Final answer:
The bisection algorithm is a method used to find the roots of an equation by repeatedly dividing an interval and evaluating the function at the mid-point.
Step-by-step explanation:
The bisection algorithm is a method used to find the roots of an equation. It works by repeatedly dividing an interval into two equal sub-intervals and then determining in which sub-interval the root lies. This process is continued until the desired level of precision is achieved.
Here's how the bisection algorithm works:
- Choose two initial values, a and b, such that f(a) and f(b) have opposite signs.
- Calculate the midpoint, c, of the interval [a, b] using the formula: c = (a + b) / 2.
- Evaluate the function at c: f(c).
- If f(c) is close to zero (within a predefined tolerance), then c is the root.
- Otherwise, determine whether the root lies in the sub-interval [a, c] or [c, b] based on the signs of f(a) and f(c) (or f(c) and f(b)).
- Repeat steps 2-5 until the root is found.