x] == x, {x, 5}, StepMonitor :> Print[x]]

This gives a list of the steps taken.

Reap[FindRoot[Cos[x] == x, {x, 5}, StepMonitor :> Sow[x]]]
{{x -> 0.7390851332151607}, {{-1., -0.02837830412204312,
1.0296174587519653, 0.7525886779802748, 0.7391248287000711,
0.7390851335630761, 0.7390851332151607}}}

This counts the steps.

Block[{st = 0}, {FindRoot[Cos[x] == x, {x, 5}, StepMonitor :> st++],
st}]
{{x -> 0.7390851332151607}, 7}

I want to know what exactly the following command gives.

Reap[FindRoot[Cos[x] == x, {x, 5}, EvaluationMonitor :> Sow[x]]]
{{x -> 0.7390851332151607}, {{5., -54.99999999999999, -1.,
8.716216958779569,
 -0.02837830412204312, 1.0296174587519653, 0.7525886779802748,
 0.7391248287000711, 0.7390851335630761, 0.7390851332151607}}}

In versions earlier than 5.0 you could use the following command

FindRoot[Print[x]; Cos[x] == x, {x, 5}]

Why it cannot be used now?

Thanks in advance for any help.

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: FindRoot
    • From: Andrzej Kozlowski <akoz@mimuw.edu.pl>
  • Re: FindRoot
    • From: "Chris Chiasson" <chris@chiasson.name>