Table of contents
- 0. Functions7h 52m
- Introduction to Functions16m
- Piecewise Functions10m
- Properties of Functions9m
- Common Functions1h 8m
- Transformations5m
- Combining Functions27m
- Exponent rules32m
- Exponential Functions28m
- Logarithmic Functions24m
- Properties of Logarithms34m
- Exponential & Logarithmic Equations35m
- Introduction to Trigonometric Functions38m
- Graphs of Trigonometric Functions44m
- Trigonometric Identities47m
- Inverse Trigonometric Functions48m
- 1. Limits and Continuity2h 2m
- 2. Intro to Derivatives1h 33m
- 3. Techniques of Differentiation3h 18m
- 4. Applications of Derivatives2h 38m
- 5. Graphical Applications of Derivatives6h 2m
- 6. Derivatives of Inverse, Exponential, & Logarithmic Functions2h 37m
- 7. Antiderivatives & Indefinite Integrals1h 26m
- 8. Definite Integrals3h 25m
4. Applications of Derivatives
Differentials
Problem 4.20.1
Textbook Question
{Use of Tech} Finding all roots Use Newton’s method to find all the roots of the following functions. Use preliminary analysis and graphing to determine good initial approximations.
f(x) = cos x - x/7

1
Step 1: Understand the function and the problem. We need to find the roots of the function \( f(x) = \cos x - \frac{x}{7} \). A root of the function is a value of \( x \) for which \( f(x) = 0 \).
Step 2: Perform a preliminary analysis. Analyze the behavior of the function by considering its components: \( \cos x \) oscillates between -1 and 1, and \( -\frac{x}{7} \) is a linear function. This suggests that the function will have intersections (roots) where these two components balance each other out.
Step 3: Graph the function \( f(x) = \cos x - \frac{x}{7} \) to visually identify approximate locations of the roots. Look for points where the graph crosses the x-axis. These points will serve as initial guesses for Newton's method.
Step 4: Apply Newton's method to refine the root approximations. Newton's method uses the formula \( x_{n+1} = x_n - \frac{f(x_n)}{f'(x_n)} \), where \( f'(x) \) is the derivative of \( f(x) \). Calculate \( f'(x) = -\sin x - \frac{1}{7} \).
Step 5: Choose initial approximations from the graph and iteratively apply Newton's method. For each initial guess, compute successive approximations until the values converge to a stable root. Repeat this process for each root identified in the graph.
Recommended similar problem, with video answer:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above
Video duration:
6mPlay a video:
Was this helpful?