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Thread: solving 2tanx+x=0

  1. #1

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    solving 2tanx+x=0

    need 2 find the turning point of the graph f(x)=cosx-xsinx so i differentiatied this and got f'(x)=-2sinx-xcosx
    so i made this equal to 0 and worked my way down as follows:

    0=-2sinx-xcosx
    2sinx=-xcosx
    2tanx=-x
    2tanx+x=0

    i dont kno where to go from here, any ideas.

  2. #2
    vbuggy krtxmrtz's Avatar
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    Re: solving 2tanx+x=0

    The trivial solution is, obviously, x = 0.
    The tan(x) plot vs x has infinite branches and there's one solution to your equation for each branch (plot both 2tan(x) and -x and you'll see both curves have infinite interceptions). If you need to find any of these, other than x = 0, then you must solve the equation by numerical methods as it can't be solved analytically.
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  3. #3
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    Re: solving 2tanx+x=0

    The Newton iterative method should work. To find a zero of F(x), iterate the following.

    NextX = X - F(X) / F'(X)

    Guess at an initail value, computer NextX. then use NextX to compute another value. This usually converges to a correct value.
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