Polynomials as polygons

DOI10.1007/S00283-016-9681-YMaRDI QIDQ2363606zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors S. Tabachnikov

Publication date 25 July 2017

Published in The Mathematical Intelligencer (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1007/s00283-016-9681-y

zbMATH Keywords

graphical solution of equations

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Polynomials in real and complex fields: location of zeros (algebraic theorems) (12D10) Graphical methods in numerical analysis (65S05)

Review text

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.

Recommendations

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4070192
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1545023
• Solution of polynomial equations
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5812875
• Polynomial root-finding and polynomiography
• Numerical methods for roots of polynomials. Part I

Cites work

• Geometric Solutions of Algebraic Equations
• Solving Cubics With Creases: The Work of Beloch and Lill
• Uncommon mathematical excursions. Polynomia and related realms

Cited in

(7)

• Quadratic identities of polygons
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4070192 (Why is no real title available?)
• Inscribed polygons and Heron polynomials
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 7659959 (Why is no real title available?)
• The doubloon polynomial triangle
• Description of polygonal regions by polynomials of bounded degree
• Lill's method for the graphic resolution of a second-degree equation with real roots

Describes a project that uses

Uses Software

• Cinderella

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