Unexpected root of equation

 

Tower of Pisa

 

            What is the value of :

                                                                             (1)

if the process continues indefinitely.

 

Here we define:

                   

 

 

Investigation

                    If the value of (1) is x. Then we can easily observe that:

                                   

                    or            x2 = 2x                                                      (2)

 

 

Question          

 

            Solve the equation for all real roots x :

                       (correct your answers to 1 decimal place)

 

 

Solution   

 

            x = 2,  4 or  –0.8 (to 1 dec. pl)

The unexpected root can be found by studying the following curve

 

 

 

         The unexpected root x = –0.766 664 7 …. can be found with more degree of accuracy by using Newton’s method for approximation of roots.

 

 

Back to Tower of Pisa problem

 

If we have we have three roots for (2), what then is the value of (1).

Obviously x = -0.766 664 7… cannot be the value of (1) since (1) is positive.

 

So the choice is narrow down to x = 2 or 4.

 

 

Monotone bounded theorem

 

If we take :

 

        

 

(1)            Bounded

         We use induction to show that an is bounded by 2.

         Obviously  a1 = 1.4142… <2

         Assume ak-1 < 2

         Then 

         \  an < 2  "nÎN

 

(2)            Monotonic increasing

         Obviously   a1 = 1.4142….,   a2 = 1.6325….

         \    a1 < a2.

         Assume    ak-1 < ak.

         Then       

                        

                                 ak  < ak+1.

                    \    an < an+1   and the sequence is monotonic increasing.

 

(3)            By the Bounded monotone theorem,  an has a limit.

         Since  an is bounded by 2,  the value of (1) is 2, and not 4.