Chapter 03.

04
Newton-Raphson Method of Solving a Nonlinear
Equation

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

1. derive the Newton-Raphson method formula,

2. develop the algorithm of the Newton-Raphson method,
3. use the Newton-Raphson method to solve a nonlinear equation, and
4. discuss the drawbacks of the Newton-Raphson method.

Introduction
Methods such as the bisection method and the false position method of finding roots of a
nonlinear equation f ( x)  0 require bracketing of the root by two guesses. Such methods
are called bracketing methods. These methods are always convergent since they are based on
reducing the interval between the two guesses so as to zero in on the root of the equation.
In the Newton-Raphson method, the root is not bracketed. In fact, only one initial
guess of the root is needed to get the iterative process started to find the root of an equation.
The method hence falls in the category of open methods. Convergence in open methods is
not guaranteed but if the method does converge, it does so much faster than the bracketing
methods.

Derivation
The Newton-Raphson method is based on the principle that if the initial guess of the root of
f ( x)  0 is at xi , then if one draws the tangent to the curve at f ( xi ) , the point xi 1 where
the tangent crosses the x -axis is an improved estimate of the root (Figure 1).
Using the definition of the slope of a function, at x  xi
f  xi  = tan θ
f  xi   0
= ,
xi  xi 1
which gives
f  xi 
xi 1 = xi  (1)
f  xi 

03.04.1
03.04.2 Chapter 03.04

Equation (1) is called the Newton-Raphson formula for solving nonlinear equations of the
form f  x   0 . So starting with an initial guess, xi , one can find the next guess, xi 1 , by
using Equation (1). One can repeat this process until one finds the root within a desirable
tolerance.

Algorithm
The steps of the Newton-Raphson method to find the root of an equation f  x   0 are
1. Evaluate f  x  symbolically
2. Use an initial guess of the root, xi , to estimate the new value of the root, xi 1 , as
f xi 
xi 1 = xi 
f xi 
3. Find the absolute relative approximate error a as
xi 1  xi
a =  100
xi 1
4. Compare the absolute relative approximate error with the pre-specified relative
error tolerance, s . If a > s , then go to Step 2, else stop the algorithm. Also,
check if the number of iterations has exceeded the maximum number of iterations
allowed. If so, one needs to terminate the algorithm and notify the user.

f (x)

f (xi) [xi, f (xi)]

f (xi+1)

θ
x
xi+2 xi+1 xi

Figure 1 Geometrical illustration of the Newton-Raphson method.

Newton-Raphson Method 03.04.3

Example 1
You are working for ‘DOWN THE TOILET COMPANY’ that makes floats for ABC
commodes. The floating ball has a specific gravity of 0.6 and has a radius of 5.5 cm. You
are asked to find the depth to which the ball is submerged when floating in water.

Figure 2 Floating ball problem.

The equation that gives the depth x in meters to which the ball is submerged under water is
given by
x 3  0.165 x 2  3.993  10 4  0
Use the Newton-Raphson method of finding roots of equations to find
a) the depth x to which the ball is submerged under water. Conduct three iterations
to estimate the root of the above equation.
b) the absolute relative approximate error at the end of each iteration, and
c) the number of significant digits at least correct at the end of each iteration.
Solution
f  x   x 3  0.165 x 2  3.993  10 4
f  x   3 x 2  0.33x
Let us assume the initial guess of the root of f  x   0 is x0  0.05 m. This is a reasonable
guess (discuss why x  0 and x  0.11 m are not good choices) as the extreme values of the
depth x would be 0 and the diameter (0.11 m) of the ball.
Iteration 1
The estimate of the root is
f  x0 
x1  x0 
f  x0 

 0.05 
0.05  0.1650.05  3.993  10 4
3 2

30.05  0.330.05
2

1.118  10 4
 0.05 
 9  10 3
 0.05   0.01242 
 0.06242
03.04.4 Chapter 03.04

The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 1 is

x1  x0
a   100
x1
0.06242  0.05
  100
0.06242
 19.90%

The number of significant digits at least correct is 0, as you need an absolute relative
approximate error of 5% or less for at least one significant digit to be correct in your result.
Iteration 2
The estimate of the root is
f  x1 
x 2  x1 
f  x1 

