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Multiple-Choice Test Direct Method Interpolation: Complete Solution Set

This document provides the solutions to 6 multiple choice questions regarding interpolation of data points. It uses direct polynomial interpolation to find velocities at times between given data points. For question 1, it shows that a unique polynomial of degree n or less can pass through n+1 data points. It then works through examples of linear, quadratic, and cubic interpolation to determine velocities at various times based on given data sets.

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Pankaj Kale
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
140 views

Multiple-Choice Test Direct Method Interpolation: Complete Solution Set

This document provides the solutions to 6 multiple choice questions regarding interpolation of data points. It uses direct polynomial interpolation to find velocities at times between given data points. For question 1, it shows that a unique polynomial of degree n or less can pass through n+1 data points. It then works through examples of linear, quadratic, and cubic interpolation to determine velocities at various times based on given data sets.

Uploaded by

Pankaj Kale
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Multiple-Choice Test

Direct Method
Interpolation
COMPLETE SOLUTION SET

1. Given n+1 data pairs, a unique polynomial of degree ________________ passes through n + 1
data points.
(A) n + 1
(B) n + 1 or less
(C) n
(D) n or less

Solution
The correct answer is (D).

A unique polynomial of degree n or less passes through n + 1 data points. If the polynomial is
not unique, then at least two polynomials of order n or less pass through the n + 1 data points.
Assume two polynomials Pn (x ) and Qn ( x ) go through n + 1 data points,
(x0 , y 0 ), (x1 , y1 ),…, (xn , y n )
Then
Rn ( x ) = Pn ( x ) − Qn (x )
Since Pn (x ) and Qn ( x ) pass through all the n + 1 data points,
Pn ( xi ) = Qn ( xi ), i = 0, … , n
Hence
Rn (xi ) = Pn ( xi ) − Qn ( xi ) = 0, i = 0, … , n
The n order polynomial Rn (x ) has n + 1 zeros. A polynomial of order n can have n + 1 zeros
th

only if it is identical to a zero polynomial, that is,


Rn ( x ) ≡ 0
Hence
Pn (x ) ≡ Qn (x )

Extra Notes for the Student:


How can one show that if a second order polynomial has three zeros, then it is zero everywhere?
If R2 ( x ) = a 0 + a1 x + a 2 x 2 , then if it has three zeros at x1 , x2 , and x3 , then
R2 ( x1 ) = a0 + a1 x1 + a2 x12 = 0
R2 ( x2 ) = a0 + a1 x2 + a2 x22 = 0
R2 ( x3 ) = a0 + a1 x3 + a2 x32 = 0
which in matrix form gives
⎡1 x1 x12 ⎤ ⎡a 0 ⎤ ⎡0⎤
⎢ 2 ⎥⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢1 x 2 x 2 ⎥ ⎢ a1 ⎥ = ⎢0⎥
⎢1 x3 x32 ⎥ ⎢⎣a 2 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣0⎥⎦
⎣ ⎦
The above set of equations has a trivial solution, that is, a1 = a 2 = a3 = 0 . But is this the only
solution? That is true if the coefficient matrix is invertible.

The determinant of the coefficient matrix can be found symbolically with the forward
elimination steps of naïve Gauss elimination to give
⎡1 x1 x12 ⎤
⎢ ⎥
det ⎢1 x 2 x 22 ⎥ = x 2 x32 − x 22 x3 − x1 x32 + x12 x3 + x1 x 22 − x12 x 2
⎢1 x3 x32 ⎥
⎣ ⎦
= ( x1 − x 2 )( x 2 − x3 )( x3 − x1 )
Since
x1 ≠ x 2 ≠ x3
the determinant is non-zero. Hence the coefficient matrix is invertible. a1 = a 2 = a3 = 0 is the
only solution, that is, R2 ( x ) ≡ 0.
2. The data of the velocity of a body as a function of time is given as follows.
Time (s) 0 15 18 22 24
Velocity (m/s) 22 24 37 25 123
The velocity in m/s at 16 s using linear polynomial interpolation is most nearly
(A) 27.867
(B) 28.333
(C) 30.429
(D) 43.000

Solution
The correct answer is (B).

For the first order polynomial, we choose the velocity given by


v(t ) = a0 + a1t
Since we want to find the velocity at t = 16 , we choose the two data points that are closest to
t = 16 and that also bracket t = 16 . Those two points are t0 = 15 and t1 = 18 . Then

t0 = 15, v(t0 ) = 24

t1 = 18, v(t1 ) = 37

gives
v(15) = a0 + a1 (15) = 24

v(18) = a0 + a1 (18) = 37

Writing the equations in matrix form


⎡1 15⎤ ⎡a 0 ⎤ ⎡24⎤
⎢1 18⎥ ⎢ a ⎥ = ⎢37 ⎥
⎣ ⎦⎣ 1 ⎦ ⎣ ⎦

and solving the above two equations gives


a0 = −41

a1 = 4.3333

Hence
v(t ) = a0 + a1t

= −41 + 4.3333t , 15 ≤ t ≤ 18
v(16) = −41 + 4.3333(16)

= 28.333 m/s
3. The following data of the velocity of a body as a function of time is given as follows.
Time (s) 0 15 18 22 24
Velocity (m/s) 22 24 37 25 123
The velocity in m/s at 16 s using quadratic polynomial interpolation is most nearly
(A) 27.867
(B) 28.333
(C) 30.429
(D) 43.000

Solution
The correct answer is (C).

