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In calculus, Taylor's theorem gives an approximation of a -times differentiable function around a given point by a polynomial of degree , called the -th-order Taylor polynomial. For a smooth function , the Taylor polynomial is the truncation at the order k {\textstyle k} of the Taylor series of the function.
The sine function (blue) is closely approximated by its Taylor polynomial of degree 7 (pink) for a full period centered at the origin. The Taylor polynomials for ln(1 + x) only provide accurate approximations in the range −1 < x ≤ 1. For x > 1, Taylor polynomials of higher degree provide worse approximations.
Horner's method evaluates a polynomial using repeated bracketing: + + + + + = + (+ (+ (+ + (+)))). This method reduces the number of multiplications and additions to just Horner's method is so common that a computer instruction "multiply–accumulate operation" has been added to many computer processors, which allow doing the addition and multiplication operations in one combined step.
Polynomial interpolation also forms the basis for algorithms in numerical quadrature (Simpson's rule) and numerical ordinary differential equations (multigrid methods). In computer graphics, polynomials can be used to approximate complicated plane curves given a few specified points, for example the shapes of letters in typography.
In algebra, the partial fraction decomposition or partial fraction expansion of a rational fraction (that is, a fraction such that the numerator and the denominator are both polynomials) is an operation that consists of expressing the fraction as a sum of a polynomial (possibly zero) and one or several fractions with a simpler denominator.
Given a twice continuously differentiable function of one real variable, Taylor's theorem for the case = states that = + ′ () + where is the remainder term. The linear approximation is obtained by dropping the remainder: f ( x ) ≈ f ( a ) + f ′ ( a ) ( x − a ) . {\displaystyle f(x)\approx f(a)+f'(a)(x-a).}
A difference engine is an automatic mechanical calculator designed to tabulate polynomial functions. It was designed in the 1820s, and was first created by Charles Babbage . The name difference engine is derived from the method of finite differences , a way to interpolate or tabulate functions by using a small set of polynomial co-efficients.
Brook Taylor FRS (18 August 1685 – 29 December 1731) was an English mathematician and barrister best known for several results in mathematical analysis. Taylor's most famous developments are Taylor's theorem and the Taylor series, essential in the infinitesimal approach of functions in specific points.