MathGroup Archive 1996

[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Search the Archive

Newton's method.

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg5204] Newton's method.
  • From: Gandalf <Gandalf at Empire.Net>
  • Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 02:02:08 -0500
  • Organization: Middle Earth
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Can someone provide a little help on this problem?:

Suppose I wanted to write a sequence to perform the Newton inversion of
a polynomial which inverts a series 1 + a(1)x + a(2)x^2+... through a
particular degree.  The sequence would look like the following:

(* Newton's inversion of a polynomial *)
guess = 1;

precision = 1;

While[precision < degree,
      precision *=2;
      If[precision > degree, precision = degree];
      temp = iterate[poly, precision - 1];
      guess = guess + guess*(1 - temp*guess);  (*The Newton iteration*)
      guess = iterate[guess, precision -1];
];

(* Now guess is 1 / poly through degree of 'degree' *)

----------------
iterate would be a function, iterate[f, n] that returns a polynomial f
taken through degree n.  This sequence effectively doubles the precision
each pass through it.  I'm a little stumped on how to implement the
iterate funtion.  Any help greatly appreciated.  Thanks.


  • Prev by Date: Re: Integration..Constants
  • Next by Date: Mathematica3.0 question
  • Previous by thread: Transient equations
  • Next by thread: Re: Newton's method.