nth Root Algorithm - Derivation From Newton's Method

Derivation From Newton's Method

Newton's method is a method for finding a zero of a function f(x). The general iteration scheme is:

  1. Make an initial guess
  2. Set
  3. Repeat step 2 until the desired precision is reached.

The nth root problem can be viewed as searching for a zero of the function

So the derivative is

and the iteration rule is

leading to the general nth root algorithm.

Read more about this topic:  nth Root Algorithm

Famous quotes containing the words newton and/or method:

    Where the statue stood
    Of Newton with his prism and silent face,
    The marble index of a mind for ever
    Voyaging through strange seas of thought, alone.
    William Wordsworth (1770–1850)

    Traditional scientific method has always been at the very best 20-20 hindsight. It’s good for seeing where you’ve been. It’s good for testing the truth of what you think you know, but it can’t tell you where you ought to go.
    Robert M. Pirsig (b. 1928)