
© 2003 by CRC Press LLC
Method of Regula Falsi for Solving f (x) = 0
Select two starting values x
0
and x
1
. Then compute
If f (x
0
) ⋅ f (x
2
) < 0, replace x
1
by x
2
in formula for x
2
, leaving x
0
unchanged, and then compute the next
approximation
x
3
; otherwise, replace x
0
by x
2
, leaving x
1
unchanged, and compute the next approximation
x
3
. Continue in a similar manner.
Finite Differences
Uniform Interval h
If a function f (x) is tabulated at a uniform interval h, that is, for arguments given by x
n
= x
0
+ nh, where
n is an integer, then the function f (x) may be denoted by f
n
.
This can be generalized so that for all values of p, and in particular for 0
p
1,
where the argument designated x
0
can be chosen quite arbitrarily.
The following table lists and defines the standard operators used in numerical analysis.
I,
–1
,
–1
, and δ
–1
all imply the existence of an arbitrary constant that is determined by the initial
conditions of the problem.
Where no confusion can arise, the f can be omitted as, for example, in writing
p
for f
p
.
Higher differences are formed by successive operations, e.g.,
Symbol Function Definition
E Displacement
∆ Forward difference
∇ Backward difference
Α Divided difference
δ Central difference
µ Average
–1
Backward sum
–1
Forward sum
δ
–1
Central sum
D Differentiation
I ( = D
–1
)
Integration
J ( = D
–1
)
Definite integration
x
2
x
0
fx
1
()x
1
fx
0
()–
fx
1
()fx
0
()–
-----------------------------------------=
fx
0
ph+()fx
p
() f
p
==
Ef
p
f
p 1+
=
∆f
p
f
p 1+
f
p
–=
of
p
f
p
1
2
--+
f
p
1
2
--–
–=
uf
p
1
2
---
f
p
1
2
--+
f
p
1
2
--–
+
=
∆
1–
f
p
∆
1–
f
p 1–
f
p 1–
+=
∇
1–
f
p
∇
1–
f
p 1–
f
p
+=
δ
1–
f
p
δ
1–
f
p 1–
f
p
1
2
--–
+=
Df
p
d
dx
------
fx()
1
h
---
d
dp
------
f
p
⋅==
If
p
fx()xd
x
p
∫
hf
p
pd
p
∫
= =
Jf
p
hf
p
pd
p
p 1+
∫
=