MATH2033 (2023–2024)

Introduction to Scientific Computation

Nonlinear Equations IV

PROBLEM SHEET SOLUTIONS

Solution to Problem 1
Since n is positive,

1 102
|p − pn | ≤ 5 × 10−2 ⇔ ≤ 5 × 10−2 ⇔ n ≥ ⇔ n ≥ 20.
n 5
So, |p − pn | ≤ 5 × 10−2 if and only if n ≥ N with N = 20.

Solution to Problem 2
Since n is positive,

1 102 √
|p − pn | ≤ 5 × 10−2 ⇔ ≤ 5 × 10−2
⇔ n 2
≥ ⇔ n2
≥ 20 ⇔ n ≥ 20.
n2 5
√
So, since 20 = 4.472 . . ., the smallest positive integer N which is such that
|p − pn | ≤ 5 × 10−2 if n ≥ N is N = 5.

Solution to Problem 3
a We first note that pn → p as n → ∞ and that pn 6= p for all nonnegative
integers n. Now,
1
|pn+1 − p| 2n+1 2n 1
= 1
= n+1
=
|pn − p| 2n
2 2

and so
|pn+1 − p| 1
lim = .
n→∞ |pn − p| 2
Hence, the sequence {pn }∞
n=0 converges to p with order 1.

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 b We have that

1
|p − pn | ≤ 5 × 10−2 ⇔ n
≤ 5 × 10−2
2
102
⇔ 2n ≥
5
102
 
n
⇔ log10 (2 ) ≥ log10
5
 2
10
⇔ n log10 (2) ≥ log10
5
 2
log10 105
⇔ n≥ .
log10 (2)
102
 
log10 5
So, since log (2) = 4.321 . . ., the smallest positive integer N which is
10
such that |p − pn | ≤ 5 × 10−2 if n ≥ N is N = 5.

Solution to Problem 4
We first note that pn → 0 as n → ∞ and that pn 6= 0 for all nonnegative integers
n. Now,
n+1
|pn+1 − 0| 10−2 10−2
n+1

= = −2n+1 = 1
|pn − 0|2 |10−2n |2 10
and so
|pn+1 − 0|
lim = 1.
n→∞ |pn − 0|2
Hence, the sequence {pn }∞
n=0 converges to 0 with order 2.

Solution to Problem 5
We have that

C|pn+1 − p||pn − p|
α
= C|pn+1 − p|1−α |pn − p|
|pn+1 − p|
and
 − α1  − α1
1−α 1−α 1 1
1−α+ α |pn+1 − p|
C|pn+1 −p| |pn −p| = C|pn+1 −p| = C|pn+1 −p| .
|pn − p|α |pn − p|α

So,
 − α1 !
C|pn+1 − p||pn − p| 1 |pn+1 − p|
lim α
= C lim |pn+1 − p|1−α+ α .
n→∞ |pn+1 − p| n→∞ |pn − p|α

Now,
 − α1 !
|pn+1 − p| 1
lim = λ− α
n→∞ |pn − p|α

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because
|pn+1 − p|
lim = λ,
n→∞ |pn − p|α
1
λ ∈ (0, ∞) and g given by g(x) = x− α is continuous on (0, ∞). Moreover,
1

 1
  ∞ if 1 − α + α
< 0,
1−α+ α 1
lim |pn+1 − p| = 1 if 1 − α + α
= 0,
n→∞
1
0 if 1 − α +

α
> 0.

Now, since λ is a positive constant and

C|pn+1 − p||pn − p|
lim = λ,
n→∞ |pn+1 − p|α
it must hold that
1
1−α+ = 0,
α
or equivalently,
α2 − α − 1 = 0.
There is one positive solution to this equation, namely
√
1+ 5
α= .
2
Therefore,

|pn+1 − p| C|pn+1 − p||pn − p| − 2√

lim √
1+ 5
= lim √
1+ 5
= Cλ 1+ 5 =λ
n→∞ n→∞
|pn − p| 2 |pn+1 − p| 2

2√
1+ ∞
for C√ = λ √ the sequence {pn }n=0 converges to p with order
. Hence,
1+ 5

1+ 5 1+ 5
. Note that is the so-called “golden ratio”.
2 2

References

• Burden, Faires & Burden, Numerical Analysis, 10E

– Section 2.4

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