 0.06242 
0.062423  0.1650.062422  3.993  10 4
30.06242  0.330.06242
2

 3.97781  10 7
 0.06242 
 8.90973  10 3
 0.06242  4.4646  10 5 
 0.06238
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 2 is
x2  x1
a   100
x2
0.06238  0.06242
  100
0.06238
 0.0716%
The maximum value of m for which a  0.5  102  m is 2.844. Hence, the number of
significant digits at least correct in the answer is 2.
Iteration 3
The estimate of the root is
f x2 
x3  x 2 
f  x2 

 0.06238 
0.06238  0.1650.06238  3.993  10 4
3 2

30.06238  0.330.06238
2

4.44  10 11
 0.06238 
 8.91171  10 3

 0.06238   4.9822 10 9 
 0.06238
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 3 is
Newton-Raphson Method 03.04.5

0.06238  0.06238
a   100
0.06238
0
The number of significant digits at least correct is 4, as only 4 significant digits are carried
through in all the calculations.

Drawbacks of the Newton-Raphson Method

1. Divergence at inflection points
If the selection of the initial guess or an iterated value of the root turns out to be close to the
inflection point (see the definition in the appendix of this chapter) of the function f x  in the
equation f  x   0 , Newton-Raphson method may start diverging away from the root. It may
then start converging back to the root. For example, to find the root of the equation
f  x    x  1  0.512  0
3

the Newton-Raphson method reduces to

3
( x  1)3  0.512
xi 1 = xi  i
3( xi  1) 2
Starting with an initial guess of x0  5.0 , Table 1 shows the iterated values of the root of the
equation. As you can observe, the root starts to diverge at Iteration 6 because the previous
estimate of 0.92589 is close to the inflection point of x  1 (the value of f '  x  is zero at the
inflection point). Eventually, after 12 more iterations the root converges to the exact value of
x  0 .2 .
Table 1 Divergence near inflection point.
Iteration xi
Number
0 5.0000
1 3.6560
2 2.7465
3 2.1084
4 1.6000
5 0.92589
6 –30.119
7 –19.746
8 –12.831
9 –8.2217
10 –5.1498
11 –3.1044
12 –1.7464
13 –0.85356
14 –0.28538
15 0.039784
16 0.17475
17 0.19924
18 0.2
03.04.6 Chapter 03.04

Figure 3 Divergence at inflection point for f  x    x  1  0 .

3

2. Division by zero
For the equation
f  x   x 3  0.03x 2  2.4  10 6  0
the Newton-Raphson method reduces to
3 2
xi  0.03 xi  2.4  106
xi 1 = xi  2
3 xi  0.06 xi
For x0  0 or x0  0.02 , division by zero occurs (Figure 4). For an initial guess close to
0.02 such as x0  0.01999 , one may avoid division by zero, but then the denominator in the
formula is a small number. For this case, as given in Table 2, even after 9 iterations, the
Newton-Raphson method does not converge.

Table 2 Division by near zero in Newton-Raphson method.

Iteration xi f ( xi ) a %
Number
0 0.019990  1.60000 10-6
1 –2.6480 18.778 100.75
2 –1.7620 –5.5638 50.282
3 –1.1714 –1.6485 50.422
4 –0.77765 –0.48842 50.632
5 –0.51518 –0.14470 50.946
6 –0.34025 –0.042862 51.413
7 –0.22369 –0.012692 52.107
8 –0.14608 –0.0037553 53.127
9 –0.094490 –0.0011091 54.602
Newton-Raphson Method 03.04.7

1.00E-05
f(x)
7.50E-06

5.00E-06

2.50E-06

0.00E+00
x
-0.03 -0.02 -0.01 0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04
-2.50E-06
0.02
-5.00E-06

-7.50E-06

-1.00E-05

Figure 4 Pitfall of division by zero or a near zero number.

3. Oscillations near local maximum and minimum

Results obtained from the Newton-Raphson method may oscillate about the local maximum
or minimum without converging on a root but converging on the local maximum or
minimum. Eventually, it may lead to division by a number close to zero and may diverge.
For example, for
f x   x 2  2  0
the equation has no real roots (Figure 5 and Table 3).
6
f(x)
5

3
3

2
2

1 1
4
x
0
-2 -1 0 1 2 3
-1.75 -0.3040 0.5 3.142
-1

Figure 5 Oscillations around local minima for f  x   x 2  2 .

