Getting to the Root of the Problem
Peter Vanden Bosch · Mathematics Teacher Learning and Teaching PK-12 · 2000
Many processes depend on finding the roots of a function—the places at which the value of the function is zero. We might consider tuning a radio to a station to be a matter of finding the value for which the static function is zero. The cruise control on a car is constantly trying to zero the difference between its speed and some desired speed. The process of finding a root is a special case of inverting the function, which is seldom an easy problem.