INTERPOLATION

Lagrangian Interpolation

Authors: Autar Kaw, Jai Paul

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Transforming Numerical Methods Education for STEM
Undergraduates
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numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu 1
 Lagrange Method of
Interpolation

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edu
 What is Interpolation ?
Given (x0,y0), (x1,y1), …… (xn,yn), find
the value of ‘y’ at a value of ‘x’ that is
not given.

3 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Interpolants
Polynomials are the most
common choice of interpolants
because they are easy to:

Evaluate
Differentiate, and
Integrate.

4 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Lagrangian Interpolation
Lagrangian interpolating polynomial is given by
n
f n ( x)  Li ( x) f ( xi )
i 0

where ‘ n ’ in f n (x) stands for the n th order polynomial that approximates the function y  f (x)

given at (n  1) data points as x0 , y 0 , x1 , y1 ,......, x n  1 , y n  1 , x n , y n  , and

n x  xj
Li ( x) 
j 0 xi  x j
j i

Li (x) is a weighting function that includes a product of (n  1) terms with terms of j i

omitted.

5 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Example
The upward velocity of a rocket is given as a
function of time in Table 1. Find the velocity at
t=16 seconds using the Lagrangian method for
Table
linear interpolation.
Velocity as a
function of time
t (s) v(t ) (m/s)
0 0
10 227.04
15 362.78
20 517.35
22.5 602.97
30 901.67

Figure. Velocity vs. time data

6
for the rocket example http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Linear Interpolation
550
517.35

1
v(t )   Li (t )v(ti ) 500
i 0
ys
 L0 (t )v(t 0 )  L1 (t )v(t1 ) f ( range)
450

f x desired 

t 0 15, t 0  362.78 400

t1 20, t1  517.35 362.78 350

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
x s  10 x s  range x desired x s  10
0 1

7 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Linear Interpolation
(contd)
1 t  tj t  t1
L0 (t )  
j 0 t0  t j t 0  t1
j 0

1 t  tj t  t0
L1 (t )  
j 0 t1  t j t1  t 0
j 1

t  t1 t  t0 t  20 t  15
v(t )  v(t 0 )  v(t1 )  (362.78)  (517.35)
t 0  t1 t1  t 0 15  20 20  15
16  20 16  15
v(16)  (362.78)  (517.35)
15  20 20  15
0.8(362.78)  0.2(517.35)

393.7 m/s.

8 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Quadratic Interpolation
For the second order polynomial interpolation (also called quadratic interpolation), we
choose the velocity given by
2
v (t )  Li ( t ) v(t i )
i 0

 L0 (t )v (t 0 )  L1 (t ) v( t1 )  L2 (t ) v( t 2 )

9 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Example
The upward velocity of a rocket is given as a
function of time in Table 1. Find the velocity at
t=16 seconds using the Lagrangian method for
Table
quadratic interpolation.
Velocity as a
function of time
t (s) v(t ) (m/s)
0 0
10 227.04
15 362.78
20 517.35
22.5 602.97
30 901.67

Figure. Velocity vs. time data

10
for the rocket example http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Quadratic Interpolation
(contd)
550
t 0 10, v(t 0 ) 227.04 517.35

500
t1 15, v(t1 ) 362.78
t 2 20, v(t 2 ) 517.35 450

ys
400
f ( range)
2 t  tj  t  t1   t  t 2 
L0 (t )      
f x desired  350
j 0 t0  t j t  t
 0 1  0 2  t  t
j 0
300
2 t tj  t  t0  t  t 2 
L1 (t )     
j 0 t1  t j  t1  t 0   t1  t 2  250
j 1

227.04
2 t  tj  t  t 0   t  t1  200
L2 (t )      10 12 14 16 18 20

j 0 t2  t j t  t
 2 0  2 1  t  t 10 x s  range x desired 20
j 2

11 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Quadratic Interpolation
(contd)
 t  t1   t  t 2   t  t0   t  t 2   t  t0   t  t1 
vt      vt0      vt1      vt 2 
 t0  t1   t0  t 2   t1  t0   t1  t 2   t 2  t0   t 2  t1 
 16  15   16  20   16  10   16  20   16  10   16  15 
v16    227 . 04      362 . 78      517.35
 10  15   10  20   15  10   15  20   20  10   20  15 
 0.08227.04 0.96362.78 0.12527.35
392.19 m/s
a
The absolute relative approximate error obtained between
the results from the first and second order polynomial is

392.19  393.70
a  100
392.19
0.38410%
12 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Cubic Interpolation
For the third order polynomial (also called cubic interpolation), we choose the velocity given by
3
v (t )  Li ( t ) v(t i )
i 0

