How Can I Compute High Precision Square Roots for Special Relativity Homework? (2024)

  • Forums
  • Mathematics
  • General Math
  • Thread starterBOAS
  • Start date
  • Tags
    PrecisionRootsSquare

In summary, the speaker is having trouble evaluating their gamma factor for their special relativity homework because they need to compute 1 minus a very small number. Their calculator and Mathematica treat this value as simply 1. They are wondering if there are any methods they could do by hand for this problem. The listener suggests using Mathematica's floating point precision capabilities to get a more accurate result. The speaker thanks them for the solution.

  • #1

BOAS

552
19

Hello,

i'm having trouble evaluating my gamma factor for my special relativity homework, because I need to compute 1 minus a very small number (8.57*10^-13). My calculator treats this value as simply 1, as does Mathematica. Although I don't know much about it, and maybe there's a way to force it to consider the small number.

Are there any methods that I could do by hand?

(I am also looking for a computer method elsewhere, but I figured this might be interesting).

Thanks!

  • #2

SteamKing

Staff Emeritus

Science Advisor

Homework Helper

12,811
1,672

Evaluating such a difference will be a problem with a standard calculator. Mathematica however should be able to handle floating point calculations to such a precision that you don't get a value of 1 for the difference.

http://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetPrecision.html

  • #3

BOAS

552
19

SteamKing said:

Evaluating such a difference will be a problem with a standard calculator. Mathematica however should be able to handle floating point calculations to such a precision that you don't get a value of 1 for the difference.

http://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetPrecision.html

Thanks, that solves the problem at hand.

  • #4

Vanadium 50

Staff Emeritus

Science Advisor

Education Advisor

2023 Award

33,972
20,656

(1+x)^(1/2) is approximately 1 + x/2.

  • #5

Hello,

I can understand the difficulty in evaluating your gamma factor with such a small number. In situations like this, it is important to use high precision methods for calculating square roots. One method you could use by hand is the Babylonian method, also known as the Heron's method, which involves taking an initial guess and iteratively refining it until you reach the desired level of precision. However, this may be quite time consuming and may not be feasible for your homework assignment.

For computer methods, you can try using libraries or functions specifically designed for high precision calculations, such as the GMP library or the mpmath module in Python. These tools allow you to specify the desired level of precision and can handle very small numbers without rounding them off.

I hope this helps. Best of luck with your homework!

Related to How Can I Compute High Precision Square Roots for Special Relativity Homework?

What is a high precision square root?

High precision square root is the process of finding the square root of a number with a high level of accuracy, often to many decimal places. This is achieved by using advanced mathematical algorithms and computer calculations.

Why is high precision square root important?

High precision square root is important because it allows for more accurate and precise calculations in scientific and mathematical applications. It also helps to reduce rounding errors and improve the overall accuracy of the solution.

How is high precision square root calculated?

High precision square root is calculated using various mathematical algorithms and methods, such as the Newton's method, the bisection method, or the continued fraction method. These methods use iterative processes to find the square root to a desired level of precision.

What are some common uses for high precision square roots?

High precision square roots are commonly used in fields such as engineering, physics, and finance, where accurate calculations are crucial. They are also used in computer programming and data analysis to improve the accuracy of mathematical operations.

Are there any limitations to high precision square roots?

While high precision square roots can provide very accurate results, they are limited by the precision of the computer or calculator used for the calculations. Additionally, some numbers, such as irrational numbers, may not have an exact square root and can only be approximated to a certain level of precision.

Similar threads

MHBComputing The Arbitrary-Precision Nth Root Of Positive (X) In PHP

  • General Math
    Replies
    1
    Views
    3K

    Were you taught square root extraction at school?

    • General Math
      Replies
      18
      Views
      4K

      Adding square roots of ##i## leading to different answers!

      • Precalculus Mathematics Homework Help
        Replies
        21
        Views
        942

        Fast reciprocal square root algorithm

        • Programming and Computer Science
          Replies
          30
          Views
          4K

          MHBFree Math Tutoring Videos Focusing on Math Olympiad, Calculus, and High School Math

          • Differential Equations
            Replies
            1
            Views
            2K

            Square Root of 4: Can it be +2 or -2?

            • General Math
              Replies
              4
              Views
              3K

              How Can I Express This Function with a Complex Square Root Term?

              • General Math
                Replies
                7
                Views
                2K

                MHBHow can I solve P(X>28.41) using the chi-squared distribution?

                • Set Theory, Logic, Probability, Statistics
                  Replies
                  1
                  Views
                  1K

                  B

                  • Special and General Relativity
                    Replies
                    12
                    Views
                    1K

                    How does relativity affect the detection of atmospheric muons?

