Re: Problem with Solve and NSolve
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg122449] Re: Problem with Solve and NSolve
- From: "David Park" <djmpark at comcast.net>
- Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2011 07:08:40 -0400 (EDT)
- Delivered-to: l-mathgroup@mail-archive0.wolfram.com
- References: <4981166.16368.1319792199648.JavaMail.root@m06>
There are an infinite number of roots so Mathematica can't give a solution.
However, if you use an inequality to specify the x domain, Mathematica will
find the solutions. The equation is even so one only needs the positive
roots but I include the first few negative roots. Copy and evaluate the
following in one cell.
rootequation = x^3 Sin[x] == 1;
Solve[{rootequation, -5 < x < 20}, x]
% // N
roots = x /. %
For those who have the Presentations application the following will plot the
roots on the curve and graduate the x axis using the root values.
<< Presentations`
xticks = CustomTicks[Identity, databased[roots]];
Draw2D[
{Draw[x^3*Sin[x], {x, -5, 20}],
Aliasing@Draw[1, {x, -5, 20}],
CirclePoint[{#, 1}, 2, Black, ColorData["Crayola"]["TealBlue"]] & /@
roots},
AspectRatio -> 1/4,
PlotRange -> {-10, 20},
Frame -> True,
FrameTicks -> {{Automatic, Automatic}, {xticks,
xticks // NoTickLabels}},
PlotLabel -> Style[phrase["Roots of ", rootequation], 16],
ImageSize -> 600]
David Park
djmpark at comcast.net
http://home.comcast.net/~djmpark/
From: V. Williams [mailto:gvicente at gmail.com]
I've recently tried Mathematica 8.0.1, and I've found that it's unable to
compute Solve[x^3*Sin[x]==1,x] (and the same with NSolve), which gives an
error:
Solve::nsmet: This system cannot be solved with the methods available to
Solve
WolframAlpha solves it without problems, so what's wrong with Mathematica?