03.04.8 Chapter 03.04

Table 3 Oscillations near local maxima and minima in Newton-Raphson method.

Iteration xi f ( xi ) a %
Number
0 –1.0000 3.00
1 0.5 2.25 300.00
2 –1.75 5.063 128.571
3 –0.30357 2.092 476.47
4 3.1423 11.874 109.66
5 1.2529 3.570 150.80
6 –0.17166 2.029 829.88
7 5.7395 34.942 102.99
8 2.6955 9.266 112.93
9 0.97678 2.954 175.96

4. Root jumping
In some case where the function f (x) is oscillating and has a number of roots, one may
choose an initial guess close to a root. However, the guesses may jump and converge to
some other root. For example for solving the equation sin x  0 if you choose
x0  2.4  7.539822 as an initial guess, it converges to the root of x  0 as shown in
Table 4 and Figure 6. However, one may have chosen this as an initial guess to converge to
x  2  6.2831853 .

Table 4 Root jumping in Newton-Raphson method.

Iteration xi f ( xi ) a %
Number
0 7.539822 0.951
1 4.462 –0.969 68.973
2 0.5499 0.5226 711.44
3 –0.06307 –0.06303 971.91
4 8.376 10 4
8.375 10 5
7.54 10 4
5  1.9586110 13
 1.9586110 13
4.28 1010
Newton-Raphson Method 03.04.9

1.5
f(x)
1

0.5

x
0
-2 0 2 4 6 8 10
-0.06307 0.5499 4.461 7.539822
-0.5

-1

-1.5

Figure 6 Root jumping from intended location of root for f  x   sin x  0 .

Appendix A. What is an inflection point?

For a function f x  , the point where the concavity changes from up-to-down or
down-to-up is called its inflection point. For example, for the function f  x    x  1 , the
3

concavity changes at x  1 (see Figure 3), and hence (1,0) is an inflection point.
An inflection points MAY exist at a point where f ( x)  0 and where f ' ' ( x ) does
not exist. The reason we say that it MAY exist is because if f ( x)  0 , it only makes it a
possible inflection point. For example, for f ( x )  x 4  16 , f (0)  0 , but the concavity does
not change at x  0 . Hence the point (0, –16) is not an inflection point of f ( x )  x 4  16 .
For f  x    x  1 , f (x) changes sign at x  1 ( f ( x)  0 for x  1 , and f ( x)  0
3

for x  1 ), and thus brings up the Inflection Point Theorem for a function f (x ) that states the
following.
“If f ' (c) exists and f (c) changes sign at x  c , then the point (c, f (c)) is an
inflection point of the graph of f .”

Appendix B. Derivation of Newton-Raphson method from Taylor series

Newton-Raphson method can also be derived from Taylor series. For a general function
f  x  , the Taylor series is
f" xi 
f  xi 1   f  xi   f xi  xi 1  xi  + xi 1  xi 2  
2!
As an approximation, taking only the first two terms of the right hand side,
f  xi 1   f  xi   f xi  xi 1  xi 
and we are seeking a point where f  x   0 , that is, if we assume
f  xi 1   0,
03.04.10 Chapter 03.04

0  f  xi   f  xi  xi 1  xi 
which gives
f xi 
xi 1  xi 
f'  xi 
This is the same Newton-Raphson method formula series as derived previously using the
geometric method.

NONLINEAR EQUATIONS
Topic Newton-Raphson Method of Solving Nonlinear Equations
Summary Text book notes of Newton-Raphson method of finding roots of
nonlinear equation, including convergence and pitfalls.
Major General Engineering
Authors Autar Kaw
Date December 23, 2009
Web Site [Link]
Multiple-Choice Test

Chapter 03.04
Newton-Raphson Method
1. The Newton-Raphson method of finding roots of nonlinear equations falls under the
category of _____________ methods.
(A) bracketing
(B) open
(C) random
(D) graphical

2. The Newton-Raphson method formula for finding the square root of a real number R
from the equation x 2 − R = 0 is,
x
(A) xi +1 = i
2
3 xi
(B) xi +1 =
2
1 R
(C) xi +1 =  xi + 
2 xi 
1 R
(D) xi +1 =  3 xi − 
2 xi 

3. The next iterative value of the root of x 2 − 4 = 0 using the Newton-Raphson method,
if the initial guess is 3, is
(A) 1.5
(B) 2.067
(C) 2.167
(D) 3.000

