Approximating Euler's sum using while loop
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So I have been working on this code that will approximate the Euler's approximation to within .01% of the actual value. It seems that I may be missing something, when the function runs it will only print the 3 terms, and will print .36111--- for almost any number. The actual value that I am trying to approximate is pi^2/6. Could anybody take a look at what I am missing
function ApproxEulers(PercError,exact)
i=1;
sum=0;
Error = 100;
while Error >= PercError ;
i=i+1;
sum = sum + (1/(i^2));
Error = Error -(100*abs((exact - sum)/exact));
end
fprintf('The number of terms: %d \n', i)
fprintf('The approxamite value: %.8f \n', sum)
fprintf('The exact value: %.8f \n', exact)
end
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Accepted Answer
Orion
on 9 Nov 2014
Edited: Orion
on 9 Nov 2014
the line
Error = Error -(100*abs((exact - sum)/exact));
is wrong.
Replace it with
Error = 100*abs((exact - sum)/exact);
also you initialize i to 1, should be 0.
In the end :
function ApproxEulers(PercError,exact)
i=0;
sum=0;
Error = 100;
while Error >= PercError ;
i=i+1;
sum = sum + (1/(i^2));
Error = 100*abs((exact - sum)/exact);
end
fprintf('\n\tThe number of terms: %d \n', i)
fprintf('\tThe approxamite value: %.8f \n', sum)
fprintf('\tThe exact value: %.8f \n\n', exact)
end
which will give you
>> ApproxEulers(.001,pi^2/6)
The number of terms: 60793
The approxamite value: 1.64491762
The exact value: 1.64493407
One remark : sum and error are the names of basic matlab functions. try to not use them when you code. Just pick other names to define your variables, otherwise, one day you're gonne struggle to debug a code because of that kind of mistake.
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More Answers (1)
Eric
on 10 Nov 2014
2 Comments
Orion
on 10 Nov 2014
The initialization depends on "where" you will increase your variable.
Here, at the first iteration, i becomes 1, which will give you the first element of your sum.
1/1² + 1/2² + ...
in your original code, you were calculating :
1/2² + 1/3² + ... => miss 1, you were calculating "pi^2/6 - 1"
you can change the initialization to 1, but then the increase of i must be at the end of the while loop instead of the beginning.
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