Exercise · ZW-SECANT-METHOD-007 · ★★☆ Intermediate

If \(f(x)=x^3-x-2\) with \(x_0=1\) and \(x_1=2\), what is \(f(x_1)-f(x_0)\)?

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  • C. 6

Explanation

Compute f(2)=4 and f(1)=-2, then 4-(-2)=6. Ignoring the sign of f(1) gives 4.

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Review the concept: Secant method

The secant method is an iterative procedure for approximating roots of a function \(f(x)=0\) using two previous approximations, without needing to compute the derivative.

\[x_{n+1}=x_n-f(x_n)\frac{x_n-x_{n-1}}{f(x_n)-f(x_{n-1})}\]

More practice problems: secant method

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