4. The root of the equation f ( x) = 0 is found by using the Newton-Raphson method.

The initial estimate of the root is x0 = 3 , f (3) = 5 . The angle the line tangent to the
function f (x) makes at x = 3 is 57° with respect to the x-axis. The next estimate of
the root, x1 most nearly is
(A) –3.2470
(B) −0.2470
(C) 3.2470
(D) 6.2470

03.04.1
03.04.2 Chapter 03.04

5. The root of x 3 = 4 is found by using the Newton-Raphson method. The successive

iterative values of the root are given in the table below.
Iteration
Value of Root
Number
0 2.0000
1 1.6667
2 1.5911
3 1.5874
4 1.5874

The iteration number at which I would first trust at least two significant digits in the
answer is
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4

6. The ideal gas law is given by

pv = RT
where p is the pressure, v is the specific volume, R is the universal gas constant,
and T is the absolute temperature. This equation is only accurate for a limited range
of pressure and temperature. Vander Waals came up with an equation that was
accurate for larger ranges of pressure and temperature given by
 a
 p + 2 (v − b ) = RT
 v 
where a and b are empirical constants dependent on a particular gas. Given the
value of R = 0.08 , a = 3.592 , b = 0.04267 , p = 10 and T = 300 (assume all units
are consistent), one is going to find the specific volume, v , for the above values.
Without finding the solution from the Vander Waals equation, what would be a good
initial guess for v ?
(A) 0
(B) 1.2
(C) 2.4
(D) 3.6

For a complete solution, refer to the links at the end of the book.

03.04.2
Chapter 03.04
Newton-Raphson Method of Solving a Nonlinear
Equation – More Examples
Chemical Engineering

Example 1
You have a spherical storage tank containing oil. The tank has a diameter of 6 ft . You are
asked to calculate the height h to which a dipstick 8 ft long would be wet with oil when
immersed in the tank when it contains 6 ft 3 of oil.

Dipstick

Spherical Storage Tank

Figure 1 Spherical storage tank problem.

The equation that gives the height h of the liquid in the spherical tank for the given volume
and radius is given by
f h   h 3  9h 2  3.8197  0
Use the Newton-Raphson method of finding roots of equations to find the height h to which
the dipstick is wet with oil. Conduct three iterations to estimate the root of the above
equation. Find the absolute relative approximate error at the end of each iteration and the
number of significant digits at least correct at the end of each iteration.

03.04.1
03.04.2 Chapter 03.04

Solution
f h   h 3  9h 2  3.8197
f h   3h 2  18h
Let us take the initial guess of the root of f h   0 as h0  1 .

Iteration 1
The estimate of the root is
f h0 
h1  h0 
f h0 

 1
13  912  3.8197
31  181
2

 4.1803
 1
 15
 1  0.27869 
 0.72131
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 1 is
h1  h0
a   100
h1
0.72131  1
  100
0.72131
 38.636%
The number of significant digits at least correct is 0, as you need an absolute relative
approximate error of 5% or less for one significant digit to be correct in your result.

Iteration 2
The estimate of the root is
f h1 
h2  h1 
f h1 

 0.72131 
0.72131  90.72131  3.8197
3 2

30.72131  180.72131
2

 0.48764
 0.72131 
 11.423
 0.72131  0.042690 
 0.67862
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 2 is
h2  h1
a   100
h2
Newton-Raphson Method – More Equations: Chemical Engineering 03.04.3

0.67862  0.72131
  100
0.67862
 6.2907%
The number of significant digits at least correct is 0.

Iteration 3
The estimate of the root is
f h2 
h3  h2 
f h2 

 0.67862 
0.67862  90.67862   3.8197
3 2

30.67862  180.67862
2

 0.012536
 0.67862 
 10.834
 0.67862  0.0011572 
 0.67747
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 3 is
h3  h2
a   100
h3
0.67747  0.67862
  100
0.67747
 0.17081%
Hence the number of significant digits at least correct is given by the largest value of m for
which
a  0.5  10 2 m
0.17081  0.5  10 2 m
0.34162  10 2 m
log0.34162   2  m
m  2  log0.34162   2.4665
So
m2
The number of significant digits at least correct in the estimated root 0.67747 is 2.

