Task 3.

1 Responsiveness of Geophysical Computing of Square Root of

an Imperfect Square
Djody Virgiawan Ramadhan 03411740000016
Geophysics Engineering Departemen
Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember Surabaya
ABSTRACT
Squares and square roots imply multiplication and division algorithms. Students learn
the squares by heart and make use of these in examinations. By that time ancient
Babylonians had used a human-calculable method of estimating square roots. This
method certainly has some errors, and it depends on the iterations of calculations to
produce more errorless results. This experiment tests this method, uses maximum
tolerable error of 10−4, and trying to determine the error of estimate of square root of
0, 2, 10, and −4. The result shows that the Babylonian method fits only positive real
number (e < 10−4), and other numbers than that produce extremely unreliable results
(e > 1).
Keyword : Babylonian method, square root, break function
1. Introduction the principal square root can also be
written in exponent notation, as a1/2.
In mathematics, a square root of a
number a is a number y such that y2 2. Literature Review
= a; in other words, a number y
whose square (the result of Square root and Babylonian method
multiplying the number by itself, or Square root, represented by √𝑎,
y ⋅ y) is a. For example, 4 and −4 are is the simplest root operation. Since
square roots of 16 because 42 = as a root, it’s an inverse of power, it
(−4)2 = 16. Every nonnegative real 1

number a has a unique nonnegative can be written as 𝑎2 . A method to

square root, called the principal determine the value of square root
square root, which is denoted by √a, dates back to 7289 BC, used by
where √ is called the radical sign or Ancient Babylonians (Bell, 2016).
radix. The method is like this: assume
Every positive number a has two that n and xi are the number to be
square roots: √a, which is positive, rooted and its estimate respectively.
and −√a, which is negative. The equation would be:
Together, these two roots are 𝑥𝑖 +
𝑛
𝑥𝑖
denoted as ±√a. Although the 𝑥𝑖+1 = ....................(1)
2
principal square root of a positive
number is only one of its two square Until 𝑥𝑖2 ≈ 𝑛. The error would be:
roots, the designation "the square √𝑛−𝑥𝑖
root" is often used to refer to the 𝑒= .....................(2)
√𝑛
principal square root. For positive a,
 𝑥𝑖+1 −𝑥𝑖
𝑒= .....................(3)
𝑥𝑖+1

If the value of √𝑛 is unknown, or

there’s no computer means to
calculate it, equation (3) can be used
instead (Thiemann, 2013).
MATLAB is both a calculational
environment and a programming
language. MATLAB as a language
resembles and is capable to
communicate with C and C++.
MATLAB is useful for various
Table 1. Number a, their actual square
mathematical works, as it: contains
hundreds of commands; can be used roots, and the minimum error of their
to create graph functions, solve
estimates.
equations, perform statistical tests,
etc; produces sound and animate 𝑎 √𝑎 𝑒
graphics; and creates simulations
and models (Hunt et al, 2001). 0 0 ∞

3. Methodology 2 1.4142 2.4345×10−8

In this experiment, that is by using 10 3.1623 5.6277×10−5

MATLAB software as the main –4 2i −5.099i
media in comparing values,
calculating and analyzing square
equation. The MATLAB series used
is R2017a. The values to be used are
assigned like the following: 4. Result and Discussion

 𝑎 = 0,2,10, −4. These are the
number to be square rooted.
 𝑒 ≤ 10−4 . This is the maximum
error tolerable.
 𝑛=1
 𝑥(1) ≤ 20
Meanwhile, the experiment will
be conducted according to this
flowchart:
Based on the processing that has
been done. Get the graph like below,
the green line to describe the
relationship between K and Ta,
while the red line to describe the
relationship log10k with 1 / Ta.
In this processing, withthe value of
a = 0, 2, 10 and -4 and using ε = 1 ×
10-4. Table (1) shows that square
root estimates of positive real
numbers tend to be more accurate (e
< 10−4) than their non-positive and
imaginary brethren.
The error of square root estimate of Thiemann, Réne. 2013. Computing
a = −4 is −5.099i, around 50990 Square Roots using the
times of tolerable error (this is Babylonian Method. Austrian
discounting its negativity and Science Fund.
imaginaryness). The error of square
root of a = 0 is even infinite.
5. Conclusion
The conclusions that can be drawn
from the discussion above are in the
processing of searching for the
square root calculation and the error
value, the value of a very influential
for the error value and the value of
its roots. In this processing, withthe
value of a = 0, 2, 10 and -4 and
using ε = 1 × 10-4.

Estimate of square root of positive

real number is more predictable than
the estimate of non-positive, non-
real number, because the error is
below 10−4.

6. Advice

As for the advice that can be given

is the practitioner must learn more
and understand every concept that
exists in the arrhenius equation and
activation energy so as to facilitate
future experiments

7. Reference
Bell, Jordan. 2016. Approximating
Square Roots in Antiquity.
Retrieved from
Hunt, B et al. 2001. A Guide to
MATLAB® for Beginners and
Experienced Users.
Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Lampiran (file m. tidak bisa diupload)
SCRIPT MATLAB
clc

a=0 %number to be rooted

t=sqrt(a) %actual square root product
n=1;
x(1)=10; %value sample
while n<=20;
x(n+1)=(x(n)+a/x(n))/2 %Babylonian equation
e=abs(t-x(n))/t %error determination
if e<0.0001; %minimum tolerable error
break
else
n=n+1;
end
end

clc

a=2 %number to be rooted

t=sqrt(a) %actual square root product
n=1;
x(1)=10; %value sample
while n<=20;
x(n+1)=(x(n)+a/x(n))/2 %Babylonian equation
e=abs(t-x(n))/t %error determination
if e<0.0001; %minimum tolerable error
break
else
n=n+1;
end
end

clc

a=10 %number to be rooted

t=sqrt(a) %actual square root product
n=1;
x(1)=10; %value sample
while n<=20;
x(n+1)=(x(n)+a/x(n))/2 %Babylonian equation
e=abs(t-x(n))/t %error determination
if e<0.0001; %minimum tolerable error
break
else
n=n+1;
end
end
clc

a=-4 %number to be rooted

t=sqrt(a) %actual square root product
n=1;
x(1)=10; %value sample
while n<=20;
x(n+1)=(x(n)+a/x(n))/2 %Babylonian equation
e=abs(t-x(n))/t %error determination
if e<0.0001; %minimum tolerable error
break
else
n=n+1;
end
end