Services & ResourcesWolfram ForumsMathGroup Archive

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

Re: How to evaluate a NIntegrate expression properly

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg39730] Re: [mg39698] How to evaluate a NIntegrate expression properly
• From: Daniel Lichtblau <danl at wolfram.com>
• Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2003 23:50:46 -0500 (EST)
• References: <200303030924.EAA20679@smc.vnet.net>
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Yong Xiao wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> I have a problem regarding to how to use NIntegrate and NSolve together.
> A sampe is as follwing:
> 
> f[y_] := NIntegrate[y^2*x^2, {x, 0, 3}]
> NSolve[f[y] == 20, y]
> 
> Complaint:
> \!\(NIntegrate::"inum" \(\(:\)\(\ \)\) "Integrand \!\(2.25`  \\\\  y\^2\)
> is
>     not numerical at \!\({x}\) = {1.5`}."\)
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> X.Y.

You really cannot use that pair together because NSolve wants explicit
polynomial input whereas NIntegrate cannot return a symbolic result,
polynomial or otherwise. You can use together either NIntegrate and
FindRoot or Integrate and NSolve. I illustrate both possibilities below.

In[26]:= Clear[f]

In[27]:= f[y_Real] := NIntegrate[y^2*x^2, {x, 0, 3}]

In[28]:= root = FindRoot[f[y]==20, {y,0}]

NIntegrate::ploss: 
   Numerical integration stopping due to loss of precision. Achieved
neither
    the requested PrecisionGoal nor AccuracyGoal; suspect one of the
    following: highly oscillatory integrand or the true value of the
integral
    is 0. If your integrand is oscillatory try using the option
    Method->Oscillatory in NIntegrate.

FindRoot::symd: 
   Unable to automatically compute the symbolic derivative of {-20 +
f[y]}
     with respect to the arguments {y}
    . Numerical approximations to derivatives will be used instead.

NIntegrate::ploss: 
   Numerical integration stopping due to loss of precision. Achieved
neither
    the requested PrecisionGoal nor AccuracyGoal; suspect one of the
    following: highly oscillatory integrand or the true value of the
integral
    is 0. If your integrand is oscillatory try using the option
    Method->Oscillatory in NIntegrate.

Out[28]= {y -> 1.49071}

In[32]:= InputForm[f[y/.root]-20]
Out[32]//InputForm= -3.552713678800501*^-15

In[37]:= g[y_] := Integrate[y^2*x^2, {x, 0, 3}]

In[38]:= NSolve[g[y]==20, y]
Out[38]= {{y -> -1.49071}, {y -> 1.49071}}


Daniel Lichtblau
Wolfram Research

• References:
  • How to evaluate a NIntegrate expression properly
    • From: Yong Xiao <hardes@MIT.EDU>