 L0 (t ) v( t 0 )  L1 ( t ) v(t 1 )  L2 ( t ) v(t 2 )  L3 ( t ) v(t 3 )

700
602.97

600

ys 500

f ( range)


f x desired 
400

300

227.04 200
10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
10 x s  range x desired 22.5

13 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Example
The upward velocity of a rocket is given as a
function of time in Table 1. Find the velocity at
t=16 seconds using the Lagrangian method for
Table
cubic interpolation.
Velocity as a
function of time
t (s) v(t ) (m/s)
0 0
10 227.04
15 362.78
20 517.35
22.5 602.97
30 901.67

Figure. Velocity vs. time data

14
for the rocket example http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Cubic Interpolation (contd)
t o 10, v t o  227.04 t1 15, v t1  362.78

t 2 20, v t 2  517.35 t 3 22.5, v t 3  602.97

700
3 t  tj  t  t1  t  t2  t  t 3  602.97

L0 (t )        ;
j 0 t0  t j t  t t  t
 0 1  0 2  0 3  t  t 600
j 0

3 t tj  t  t0  t  t 2  t  t3 
L1 (t ) 
ys
      500

t1  t j  t1  t 0   t1  t 2   t1  t 3 
f ( range)
j 0
j 1 
f x desired 
400

3 t  tj  t  t 0   t  t1   t  t 3 
L2 (t )        ;
t2  t j  t2  t0  t 2  t1  t 2  t3
300
j 0 
j 2

227.04
3 t  tj  t  t 0   t  t1   t  t 2  200
10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
L3 ( t )        10 x s  range x desired 22.5

j 0 t3  t j t  t t  t
 3 0  3 1  3 2  t  t
j 3

15 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Cubic Interpolation (contd)
 t  t1   t  t 2   t  t3   t  t 0   t  t 2   t  t3 
vt        vt0        vt1 
t  t t
 0 1  0 2  0 3   t t  t t  t t
 1 0  1 2  1 3   t t  t
 t  t0   t  t1   t  t3   t  t0   t  t1   t  t 2 
       vt 2        vt3 
t  t t
 2 0  2 1  2 3   t t  t t  t t
 3 0  3 1  3 2   t t  t
 16  15   16  20   16  22.5   16  10   16  20   16  22.5 
v16     227.04     362.78
 10  15   10  20   10  22.5   15  10   15  20   15  22.5 
 16  10   16  15   16  22.5   16  10   16  15   16  20 
    517.35     602.97 
 20  10  20  15  20  22.5   22 .5  10  22.5  15  22.5  20 
 0.0416227.04 0.832362.78 0.312517.35  0.1024602.97 
392.06 m/s
The absolute relative approximate error a obtained between
the results from the first and second order polynomial is
392.06  392.19
a  100
392.06
0.033269%
16 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Comparison Table

Order of
1 2 3
Polynomial
v(t=16) m/s 393.69 392.19 392.06
Absolute
Relative 0.38410 0.033269
--------
Approximate % %
Error

17 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Distance from Velocity
Profile
Find the distance covered by the rocket from
t=11s to
v(t ) (t 3 ?57.5t 2  1087.5t  6750)(  0.36326)  (t 3  52.5t 2  875t  4500)(1.9348)
t=16s
 (t 3  47.5t 2  712.5t  3375)(  4.1388)  (t 3  45t 2  650t  3000)( 2.5727)
v (t )  4.245  21.265t  0.13195t 2  0.00544t 3 , 10 t 22.5
16

s(16)  s (11)  v( t ) dt

11

16

 (  4.245  21.265t  0.13195t 2  0.00544t 3 ) dt

11

t2 t3 t 4 16
[  4.245t  21.265  0.13195  0.00544 ]11
2 3 4

1605 m
18 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Acceleration from Velocity
Profile
Find the acceleration of the rocket at t=16s given that

v(t )  4.245  21.265t  0.13195t 2  0.00544t 3 , 10 t  22.5

d d
a t   v t    4.245  21.265t  0.13195t  0.00544t 3 
2 ,

dt dt

21.265  0.26390t  0.01632t 2

a (16) 21. 265  0.26390(16)  0.01632(16) 2

29.665 m / s 2

19 http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu
 Additional Resources
For all resources on this topic such as digital
audiovisual lectures, primers, textbook chapters,
multiple-choice tests, worksheets in MATLAB,
MATHEMATICA, MathCad and MAPLE, blogs,
related physical problems, please visit

http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu/topics/
lagrange_method.html
 THE END

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