Finding the Intersecting Point of Two Simple Waves

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on finding the intersecting point of two functions, y = cos(x) and x = cos(y), using Newton's method. The key equation derived is f(x) = cos(x) - x, with its derivative f'(x) = -sin(x) - 1. The iterative formula for Newton's method is presented as x_n = (cos(x_{n-1}) - x_{n-1}) / (-sin(x_{n-1}) - 1). The intersection occurs within the interval [0, π], with an initial guess of x_0 = 0.5 recommended for convergence.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of trigonometric functions, specifically cosine and arccosine.
  • Familiarity with Newton's method for finding roots of equations.
  • Basic calculus concepts, including derivatives and limits.
  • Knowledge of iterative numerical methods.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the application of Newton's method in solving nonlinear equations.
  • Explore the properties of the cosine function and its inverse, arccosine.
  • Learn about convergence criteria for iterative methods.
  • Investigate other numerical methods for root-finding, such as the bisection method or secant method.
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Mathematicians, physics students, and anyone interested in numerical analysis or solving equations involving trigonometric functions.

Werg22
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Two simple waves but on is a Y function and the other a X function, on do you find the intersecting point?

y=cos(x)
x=cos(y)

cos^-1(x)=cos(x)
 
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You can use Newton's method to solve this:
[tex]x_n = \frac{f(x_{n - 1})}{f'(x_{n - 1})}[/tex]
And the solution x is:
[tex]x = \lim_{n \rightarrow \infty} x_n[/tex]
Newton's method
You can change the equation a bit so it's easier to take the dirivative of the function:
Since the graph of Arccos(x) is the reflection of the graph Cos(x) across the line y = x.
So the intersection of the two graph Arccos(x) and Cos(x) is right on the line y = x. So the equation can be changed to:
[tex]\cos(x) = x \Leftrightarrow \cos(x) - x = 0[/tex]
Let f(x) = cos(x) - x.
So f'(x) = -sin(x) - 1.
Using the formula, you have:
[tex]x_n = \frac{\cos (x_{n - 1}) - x_{n - 1}}{-\sin (x_{n - 1}) - 1}[/tex]
Since the two graph cos(x) and x will cut each other at some x lies between 0, and pi. So you just choose [tex]x_0 \in [0, \ \pi][/tex], eg: x_0 = 0.5,...
Viet Dao,
 
Last edited:

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