Taylor Series: National Teachers' College Kabale
Taylor Series: National Teachers' College Kabale
By
MUJUNGU HERBERT
National Teachers’
College Kabale
Taylor Series
Competences
1. Derives and state the Taylor polynomial
2. Obtain Taylor’s series for different functions about specified
values.
3. Approximate some values of the functions
Taylor’s Series
Introduction
Let us assume a general polynomial for any function;
∞
X
f(x) = cn (x − a)n or
n=0
f(x) = co + c1 (x − a) + c2 (x − a)2 + c3 (x − a)3 + c4 (x − a)4 + ... (1)
Taking the general formula,
f(x) = co + c1 (x − a) + c2 (x − a)2 + c3 (x − a)3 + c4 (x − a)4 + ... (2)
deriving recursively,
or if you let x = a + h
π
Let f(x) = sin(x) = sin( + h) ⇒ f ( π6 ) = sin( π6 ) = 1
2
6 √
f 0 (x ) = cos(x ) ⇒ f 0 ( π6 ) = cos( π6 ) = 2
3
π
Let f(x) = tan(x) = tan( + h) ⇒ f ( π4 ) = tan( π4 ) = 1
4
f 0 (x ) = 1 + tan2 (x ) ⇒ f 0 ( π4 ) = 1 + tan2 ( π4 ) = 2
f 00 (x) = 2 tan x + 2 tan3 (x) ⇒ f 00 ( π4 ) = 4
f 000 (x ) = 2 sec2 (x ) + 6 sec2 (x )tan2 (x ) ⇒ f 000 ( π4 ) = 16
π 8
tan( + h) = 1 + 2h + 2h2 + h3
4 3
Example 3
Use Taylor’s theorem to find the first four terms in the expansion
of cos(x) in ascending powers of ()x − α), where α = arctan( 43 ).
Example 3
Use Taylor’s theorem to find the first four terms in the expansion
of cos(x) in ascending powers of ()x − α), where α = arctan( 43 ).
Solution
If α = arctan( 34 ), then cos(α) = 3/5 & sin(α) = 4/5
Example 3
Use Taylor’s theorem to find the first four terms in the expansion
of cos(x) in ascending powers of ()x − α), where α = arctan( 43 ).
Solution
If α = arctan( 34 ), then cos(α) = 3/5 & sin(α) = 4/5
3 4 3 12
cos(x) = − (x − α) − (x − α)2 + (x − α)3
5 5 10 15
Example 4
1 1.7321 1 1.7321
sin(31o ) = + ∗ 0.01745 − ∗ 0.017452 − ∗ 0.017453
2 2 4 12
Finally, sin(31o ) = 0.51503
Trial Questions
1. Apply Taylor’s theorem to expand ln(x) in ascending powers
of (x − e) as far as the term in (x − e)4 ,
2. Apply Taylor’s theorem to expand cosec(x) in ascending
powers of (x − π2 ) as far as the term in (x − π2 )4
3. Find the Taylor series for f(x) = ex about x = 0.
4. (a) Use Taylor’s theorem to expand cos( π3 + h) in ascending
powers √of h upto the h3 term.
(b) Taking 3 as 1.7321 and 5.5 as 0.09599 radians, find the
value of cos 54.5o to three decimal places.
5. State Taylor’s theorem for the exapnsion of f(a + h) in
ascending powers of h. Prove that the first four terms in the
1 1 1 1
Taylor expansion of arctan(1 + h) are π + h − h2 + h3
4 2 4 12
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Summary
1. General Polynomial
2. Taylor’s Series