MEC E 390 - Midterm exam – 27 October, 2023

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 Problem 1 [12 points]

Multiple choice questions, each worth 4 points. Please circle the correct answer.
Incorrect answers receive 0 points.

1. Which of the following statements describes the difference between the

Newton Raphson method and the Secant method for finding roots of
functions:
(a) The Newton Raphson method requires one initial guess while the secant
method requires two initial guesses.
(b) The derivative of the function is required in the Newton Raphson method
but not in the secant method.
(c) The secant method converges slightly slower than the Newton Raphson
method.
(d) All of the above

2. In a numerical procedure to find the root, the following estimates were obtained
𝑥2=0.33, 𝑥3=0.28, 𝑥4=0.28922, 𝑥5=0.28917. If the criterion for convergence is
that the absolute relative approximate error |𝜀𝑟|<0.04, then, the first acceptable
root is:
(a) 𝑥2
(b) 𝑥3
(c) 𝑥4
(d) 𝑥5

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 3. The following matrix is positive definite.
4 0 4
𝐴 = [0 9 12]
4 12 21
If 𝑈 is the upper triangular matrix generated using the Cholesky Decomposition
of 𝐴, then, the value of 𝑈12 is given by:

(a) 𝑈12 = 9
(b) 𝑈12 = 4
(c) 𝑈12 = 2
(d) 𝑈12 = 0

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 Problem 2 [14 points]

Suppose you are asked to solve an equation 𝐴𝑋 = 𝑏 where 𝑋 = (𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧)𝑇 ,

7 3
𝑏 = (0, − 2 , 2)𝑇 , and

6 −2 1
𝐴 = [3 −1 4 ]
1 0 −1
Using a naïve Gaussian elimination algorithm, yields the following output in MATLAB:
Warning: Divide by zero.
ans =
NaN
NaN
NaN
A friend of yours suggests the errors appear because the matrix is singular.
(I) Do you agree with this assessment? Why?
(II) If the answer to (I) is no, then why does the naïve Gaussian elimination algorithm not
provide the correct solution and what can be done to remedy this?
(III) By adapting the ideas from (I) and (II), solve for 𝑥, 𝑦, and 𝑧.

Solution:

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 Problem 3 [4 points]

In implementing the secant algorithm, we iterate till the estimate of the root is sufficiently
close to the true root or till a maximum number of iterations has been exceeded. Give
one convergence criterion that might be applied in the former case.

Solution:
1. The change in the root estimate, x3, from one iteration to the next is below a
prescribed tolerance.
2. |f(x3)| is below a prescribed tolerance.
3. | x3 – x2| is below a prescribed tolerance.

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