NONLINEAR EQUATIONS
Topic Newton-Raphson Method-More Examples
Summary Examples of Newton-Raphson Method
Major Chemical Engineering
Authors Autar Kaw
Date August 7, 2009
Web Site [Link]
Chapter 03.04
Newton-Raphson Method of Solving a Nonlinear
Equation – More Examples
Computer Science
Example 1
To find the inverse of a number a , one can use the equation
1
f (c )  a   0
c
where c is the inverse of a .
Use the Newton-Raphson method of finding roots of equations to find the inverse of a  2.5 .
Conduct three iterations to estimate the root of the above equation. Find the absolute relative
approximate error at the end of each iteration and the number of significant digits at least
correct at the end of each iteration.

Solution
1
f (c )  a  0
c
1
f c  
c2
f (c i )
ci 1  ci 
f c 
1
a
ci
 ci 
1
ci2
 1 
 ci  ci2  a  
 ci 
 ci  ci2 a  ci
 2ci  ci2 a

Let us take the initial guess of the root of f c   0 as c0  0.5 .

03.04.1
03.04.2 Chapter 03.04

Iteration 1
The estimate of the root is
c1  2c0  c 02 a
= 2(0.5)  (0.5) 2 (2.5)
 0.375
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 1 is
c1  c0
a   100
c1
0.375  0.5
  100
0.375
 33.333%
The number of significant digits at least correct is 0, as you need an absolute relative
approximate error of less than 5% for one significant digit to be correct in your result.

Iteration 2
The estimate of the root is
c 2  2c1  c12 a
= 2(0.375)  (0.375) 2 (2.5)
 0.39844
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 2 is
c 2  c1
a   100
c2
0.39844  0.375
  100
0.39844
 5.8824%
The number of significant digits at least correct is 0.

Iteration 3
The estimate of the root is
c3  2c 2  c 22 a
= 2(0.3984)  (0.3984) 2 (2.5)
 0.39999
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 3 is
0.39999  0.39844
a   100
0.39999
 0.38911%
Hence the number of significant digits at least correct is given by the largest value of m for
which
a  0.5  10 2 m
Newton-Raphson – More Examples: Computer Science 03.04.3

0.38911  0.5  10 2 m
0.77821  10 2 m
log0.77821  2  m
m  2  log0.77821  2.1089
So
m2
The number of significant digits at least correct in the estimated root 0.39999 is 2.

NONLINEAR EQUATIONS
Topic Newton-Raphson Method-More Examples
Summary Examples of Newton-Raphson Method
Major Computer Engineering
Authors Autar Kaw
Date August 7, 2009
Web Site [Link]
Chapter 03.04
Newton-Raphson Method of Solving a Nonlinear
Equation – More Examples
Electrical Engineering
Example 1
Thermistors are temperature-measuring devices based on the principle that the thermistor
material exhibits a change in electrical resistance with a change in temperature. By
measuring the resistance of the thermistor material, one can then determine the temperature.
For a 10K3A Betatherm thermistor,

Thermally
conductive epoxy
coating

Tin plated copper

alloy lead wires

Figure 1 A typical thermistor.

the relationship between the resistance R of the thermistor and the temperature is given by
1
 1.129241  10 3  2.341077  10  4 ln( R)  8.775468  10 8 lnR 
3

T
where T is in Kelvin and R is in ohms.

A thermistor error of no more than  0.01C is acceptable. To find the range of the
resistance that is within this acceptable limit at 19C , we need to solve
1
 1.129241  10 3  2.341077  10  4 ln( R)  8.775468  10 8 lnR 
3

19.01  273.15
and
1
 1.129241  10 3  2.341077  10  4 ln( R)  8.775468  10 8 lnR 
3

18.99  273.15

03.04.1
03.04.2 Chapter 03.04

Use the Newton-Raphson method of finding roots of equations to find the resistance R at
18.99 C . Conduct three iterations to estimate the root of the above equation. Find the
absolute relative approximate error at the end of each iteration and the number of significant
digits at least correct at the end of each iteration.

Solution
Solving
1
 1.129241  10 3  2.341077  10  4 ln( R)  8.775468  10 8 lnR 
3

18.99  273.15
we get
f R   2.341077  10 4 ln( R)  8.775468  10 8 lnR   2.293775  10 3
3

2.341077  10 4  2.6326404  10 7 {ln( R)}2

f R  
R
Let us take the initial guess of the root of f R   0 as R0  15000.

