KIRINYAGA UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES

COURSE CODE : SPM2321

COURSE TITLE: NUMERICL ANALYSIS I

LECTURER: ANTHONY KINYANJUI

MODULE 06: NEWTON’S FORWARD AND BACKWARD DIFFERENCE

INTERPOLATION POLYNOMIALA

OBJECTIVE:

AT THE END OF LECTURE, A STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO

CALCULATE THE POLYNOMIAL EQUATIONS USING FORWARD
AND BACKWARD DIFFERENCE INTERPOLATIONS

1
NEWTON FORWARD DIFFERENCE INTERPOLATION POLYNOMIAL
(NFDIP)

Let the values 𝑥0 , 𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … 𝑥𝑛 be equidistanced 𝑥𝑖 = 𝑥0 + 𝑖ℎ , 𝑖 = 0,1,2, … 𝑛

The NFDI formula (Also known as Newton-Gregory) is stated as

𝑃 (𝑃 − 1) 2 𝑃(𝑃 − 1)(𝑃 − 2) 3
𝑦𝑝 = 𝑦0 + 𝑃∆𝑦0 + ∆ 𝑦0 + ∆ 𝑦0
2! 3!
𝑃(𝑃 − 1)(𝑃 − 2)(𝑃 − 3) 4
+ ∆ 𝑦0 + ⋯
4!
𝑃(𝑃 − 1) … [𝑃 − (𝑛 − 1)] 𝑛
+ ∆ 𝑦0
𝑛!
𝑥−𝑥0
Where 𝑦𝑝 = 𝑦(𝑥0 +Ph) and 𝑃 =
ℎ

Where x is the value being interpolated for and h is the step size along x.𝑥0 is any
value above the value being interpolated for on the difference table. The further
away the 𝑥0 is from the value being interpolated the more accurate the result is.

The following data indicates the speeds of a ship. It gives I,V and knots the speed.
Find I when V=9

𝑉 8 10 12 14 16
𝐼 1000 1900 3250 5400 8950

2
Solution

𝑉 𝐼 ∆𝑓𝑖 ∆2𝑓𝑖 ∆3𝑓𝑖 ∆4𝑓𝑖

8 1000
900
10 1900 450
1350 350
12 3250 800 250
2150 600
14 5400 1400
3550
16 8950

𝑥 − 𝑥0 9 − 8
𝑃= = = 0.5
ℎ 2

𝑃 (𝑃 − 1) 2 𝑃(𝑃 − 1)(𝑃 − 2) 3
𝑦𝑝 = 𝑦0 + 𝑃∆𝑦0 + ∆ 𝑦0 + ∆ 𝑦0
2! 3!
𝑃(𝑃 − 1)(𝑃 − 2)(𝑃 − 3) 4
+ ∆ 𝑦0
4!
1 1 1 1 1 1
I(9) = 1000 + (900) + ( − 1) (450) + ( − 1) ( − 2) (350)
2 4 2 12 2 2
1 1 1 1
+ ( − 1) ( − 2) ( − 3) (250)
48 2 2 2

3
 = 1406

We use NFDI to interpolate for the values nearer to the beginning of the table
values.

We use NBDI to interpolate for values towards the end of the table of values

𝑃 (𝑃 + 1) 2 𝑃(𝑃 + 1)(𝑃 + 2) 3
𝑦𝑝 = 𝑦0 + 𝑃∇𝑦0 + ∇ 𝑦0 + ∇ 𝑦0
2! 3!
𝑃(𝑃 + 1)(𝑃 + 2)(𝑃 + 3) 4
+ ∇∇ 𝑦0 + ⋯
4!
𝑃(𝑃 + 1) … [𝑃 + (𝑛 + 1)] 𝑛
+ ∇ 𝑦0
𝑛!

𝑥𝑛 is the value below the value being interpolated for on the difference table.

