H OMEWORK 9

120202: ESM4A - N UMERICAL M ETHODS

Spring 2016

Prof. Dr. Lars Linsen

Jacobs University

Due: Friday, April 15, 2016, at 7pm

(in the mailbox labeled “Linsen” in the entrance hall of Research I).

Problem 19: Interpolation Error. (5+3+5+3=16 points)

Consider function f (x) = 4x21+1 .
(a) Use the divided differences approach to derive the polynomial p1 (x) in Newton form that interpo-
lates f (x) by taking 5 equally spaced knots across the interval [−1, +1], i.e., taking knots −1, − 12 ,
0, 21 , and 1.
 
(b) Calculate the interpolation error max f (x) − p1 (x) of the solution in (a).
x∈[−1,+1]

(c) Re-compute the steps in part (a) when using 5 Chebyshev knots to compute polynomial p2 (x) in
Newton form.
 
(d) Calculate the interpolation error max f (x) − p2 (x) of the solution in (c).
x∈[−1,+1]

Problem 20: Bézier curves. (6+3+5=14 points)

1
Consider again function f (x) = 4x2 +1 .

(a) Compute the Bézier curve b(x) that approximates the function f taking knots −1, − 21 , 0, 12 , and 1
and convert the Bézier curve to monomial form.
 
(b) Compute the approximaton error f (x) − b(x) at the knots.
1
(c) Apply the de Casteljau algorithm to evaluate the Bézier curve b(x) at x = 4 and compute the
approximaton error at x = 41 .