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  • 2 years ago

Hi, I'm working on ps1 problem c, and I'm trying to find a good explanation of how exactly the bisection method works. If someone could please link me to the appropriate place or explain this to me(if you feel inclined to do so), it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much.

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  1. PhilipY
    • 2 years ago
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    The bisection method is covered in the lecture 3 video. A brief example of the bisection method... For example, lets say we are looking for the square root of an input. Use a loop to search for an answer, and (as far as we've learned so far), the loop will most likely run through each number, by an increment that we've set in the loop. Bisection method is instead a method that will takes a range of numbers, halves the range, and determines if the answer is in the top half or the bottom half. It will continue this process of halving the range, until it get an answer that is 'close enough' to the answer. The professor calls this method an approximation, where an exact answer isn't required, but just an answer that is close enough is good enough. Also, we do set the approximation to the answer as well.

  2. Gianko15
    • 2 years ago
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    I'm thinking on a number between 0 and 100, you guess a range, and I'll tell you if you're near or far, sorry we call it here frio/caliente (hot/cold). Like is a wide range you said between 0 and 50, if it is take that range; if is not you take 50 to 100; and so on. Imagine is 0-50; then with more guess you take 25-50, then 37-50 ... doing that you're making bisection, instead of giving me 80 tries to win, you'll only use like ... let's say 8. just have to take that concept into Python, hope that was helpfull xD sorry if I make it worst.

  3. shawnf
    • 2 years ago
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    Wikipedia has an explanation. You basically determine in which half of your search interval the answer lies and then repeat the same method for the resulting half, hence "bisection".

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