Use Newton's method to find the absolute maximum value of the function f(x) = 2x sin x, 0 ≤ x ≤ π correct to six decimal places.
help...
I know this question is old but I wanted to look at it and this is the first chance I have had.
Alan has given a great answer but I wanted to do it without using a computer graphing program to help me.
(I did cheat and use some of Alan's results but that was just to save the necessity of number crunching)
f(x)=2xsinx0≤x≤πf′(x)=2(sinx+xcosx)f″(x)=2(cosx+cosx−xsinx)=4cosx−2xsinxNow turning points will occur when f'(x)=02(sinx+xcosx)=0sinx+xcosx=0xcosx=−sinxx=−tanxNow if I plot y=x and y=tanx then the point of intersection will be where this is true.I can do a rough graph of this without the help of any graphing calculators..I can see that the point of intersection is between x=π/2andx=πSo like Alan said x=2 is a good first estimate.
Now you use Newton's method to get closer and closer approximations.
I can never remember the formula so I have to derive it each time but with a little practice this is easy to do.
anyway, it is
x1=x0−f(x0)f′(x0)Wherex0is the first estimate and x1 is the next estimate
This is tedious but it can certainly be done by hand. (you only need to do it 3 times.)
Anyway, Alan got the answer x=2.0288158.
Now you do need to ascertain what kind of a stationary point this is
so you need to plug this valu of x into the second derivative.
It will give you f''(2.0288158) < 0
I have not done it because I cannot be bothered but I know this is true because Alan has kinly plotted f(x)for me and I can see that the concavity of the curve at the stat point is negative.
There you go. That is how you do it without the need of graph aids.
I have graphed it just to help you understand what I was tallking about.
I did graph it too but only roughly with a pen and paper.
https://www.desmos.com/calculator/3z64adpobn