The Error in the Approximation

In applying any numerical method such as the bisection method to determine a root, it is important to realize that the best we can usually achieve is an approximation ofthe exact root. At each iteration of the method,we obtain a better estimate of the root. Thus it becomes desirable that we be able to estimate how accurate the approximation is at each stage so that we know when to stop the process.With the bisection method,suppose we know that there is a root in some interval [a,b], where a and b are successive integers, say 2 and 3. If we select the midpoint M1 of this interval, then it is obvious that the root R is