ABSTRACT
In a wide variety of engineering problems, there is a task of determining the values of the variable x that would satisfy a given algebraic equation, such as x3 − 4x2 + 5x = 2, or x tan x = 1. Depending on the problem, de˜ned by the equation and the range of x under consideration, these values of x, which are termed as roots of the equation, may be real or complex and may be ˜nite or in˜nite in number. Root solving is needed, for instance, in determining the terminal velocity of a falling body, the concentration of a chemical species at a surface subjected to mass transfer, the time needed to repay a loan at a given interest rate and monthly payment, and the natural frequencies of vibration of a beam.
