## Forum archive 2000-2006

### Michael Gage - PGnumericalmacros.pl

by Arnold Pizer -
Number of replies: 0
 PGnumericalmacros.pl topic started 5/22/2000; 9:56:06 PMlast post 5/22/2000; 9:56:06 PM
Michael Gage - PGnumericalmacros.pl
5/22/2000; 9:56:06 PM (reads: 950, responses: 0)

# NAME

    Numerical methods for the PG language

# DESCRIPTION

## Interpolation methods

### Plotting a list of points (piecewise linear interpolation)

    Usage:  plot_list([x0,y0,x1,y1,...]);        plot_list([(x0,y0),(x1,y1),...]);        plot_list(\x_y_array);
        plot_list([x0,x1,x2...], [y0,y1,y2,...]);        plot_list(\@xarray,\@yarray);

### Horner polynomial/ Newton polynomial

    Usege:  $fn = horner([x0,x1,x2],[q0,q1,q2]); Produces the newton polynomial &$fn(x) = q0 + q1*(x-x0) +q2*(x-x1)*(x-x0);

Generates a subroutine which evaluates a polynomial passing through the points (x0,q0), (x1,q1), ...  using Horner's method.

### Hermite polynomials

    Usage:  $poly = hermit([x0,x1...],[y0,y1...],[yp0,yp1,...]); Produces a reference to polynomial function with the specified values and first derivatives at (x0,x1,...). &$poly(34) gives a number

Generates a subroutine which evaluates a polynomial passing through the specified points with the specified derivatives: (x0,y0,yp0) ... The polynomial will be of high degree and may wobble unexpectedly. Use the Hermite splines described below and in Hermite.pm for most graphing purposes.

### Hermite splines

    Usage:  $spline = hermit_spline([x0,x1...],[y0,y1...],[yp0,yp1,...]); Produces a reference to a piecewise cubic hermit spline with the specified values and first derivatives at (x0,x1,...).  &$spline(45) evaluates to a number.

Generates a subroutine which evaluates a piecewise cubic polynomial passing through the specified points with the specified derivatives: (x0,y0,yp0) ...

An object oriented version of this is defined in Hermite.pm

### Cubic spline approximation

    Usage:            $fun_ref = cubic_spline(~~@x_values, ~~@y_values); Where the x and y value arrays come from the function to be approximated. The function reference will take a single value x and produce value y. $y = &$fun_ref($x);

You can also generate javaScript which defines a cubic spline:

        $function_string = javaScript_cubic_spline(~~@_x_values, ~~@y_values, name => 'myfunction1', llimit => -3, rlimit => 3, ); The string contains  <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> <!-- Begin function myfunction1(x) { ...etc... } </SCRIPT> and can be placed in the header of the HTML output using  HEADER_TEXT($function_string);

## Numerical Integration methods

### Integration by trapezoid rule

    Usage:  trapezoid(function_reference, start, end, steps=>30 );

Implements the trapezoid rule using 30 intervals between 'start' and 'end'. The first three arguments are required. The final argument (number of steps) is optional and defaults to 30.

### Romberg method of integration

    Usage:  romberg(function_reference, x0, x1, level);

Implements the Romberg integration routine through 'level' recursive steps. Level defaults to 6.

### Inverse Romberg

    Usage: inv_romberg(function_reference, a, value);

Finds b such that the integral of the function from a to b is equal to value. Assumes that the function is continuous and doesn't take on the zero value. Uses Newton's method of approximating roots of equations, and Romberg to evaluate definite integrals.

###### File path = /ww/webwork/pg/macros/PGnumericalmacros.pl

<| Post or View Comments |>