Iteration 1
The estimate of the root is
f  R0 
R1  R0 
f R0 
 2.341077  10 4 ln(15000)  8.775468  10 8 ln150003 
 
  2.293775  10 3 
 15000   
4 7
2.341077  10  2.6326404  10 {ln(15000)} 2

15000
5
3.5383  10
 15000 
1.7230  10 8
 15000  2053.5
 12946
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 1 is
R1  R0
a   100
R1
12946  15000
  100
12946
 15.862%
The number of significant digits at least correct is 0, as you need an absolute relative
approximate error of less than 5% for one significant digit to be correct in your result.

Iteration 2
The estimate of the root is
f R1 
R2  R1 
f R1 
Newton-Raphson Method – More Examples: Electrical Engineering 03.04.3

 2.341077  10 4 ln(12946)  8.775468  10 8 ln129463 

 
  2.293775  10 3 
 12946   
4 7
2.341077  10  2.6326404  10 {ln(12946)} 2

12946
6
 2.6140  10
 12946 
1.9906  10 8
 12946   131.32 
 13078
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 2 is
R2  R1
a   100
R2
13078  12946
  100
13078
 1.0041%
The number of significant digits at least correct is 1, as the absolute relative approximate
error is less than 5% .

Iteration 3
The estimate of the root is
f R2 
R3  R 2 
f R2 
 2.341077  10 4 ln(13078)  8.775468  10 8 ln 130783 
 
  2.293775  10 3 
 13078   
4 7
2.341077  10  2.6326404  10 {ln(13078)} 2

13078
8
 1.2914  10
 13078 
1.9710  10 8
 13078   0.65519 
 13078
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 3 is
R3  R2
a   100
R3

13078  13078
  100
13078
 0.0050097%
Hence the number of significant digits at least correct is given by the largest value of m for
which
03.04.4 Chapter 03.04

a  0.5  10 2 m
0.0050097  0.5  10 2 m
0.010019  10 2 m
log0.010019   2  m
m  2  log0.010019   3.9992
So
m3
The number of significant digits at least correct in the estimated root 13078 is 3.

NONLINEAR EQUATIONS
Topic Newton-Raphson Method-More Examples
Summary Examples of Newton-Raphson Method
Major Electrical Engineering
Authors Autar Kaw
Date August 7, 2009
Web Site [Link]
Chapter 03.04
Newton-Raphson Method of Solving a Nonlinear
Equation – More Examples
Civil Engineering
Example 1
You are making a bookshelf to carry books that range from 8½" to 11" in height and would
take up 29"of space along the length. The material is wood having a Young’s Modulus of
3.667 Msi , thickness of 3/8" and a width of 12". You want to find the maximum vertical
deflection of the bookshelf. The vertical deflection of the shelf is given by
v( x)  0.42493  10 4 x 3  0.13533  10 8 x 5  0.66722  10 6 x 4  0.018507 x
where x is the position along the length of the beam. Hence to find the maximum deflection
dv
we need to find where f ( x)   0 and conduct the second derivative test.
dx

Books

Bookshelf

Figure 1 A loaded bookshelf.

The equation that gives the position x where the deflection is maximum is given by

 0.67665  10 8 x 4  0.26689  10 5 x 3  0.12748  10 3 x 2  0.018507  0

Use the Newton-Rapshon method of finding roots of equations to find the position x where
the deflection is maximum. Conduct three iterations to estimate the root of the above
equation. Find the absolute relative approximate error at the end of each iteration, and the
number of significant digits at least correct at the end of each iteration.

03.04.1
03.04.2 Chapter 03.04

Solution
f  x   0.67665  10 8 x 4  0.26689  10 5 x 3  0.12748  10 3 x 2  0.018507  0
f  x   2.7066  10 8 x 3  0.80067  10 5 x 2  0.25496  10 3 x  0
Let us take the initial guess of the root of f  x   0 as x0  10.

Iteration 1
The estimate of the root is
f  x0 
x1  x0 
f  x0 
  0.67665  10 8 (10) 4  0.26689  10 5 (10) 3 
 
  0.12748  10 3 (10) 2  0.018507 
 10   
 2.7066  10 (10)  0.80067  10 (10)  0.25496  10 3 (10)
8 3 5 2

 8.4956  10 3
 10 
1.7219  10 3
 10   4.9339 
 14.934
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 1 is
x1  x0
a   100
x1
14.934  10
  100
14.934
 33.038%
The number of significant digits at least correct is 0, as you need an absolute relative
approximate error of less than 5% for one significant digit to be correct in your result.