For second order polynomial interpolation (also called quadratic interpolation), we choose the
velocity given by
v(t ) = a0 + a1t + a2t 2

Since we want to find the velocity at t = 16 , we need to choose the three data points that are
closest to t = 16 and that also bracket t = 16 . These three points are t0 = 15 , t1 = 18 , and
t2 = 22 .

t0 = 15, v(t0 ) = 24

t1 = 18, v(t1 ) = 37

t 2 = 22, v(t 2 ) = 25

gives
v(15) = a 0 + a1 (15) + a 2 (15) = 24
2

v(18) = a 0 + a1 (18) + a 2 (18) = 37


2

v(22 ) = a 0 + a1 (22 ) + a 2 (22 ) = 25


2

Writing the three equations in matrix form


⎡1 15 225⎤ ⎡a 0 ⎤ ⎡24⎤
⎢1 18 324 ⎥ ⎢ a ⎥ = ⎢37 ⎥
⎢ ⎥⎢ 1 ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢⎣1 22 484⎥⎦ ⎢⎣a 2 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣ 25⎥⎦

and the solution of the above three equations gives


a0 = −323.86

a1 = 38.905

a2 = −1.0476

Hence
v(t ) = −323.86 + 38.905t − 1.0476t 2 , 15 ≤ t ≤ 22

At t = 16 ,

v(16 ) = −323.86 + 38.905(16 ) − 1.0476(16 )


2

= 30.429 m/s
4. The following data of the velocity of a body is given as a function of time
Time (s) 0 15 18 22 24
Velocity (m/s) 22 24 37 25 123
Using quadratic interpolation, the interpolant
v(t ) = 8.667t 2 − 349.67t + 3523, 18 ≤ t ≤ 24
approximates the velocity of the body. From this information, one of the times in seconds at
which the velocity of the body is 35 m/s during the above time interval of t = 18 s to t = 24 s is
(A) 18.667
(B) 20.850
(C) 22.200
(D) 22.294

Solution
The correct answer is (D).

Using the interpolant, set the velocity equal to 35 m/s and solve for time.
35 = 8.667t 2 − 349.67t + 3523
0 = 8.667t 2 − 349.67t + 3488
Using the quadratic equation solution
− (−349.67) ± (−349.67) 2 − 4 × 8.667 × 3488
t=
2 × 8.667
349.67 ± 1347.1249
=
17.334
gives
t = 22.294 s
t = 18.055 s
5. The following data of the velocity of a body is given as a function of time
Time (s) 0 15 18 22 24
Velocity (m/s) 22 24 37 25 123
One of the interpolant approximations for the velocity from the above data is given as
v(t ) = 8.6667t 2 − 349.67t + 3523, 18 ≤ t ≤ 24
Using the above interpolant, the distance in meters covered by the body between t = 19 s and
t = 22 s is most nearly
(A) 10.337
(B) 88.500
(C) 93.000
(D) 168.00

Solution
The correct answer is (A).

dx
Since v = , taking the integral of the velocity will give the location, x. By taking the integral
dt
over the interval of t = 19 s to t = 22 s we can find the distance traveled, s , over that interval.
22
s= ∫ (8.6667t )
− 349.67t + 3523 dt
2

19

[
= 2.8889t 3 − 174.84t 2 + 3523t 19 ]22

= (2.8889(22) 3
) (
− 174.84(22) 2 + 3523(22) − 2.8889(19)3 − 174.84(19) 2 + 3523(19) )
= 23647 − 23637
= 10.337 m
6. The following data of the velocity of a body is given as a function of time.

Time (s) 0 15 18 22 24
Velocity (m/s) 22 24 37 25 123

If you were going to use quadratic interpolation to find the value of the velocity at t = 14.9
seconds, what three data points of time would you choose for interpolation?
(A) 0, 15, 18
(B) 15, 18, 22
(C) 0, 15, 22
(D) 0, 18, 24

Solution
The correct answer is (A).

We need to choose the three points closest to t = 14.9 s that also bracket t = 14.9 s . Although the
data points in choice (B) are closest to 14.9, they do not bracket it. This would be performing
extrapolation, not interpolation. Choices (C) and (D) both bracket t = 14.9 s but they are not the
closest three data points.
Time (s) Velocity (m/s) How far is t = 14.9 s
0 22 14.9 − 0 = 14.9
15 24 14.9 − 15 = 0.1
18 37 14.9 − 18 = 3.1
22 25 14.9 − 22 = 7.1
24 123 14.9 − 24 = 9.1

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