Using the same table above find I when V=15

Solution

𝑉 𝐼 ∇𝑓𝑖 ∇2𝑓𝑖 ∇3𝑓𝑖 ∇4𝑓𝑖

8 1000
900
10 1900 450
1350 350
12 3250 800 250
2150 600
14 5400 1400
3550
16 8950

4
 𝑥 − 𝑥0 15 − 16
𝑃= = = −0.5
ℎ 2
1 1 1
I(15) = 8950 − (3550) − (− + 1) (1400)
2 4 2
1 1 1
− (− + 1) (− + 2) (600)
12 2 2
1 1 1 1
− (− + 1) (− + 2) (− + 3) (250)
48 2 2 2

= 6953

Find the Newton Forward Difference Interpolating Polynomial for the data below
taking

𝑥0 = 0.1

𝑥 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5

𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) 1.40 1.56 1.76 2.00 2.25

Solution

𝑉 𝐼 ∆𝑓𝑖 ∆2𝑓𝑖 ∆3𝑓𝑖 ∆4𝑓𝑖

0.1 1.40
0.16
0.2 1.56 0.04
0.20 0
0.3 1.76 0.04 −0.03

5
 0.4 2.00 0.24 0.01 −0.03

0.5 2.25 0.25

𝑥 − 𝑥0 𝑥 − 1
𝑃= = = 10𝑥 − 1
ℎ 0.1

𝑃 (𝑃 − 1) 2 𝑃(𝑃 − 1)(𝑃 − 2) 3
𝑦𝑝 = 𝑦0 + 𝑃∆𝑦0 + ∆ 𝑦0 + ∆ 𝑦0
2! 3!
𝑃(𝑃 − 1)(𝑃 − 2)(𝑃 − 3) 4
+ ∆ 𝑦0 + ⋯
4!
𝑃(𝑃 − 1) … [𝑃 − (𝑛 − 1)] 𝑛
+ ∆ 𝑦0
𝑛!
1
y = 1.40 + (10x − 1)(0.16) + (10x − 1)(10x − 2)0.04
2
1
+ (10x − 1)(10x − 2)(10x − 3)0
6
1
+ (10x − 1)(10x − 2)(10x − 3)(10 − 4)(−0.03)
24

= 12.5𝑥 4 + 12.5𝑥 3 − 2.375𝑥 2 + 1.625𝑥 + 1.25

The data below shows pressure of stream at given temperature

𝑇𝑒𝑚0𝑐 140 150 160 170 180

𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑘𝑔𝑓 3.685 4.854 6.302. 8.067 10.225
/𝑐𝑚2

6
Using Newton Backward Difference Interpolating polynomial, find the pressure of
the stream at 1750 𝑐

Solution

𝑇𝑒𝑚𝑝 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 ∇𝑓𝑖 ∇2𝑓𝑖 ∇3𝑓𝑖 ∇4𝑓𝑖

140 3.685
1.169
150 4.854 0.279
1.448 0.047
160 6.302 0.3260 0.002
1.774 0.049
170 8.076 0.375
2.149
180 10.225

𝑥 − 𝑥0 180 − 170
𝑃= = = −0.5
ℎ 10

𝑃(𝑃 + 1) 2 𝑃(𝑃 + 1)(𝑃 + 2) 3

𝑦(175) = 10. +𝑃∇𝑦0 + ∇ 𝑦0 + ∇ 𝑦0
2! 3!
𝑃(𝑃 + 1)(𝑃 + 2)(𝑃 + 3) 4
+ ∇ 𝑦0 + ⋯
4!
𝑃 (𝑃 + 1) … [𝑃 + (𝑛 + 1)] 𝑛
+ ∇ 𝑦0
𝑛!

7
 1 1 1
y(175) = 10.225 − (2.149) − (− + 1) (0.375)
2 4 2
1 1 1
− (− + 1) (− + 2) (0.049)
12 2 2
1 1 1 1
− (− + 1) (− + 2) (− + 3) (0.002)
48 2 2 2

= 9.1005

Tutorial problems

1. The population of a certain town obtained from a census was shown in the
table below

𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟(𝑥) 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991

𝑝𝑜𝑝 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑑 (𝑦) 19.96 36.65 58.81 77.21 94.61

Find the population in the 1955.

2. The population of a certain town obtained from a census was shown in the
table below

𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟(𝑥) 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991

𝑝𝑜𝑝 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑑 (𝑦) 19.96 36.65 58.81 77.21 94.61

Find the rate of growth of the population in the 1961.

3. The amount A of a substance remaining in a reacting system after an interval

of time t in a certain chemical experiment is tabulated below
𝑡(min) 2 5 8 11 1991
𝐴(𝑔𝑚) 94.8 87.9 81.3 77.21 75.1

8
Obtain the value of A when

(i) 𝑡=4
(ii) t=9