Iteration 2
The estimate of the root is
f  x1 
x 2  x1 
f  x1 
  0.67665  10 8 (14.934) 4  0.26689  10 5 (14.934) 3 
 
  0.12748  10 3 (14.934) 2  0.018507 
 14.934   
  2.7066  10 (14.934)  0.80067  10 (14.934) 
8 3 5 2
 
  0.25496  10 3 (14.934) 
 
4
6.9829  10
 14.934 
1.9317  10 3
 14.934  0.36149 
 14.572
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 2 is
Newton-Raphson Method – More Examples: Civil Engineering 03.04.3

x 2  x1
a   100
x2
14.572  14.934
  100
14.572
 2.4806%
The number of significant digits at least correct is 1, because the absolute relative
approximate error is less than 5% .

Iteration 3
The estimate of the root is
f x2 
x3  x 2 
f  x 2 
  0.67665  10 8 (14.572) 4  0.26689  10 5 (14.572) 3 
 
  0.12748  10 3 (14.572) 2  0.018507 
 14.572   
  2.7066  10 (14.572)  0.80067  10 (14.572) 
8 3 5 2
 
  0.25496  10 3 (14.572) 
 
9
 4.7078  10
 14.572 
1.9314  10 3

 14.572   2.4375  10 6 
 14.572
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 3 is
x3  x 2
a   100
x3
14.572  14.572
  100
14.572
 1.6727  10 5
Hence the number of significant digits at least correct is given by the largest value of m for
which
a  0.5  10 2 m
1.6727  10 5  0.5  10 2 m
3.3454  10 5  10 2 m
log3.3454  10 5   2  m
m  2  log3.3454  10 5   6.4756
So
m6
The number of significant digits at least correct in the estimated root 14.572 is 6.
Chapter 03.04
Newton-Raphson Method of Solving a Nonlinear
Equation – More Examples
Industrial Engineering
Example 1
You are working for a start-up computer assembly company and have been asked to
determine the minimum number of computers that the shop will have to sell to make a profit.
The equation that gives the minimum number of computers n to be sold after considering the
total costs and the total sales is
f n   40n1.5  875n  35000  0
Use the Newton-Raphson method of finding roots of equations to find the minimum number
of computers that need to be sold to make a profit. Conduct three iterations to estimate the
root of the above equations. Find the absolute relative approximate error at the end of each
iteration and the number of significant digits at least correct at the end of each iteration.

Solution
f n   40n1.5  875n  35000  0
f n   60n 0.5  875
Let us take the initial guess of the root of f n   0 as n0  50 .

Iteration 1
The estimate of the root is
f n0 
n1  n0 
f n0 
4050   87550   35000
1.5
 50 
6050  875
0.5

5392.1
 50 
 450.74
 50   11.963
 61.963
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 1 is

03.04.1
03.04.2 Chapter 03.04

n1  n0
a   100
n1
61.963  50
  100
61.963
 19.307%
The number of significant digits at least correct is 0, as you need an absolute relative
approximate error of less than 5% for one significant digit to be correct in your result.

Iteration 2
The estimate of the root is
f n1 
n2  n1 
f n1 
4061.963  87561.963  35000
1.5
 61.963 
6061.963
0.5
 875
292.45
 61.963 
 402.70
 61.963   0.72623
 62.689
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 2 is
n2  n1
a   100
n2
62.689  61.963
  100
62.689
 1.1585%
The number of significant digits at least correct is 1, because the absolute relative
approximate error is less than 5% .

Iteration 3
The estimate of the root is
f n 2 
n3  n 2 
f n 2 
4062.689  87562.689  35000
1.5
 62.689 
6062.689  875
0.5

1.0031
 62.689 
 399.94

 62.689   2.5080  10 3 
 62.692
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 3 is
Newton-Raphson Method-More Examples: Industrial Engineering 03.04.3

n3  n 2
a   100
n3
62.692  62.689
a   100
62.692
 4.0006  10 3 %
Hence the number of significant digits at least correct is given by the largest value of m for
which
a  0.5  10 2  m
4.0006  10 3  0.5  10 2m
8.0011  10 3  10 2 m
log8.0011  10 3   2  m
m  2  log8.0011  10 3   4.0968
So
m4
The number of significant digits at least correct in the estimated root 62.692 is 4.

