Polynomials as polygons (Q2363606): Difference between revisions

The author gives a delightful exposition of a curious approach to finding real roots of real polynomials in one variable, called Lill's method [\textit{A. Shan-Girey} and \textit{G. Florinsky}, Graphical solution of equations: Lill's method (in Russian). Messenger of Experimental Physics and Elementary Mathematics, 6 semester, No. 1, 6--10 (1889)]. From the text: ``\textit{Eduard Lill} (1830--1900) [not M. E. as the M. simply stands for Monsieur in elder French texts (the reviewer)] was an Austrian military engineer who published his method of solving polynomial equations in 1867 [Résolution graphique des équations numériques d'un degré quelconque à une inconnue. Nouv. Ann. Math. (2) 6, 359--362 (1867)] (see also [Nouv. Ann. (2) 7, 363--367 (1867; JFM 01.0029.02)]) and later presented it at the Vienna World Exposition in 1873. \textit{W. H. Bixby} described Lill's method in a privately published pamphlet [Graphical method for finding the real roots of numerical equations of any degree if containing but one variable. West Point (1879)] (see also [Bixby, Graphical solution of numerical equations. Am. Math. Mon. 29, 344--346 (1922)]). One reason to revisit Lill's method is that it is easily implemented on a computer; in particular, the illustrations in this note were created with the interactive geometry software Cinderella''.