[CHM 331] Math Capsule 1

[Andrew J. Pounds]

Excellent!  You are the first person to ask about this.

Solve[] and NSolve[] are going to have a great bit of difficulty finding 
the root of the derivative of this function because it is so flat around 
1.  You really  need an initial guess for x in this case.  Both Solve 
and NSolve will not let you do that -- but FindRoot will.

Try something like this in your last step...

FindRoot[D[F[x], x] == 0, {x, 1.8} ]

and see what happens (based on the plot I picked a value of x near the 
minimum).

On 09/09/2012 03:35 PM, Raleigh.K.Godsey wrote:
> Dr. Pounds,
>
> I have been trying to work on problem 1 on the math caspule and I have run into a problem. I was able to plot and take the derivative of the function on page 124 but when I try to solve for when the derivative =0 the solve function pops up an error and does not spit out a number. I have attached my notebook. How can I get the solve function to work
>
>
> -Lee Godsey


-- 
Andrew J. Pounds, Ph.D.  (pounds at theochem.mercer.edu)
Associate Professor of Chemistry and Computer Science
Mercer University,  Macon, GA 31207   (478) 301-5627