One‐parameter root‐finding problems
John C. M. Nash · 2014
Quite often problems involve only one parameter. It is usually a good idea to use a tool for finding the root of a function of one parameter or to find the minimum (or maximum) of such a function rather than try to apply the more general program. This chapter looks at how problems involving the root(s) of a function of one variable may arise and how R may solve them. It points out the limitations of computational technology for root-finding. The chapter then discusses approaches to solving one-dimensional root-finding problems, and presents some one-parameter root-finding examples. Polynomial roots are a common problem that should generally be solved by methods different from those where our goal is to find a single real root of a real scalar function of one variable. Multiple roots are common for polynomial root-finding problems.