# Matlab: Newton-Raphson Method

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• September 7th 2009, 06:11 PM
Roam
Matlab: Newton-Raphson Method
Hi guys, I need some help solving the following question using matlab:

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/4321/36177380.gif
My Attempt:

$t_{2}$ is the time at which the object hits the ground (when the height =0, or the root/x-intercept of the graph).

I have to use this Newton Raphson formula:

$
x^k = x^{k-1} - \frac{f(x^{k-1})}{f'(x^{k-1})}
$

so here's my Matlab command:

Code:

 theta=pi/4; v=10; g=9.81; a=0.1; n_itn=3; y(1)=0; for k=1:n_itn y=((1-exp(-a*t))/a)*((g/a)+v*sin(theta))-((g*t)/a) y'=diff(y) y(k+1)=y(k)-y(k)/y'(k) end 
But unfortunately I get the following error:

Code:

??? Error: File: Q1.m Line: 6 Column: 3 The expression to the left of the equals sign is not a valid target for an assignment.
I don't understand what's the problem with line 6. Can anyone help?

P.S.
Just to have a confirmation I already tried to estimate the root by ploting y versus t and I think the root is around 1.41, here are my commands:

Code:

 theta=pi/4; v=10;  g=9.81;  a=0.1; nfinal=2; t=1:0.01:nfinal; x=((1-exp(-a*t))/a)*v*cos(theta); y=((1-exp(-a*t))/a)*((g/a)+v*sin(theta))-((g*t)/a); plot(t,y,’+')
• September 7th 2009, 08:33 PM
CaptainBlack
Quote:

Originally Posted by Roam
Hi guys, I need some help solving the following question using matlab:

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/4321/36177380.gif
My Attempt:

$t_{2}$ is the time at which the object hits the ground (when the height =0, or the root/x-intercept of the graph).

I have to use this Newton Raphson formula:

$
x^k = x^{k-1} - \frac{f(x^{k-1})}{f'(x^{k-1})}
$

so here's my Matlab command:

Code:

 theta=pi/4; v=10; g=9.81; a=0.1; n_itn=3; y(1)=0; for k=1:n_itn y=((1-exp(-a*t))/a)*((g/a)+v*sin(theta))-((g*t)/a) y'=diff(y) y(k+1)=y(k)-y(k)/y'(k) end 
But unfortunately I get the following error:

Code:

??? Error: File: Q1.m Line: 6 Column: 3 The expression to the left of the equals sign is not a valid target for an assignment.
I don't understand what's the problem with line 6. Can anyone help?

P.S.
Just to have a confirmation I already tried to estimate the root by ploting y versus t and I think the root is around 1.41, here are my commands:

Code:

 theta=pi/4; v=10;  g=9.81;  a=0.1; nfinal=2; t=1:0.01:nfinal; x=((1-exp(-a*t))/a)*v*cos(theta); y=((1-exp(-a*t))/a)*((g/a)+v*sin(theta))-((g*t)/a); plot(t,y,’+')

diff only works on symbolic objects.

You need to differentiate y (wrt x) yourself.

CB
• September 11th 2009, 08:43 PM
Roam
how do you define t?
Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainBlack
diff only works on symbolic objects.

You need to differentiate y (wrt x) yourself.

CB

I still have another problem!

Thanks for the hint, I differentiated it separately by creating a symbolic variable:

Code:

 >> syms t   >> f=((1-exp(-0.1*t))/0.1)*105.17-((9.81*t)/0.1)   f =   10517/10-10517/10*exp(-1/10*t)-981/10*t     >> diff(f)   ans =   10517/100*exp(-1/10*t)-981/10

This is my new code:

Code:

 theta=pi/4; v=10; g=9.81; a=0.1; n_itn=3; y(1)=0; for k=1:n_itn y=((1-exp(-a*t))/a)*((g/a)+v*sin(theta))-((g*t)/a) z=10517/100*exp(-1/10*t)-981/10 y(k+1)=y(k)-y(k)/z(k); end
I used "z" to denote $y'$ because for some reason matlab didn't accept "y'" in the code.

Now I get this error:

Code:

 ??? Undefined function or variable 't'. Error in ==> Untitled at 5 y=((1-exp(-a*t))/a)*((g/a)+v*sin(theta))-((g*t)/a)
I don't understand... how do I need to define "t"?

• September 12th 2009, 03:47 AM
CaptainBlack
Quote:

Originally Posted by Roam
I still have another problem!

Thanks for the hint, I differentiated it separately by creating a symbolic variable:

Code:

 >> syms t   >> f=((1-exp(-0.1*t))/0.1)*105.17-((9.81*t)/0.1)   f =   10517/10-10517/10*exp(-1/10*t)-981/10*t     >> diff(f)   ans =   10517/100*exp(-1/10*t)-981/10

This is my new code:

Code:

 theta=pi/4; v=10; g=9.81; a=0.1; n_itn=3; y(1)=0; for k=1:n_itn y=((1-exp(-a*t))/a)*((g/a)+v*sin(theta))-((g*t)/a) z=10517/100*exp(-1/10*t)-981/10 y(k+1)=y(k)-y(k)/z(k); end
I used "z" to denote $y'$ because for some reason matlab didn't accept "y'" in the code.

Now I get this error:

Code:

 ??? Undefined function or variable 't'. Error in ==> Untitled at 5 y=((1-exp(-a*t))/a)*((g/a)+v*sin(theta))-((g*t)/a)
I don't understand... how do I need to define "t"?

Assign it a value t=10 (or something like that) first.

CB
• September 12th 2009, 12:25 PM
Roam
Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainBlack
Assign it a value t=10 (or something like that) first.

CB

I tried setting t=10 like you said & it's still not working and I keep getting errors. (Wondering)

"??? Attempted to access y(2); index out of bounds because numel(y)=1.

Error in ==> Untitled at 8
y(k+1)=y(k)-y(k)/z(k);"
• September 12th 2009, 02:34 PM
CaptainBlack
Quote:

Originally Posted by Roam
I tried setting t=10 like you said & it's still not working and I keep getting errors. (Wondering)

Then abandon the use of symbolics and define the functions:

Code:

>>g=9.81;alpha=0.1;theta=pi/4;v=10; >> >>ff=@(t) (1-exp(-alpha*t))/alpha*(g/alpha+v*sin(theta))-g*t/alpha; >>dff=@(t) exp(-alpha*t)*(sin(theta)*v+g/alpha)-g/alpha; >> >>t=10;                                                          >>t=t-ff(t)/dff(t)
CB