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Lecture 3 - Taylor Series

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17 views2 pages

Lecture 3 - Taylor Series

math eee

Uploaded by

kajoba saluzhinga
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Taylor series

If a function, 𝑓(𝑥) is continuously differentiable and its values can be evaluated about a point
𝑥 = 𝑎 (where ≠ 0) , then it can be written as a Taylor series. In other words, the Taylor series is
a special case of the Maclaurin series taken about a point, a.

Recall that the Maclaurin series of 𝑓(𝑥) is given by:

′ (0)
x 2 ′′ x 3 ′′′
f(x) = f(0) + xf + f (0) + f (0) + ⋯ ..
2! 3!

About 𝑥 = 𝑎, this formula can be modified as follows:

(x − a)2 ′′ (x − a)3 ′′′


f(x) = f(a) + (x − a)f ′ (a) + f (a) + f (a) + ⋯.
2! 3!

This is the Taylor theorem that allows one to express a function as a power series about a
point x = a.

Examples

1. Expand ex as a Taylor series about 𝑎 = 2 up to four non-zero terms.


2. Expand lnx as a series of ascending powers of 𝑥 − 1 up to 3 non-zero terms.

Solutions

1. The Taylor series of a function, f(x) is given as:

(x − a)2 ′′ (x − a)3 ′′′


f(x) = f(a) + (x − a)f ′ (a) + f (a) + f (a) + ⋯.
2! 3!

About the point 𝑎 = 2; the formula is modified as:

(x − 2)2 ′′ (x − 2)3 ′′′


f(x) = f(2) + (x − 2)f ′ (2) + f (2) + f (2) + ⋯.
2! 3!

From:

f(x) = ex ; When x = 2; f(2) = e2

f ′ (x) = ex ; when x = 2; f ′ (2) = e2


1
f ′′ (x) = ex ; when x = 2; f ′′ (2) = e2
f ′′′ (x) = ex ; when x = 2; f ′′ ′(2) = e2

The Taylor series of the function 𝑒 𝑥 about 𝑎 = 2 is given as:

(𝑥 − 2)2 2 (𝑥 − 2)3 2
𝑒 𝑥 = 𝑒 2 + (𝑥 − 2)𝑒 2 + 𝑒 + 𝑒 + ⋯ ..
2! 3!

(𝑥 − 2)2 (𝑥 − 2)3
𝑒 𝑥 = 𝑒 2 (1 + (𝑥 − 2) + + +⋯…)
2! 3!

2. The Taylor series of a function in ascending powers of 𝑥 − 1(about 𝑎 = 1) is given by:

′ (1)
(𝑥 − 1)2 ′′ (𝑥 − 1)3 ′′′
𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑓(1) + (𝑥 − 1)𝑓 + 𝑓 (1) + 𝑓 (1) + ⋯
2! 3!

Given:
f(x) = lnx; when x = 1; f(1) = ln1 = 0
1
f ′ (x) = = x −1 ; when x = 1; f ′ (1) = (1)−1 = 1
x
f′′(x) = −x −2 ; when x = 1; f ′′ (1) = −(1)−2 = −1
f ′′′ (x) = 2x −3 ; when x = 1; f ′′′ (1) = 2(1)−3 = 2
(x−1)2 (x−1)3
∴ lnx = (x − 1)1 + (−1) + (2) + ⋯ …
2! 3!
(x−1)2 2(x−1)3
lnx = (x − 1) − + − ⋯ ….
2! 3!

Exercise
1. Obtain the Taylor expansions of:
π
a) f(x) = sinx about a = 2
π
b) f(x) = cosx about a = 4
1
2. Expand 𝑓(𝑥) = 1+𝑥 as a series of ascending powers of (𝑥 − 5).
3
3. Expand 𝑓(𝑥) = √𝑥 as series of ascending powers of (𝑥 − 4).

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