                    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
                      Replies
                      11
                      Views
                      986
                      • Forums
                      • Mathematics
                      • General Math
                      How Can I Compute High Precision Square Roots for Special Relativity Homework? (2024)

                      FAQs

                      How do you estimate square roots accurately? ›

                      Estimate: Get as close as possible to the number you're trying to square root by finding two perfect square roots that gives a close number. Divide: Divide your number by one of the square roots you've chosen from the previous step. Average: Take the average of step 2 and the root.

                      How to solve square roots without a calculator? ›

                      To find the square root of a given square number by prime factorization, we follow the following steps:
                      1. Obtain the prime factorization of the given natural number.
                      2. Make pairs of identical factors.
                      3. Take one factor from each pair and find their product. The product so obtained is the square root of the given number.

                      How is square root computed? ›

                      What is Square Root in Math? The square root of a number is a number that when multiplied by itself gives the actual number. For example, 2 is the square root of 4, and this is expressed as √4 = 2. This means when 2 is multiplied by 2 it results in 4 and this can be verified as 2 × 2 = 4.

                      How do you evaluate large square roots? ›

                      1. Three methods known to me to find the square roots of large number are.
                      2. This method is best for finding roots of perfect squares.
                      3. Step 1 : Find prime factorization of the given numbers.
                      4. Step 2 : Pair the same factors.
                      5. Step 3 : Collect one factor from each pair.
                      6. Step 4 : Multiply the collected prime factor.
                      Jun 7, 2019

                      What is the formula to calculate square root? ›

                      Suppose x is the square root of y, then it is represented as x=√y, or we can express the same equation as x2 = y. Here, '√' is the radical symbol used to represent the root of numbers. The positive number, when multiplied by itself, represents the square of the number.

                      How to calculate square roots in your head? ›

                      Estimation Method
                      1. Choose a nearby guess. For example, \sqrt{59.6} \approx 8.
                      2. Calculate the difference between guess² and the number you want to square-root. For example, 8^2 – 59.6 = 4.4.
                      3. Divide it by twice your original guess. ...
                      4. Add or subtract the correction from the guess to get the estimate of 8 – 0.275 = 7.725.

                      How do you manually calculate square roots? ›

                      Long division method
                      1. Separate your square root base into pairs. ...
                      2. Find the largest square that divides into the first number or pair. ...
                      3. Subtract the square from the first number or pair. ...
                      4. Drop down the next pair. ...
                      5. Multiply the first digit of the square by two. ...
                      6. Set up the next factor equation.

                      How do I solve using the square root method? ›

                      To solve an equation by using the square root property, you will first isolate the term that contains the squared variable. You can then take the square root of both sides and solve for the variable. Make sure to write the final answer in simplified form.

                      What is the rule for calculating square roots? ›

                      What are the rules of square roots? Square roots can distribute over multiplication and division, just like exponents. Also, like exponents, square roots cannot distribute over addition or subtraction.

                      How do you estimate the roots of an equation? ›

                      The roots of a quadratic equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 can be found using the quadratic formula that says x = (-b ± √ (b2 - 4ac)) /2a. Alternatively, if the quadratic expression is factorable, then we can factor it and set the factors to zero to find the roots.

                      What is the best way to find square roots? ›

                      Long division method
                      1. Separate your square root base into pairs. ...
                      2. Find the largest square that divides into the first number or pair. ...
                      3. Subtract the square from the first number or pair. ...
                      4. Drop down the next pair. ...
                      5. Multiply the first digit of the square by two. ...
                      6. Set up the next factor equation.

                      How do you check the accuracy of a square? ›

                      You must check both sides of the blade of the square by sliding the blade along to check the inside edge. One part remains to be checked. The outer edge of the stock of the square. This is simply a measurement check to see if it's dead parallel to the inner face.

                      How do you predict the number of roots? ›

                      To work out the number of roots a qudratic ax2​+bx+c=0 you need to compute the discriminant (b2​-4ac). If the discrimant is less than 0, then the quadratic has no real roots. If the discriminant is equal to zero then the quadratic has equal roosts. If the discriminant is more than zero then it has 2 distinct roots.

                      References

                      Top Articles
                      Latest Posts
                      Article information

                      Author: Lidia Grady

                      Last Updated:

                      Views: 6035

                      Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

                      Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

                      Author information

                      Name: Lidia Grady

                      Birthday: 1992-01-22

                      Address: Suite 493 356 Dale Fall, New Wanda, RI 52485

                      Phone: +29914464387516

                      Job: Customer Engineer

                      Hobby: Cryptography, Writing, Dowsing, Stand-up comedy, Calligraphy, Web surfing, Ghost hunting

                      Introduction: My name is Lidia Grady, I am a thankful, fine, glamorous, lucky, lively, pleasant, shiny person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.