Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Newton's Method
Newton's Method is an iterative numerical technique used to find approximate roots of a real-valued function. It starts with an initial guess and refines it using the formula x₁ = x₀ - f(x₀)/f'(x₀), where f' is the derivative of f. This process continues until the difference between successive approximations is sufficiently small, indicating convergence to a root.
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Convergence Criteria
In numerical methods, convergence criteria determine when to stop the iterative process. For Newton's Method, this often involves checking if the absolute difference between two successive approximations is less than a specified tolerance level, such as 0.00001 for five decimal places. This ensures that the approximations are accurate enough for practical purposes.
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Function and Derivative Evaluation
To apply Newton's Method, it is essential to evaluate both the function f(x) and its derivative f'(x) at each iteration. For the given function f(x) = tan x - 2x, the derivative f'(x) = sec² x - 2 must be computed. Accurate evaluation of these functions is crucial for obtaining correct approximations of the root.
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