Chapter 5. Finding Roots

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	Java Number Cruncher: The Java Programmer's Guide to Numerical Computing By Ronald  Mak
	Table of Contents
	Part  II.   Iterative Computations

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"Solve for x " is typically what we're asked to do when given an equation involving x as the unknown. One way to do it is to rewrite the equation into the form f ( x ) = 0, and then find the roots, or the zeros, of the function. In other words, we want to find the values of x such that f ( x ) = 0. Depending on the function, there may be more than one root, and they can be either real or complex, or there may be no roots at all. If we draw a graph of f ( x ) in the xy plane, then the real roots are those values of x wherever the plot crosses the x axis. This chapter explores various algorithms for finding real roots that are suitable for a computer.

Traditionally, these algorithms are called methods , as in bisection method and Newton's method. However, to avoid confusion with the methods of Java classes, we'll use the word algorithm instead.

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