NONLINEAR EQUATIONS
Topic Newton-Raphson Method-More Examples
Summary Examples of Newton-Raphson Method
Major Industrial Engineering
Authors Autar Kaw
Date August 7, 2009
Web Site [Link]
Chapter 03.04
Newton-Raphson Method of Solving a Nonlinear
Equation-More Examples
Mechanical Engineering
Example 1
A trunnion has to be cooled before it is shrink fitted into a steel hub.

Figure 1 Trunnion to be slid through the hub after contracting.

The equation that gives the temperature T f to which the trunnion has to be cooled to obtain
the desired contraction is given by
f T f   0.50598  10 10 T f3  0.38292  10 7 T f2  0.74363  10 4 T f  0.88318  10 2  0
Use the Newton-Raphson method of finding roots of equations to find the temperature T f to
which the trunnion has to be cooled. Conduct three iterations to estimate the root of the
above equation. Find the absolute relative approximate error at the end of each iteration and
the number of significant digits at least correct at the end of each iteration.
Solution
f T f   0.50598  10 10 T f3  0.38292  10 7 T f2  0.74363  10 4 T f  0.88318  10 2
f T f   1.51794  10 10 T f2  0.76584  10 7 T f  0.74363  10 4
Let us assume the initial guess of the root of f T f   0 as T f ,0  100 .
Iteration 1
The estimate of the root is

03.04.1
03.04.2 Chapter 03.04

f T f ,0 
T f ,1  T f ,0 
f T f ,0 
  0.50598  10 10  100 3  0.38292  10 7  1002 
 
  0.74363  10  4  100  0.88318  10  2 
 100   
1.5179  10  100  0.76582  10  100  0.74363  10 4
11 2 7

1.8290  10 3
 100 
6.5187  10 5
 100  28.058
 128.06
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 1 is
T f ,1  T f , 0
a   100
T f ,1
 128.06  (100)
  100
 128.06
 21.910%
The number of significant digits at least correct is 0, as you need an absolute relative
approximate error of less than 5% for one significant digit to be correct in your result.

Iteration 2
The estimate of the root is
f T f ,1 
T f , 2  T f ,1 
f T f ,1 
  0.50598  10 10  128.06 3  0.38292  10 7  128.06 2 
 
  0.74363  10  4  128.06   0.88318  10  2 
 128.06   
1.5179  10  128.06   0.76584  10  128.06 
10 2 7
 
  0.74363  10  4 
 
5
4.321410
 128.06 
6.2067105
 128.06  (0.69625)
 128.75
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 2 is
T f , 2  T f ,1
a   100
T f ,2
 128.75   128.06 
  100
 128.75
 0.54076%
The number of significant digits at least correct is 1.
Newton-Raphson Method-More Examples: Mechanical Engineering 03.04.3

Iteration 3
The estimate of the root is
f T f , 2 
T f ,3  T f , 2 
f T f , 2 
  0.50598  10 10  128.753  0.38292  10 7  128.752 
 
  0.74363  10  4  128.75  0.88318  10  2 
 128.75   
1.5179  10  128.75  0.76582  10  128.75
10 2 7
 
  0.74363  10 4 
 
8
2.8002  10
 128.75 
6.1986  10 5
 128.75  4.5175  10 4  
 128.75
The absolute relative approximate error a at the end of Iteration 3 is
T f ,3  T f , 2
a   100
T f ,3
 128.75   128.75
  100
 128.75
 3.5086  10 4 %
Hence the number of significant digits at least correct is given by the largest value of m for
which
a  0.5  10 2 m
3.5086  10 4  0.5  10 2 m
7.0173  10 4  10 2 m
log7.0173  10 4   2  m
m  2  log7.0173  10 4   5.1538
So
m5
The number of significant digits at least correct in the estimated root –128.75 is 5.

NONLINEAR EQUATIONS
Topic Newton-Raphson Method-More Examples
Summary Examples of Newton-Raphson Method
Major Mechanical Engineering
Authors Autar Kaw
Date August 7, 2009
Web Site [Link]