Lill's method

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In mathematics, Lill's method is a visual method of finding the real roots of polynomials of any
degree.
[1]
It was developed by Austrian engineer Eduard Lill in 1867.
[2]
A later paper by Lill dealt
with the problem of imaginary roots.
[3]

Lill's method involves expressing the coefficients of a polynomial, in right angle paths from the
origin, right or left depending on the sign of the coefficient, to a terminus, then finding a path from
the start to the terminus changing direction these lines.
1. Description of the method[edit]


Solution of the cubic 4x
3
+2x
2
2x1 using Lill's method. Solutions are 1/2, 1/2, 1/2.
To employ the method a diagram is drawn starting at the origin. A line is drawn rightwards by the
space of the first coefficient (so that with a negative coefficient the line will end left of the origin).
From the end of the first line another line is drawn upwards the space of the second coefficent,
then left the space of the third, and down the space of the fourth. The direction turns
counterclockwise 90 for each positive coefficient and negative coefficients are drawn in the
opposite direction. The process continues for every coefficient of the polynomial including
zeroes. This final point reached is the terminus.
A line is then launched from the origin at some angle , reflected off of the line segments at right
angle paths, and refracted through the line through each segment (including a line for the zero
coefficients) when the path does not hit the line segment on that line.
[4]
Choosing so that the
path lands on the terminus, the negative of the tangent of is a root of this polynomial. For every
real zero of the polynomial there will be one unique path and angle that will land on the terminus.
A quadratic with two real roots, for example, will have exactly two angles that satisfy the above
conditions.
The construction in effect evaluates the polynomial according to Horner's method. For the
polynomial the values of ,
, are successively generated. A solution line giving a root
is similar to the Lill's construction for the polynomial with that root removed.
In 1936 Margharita P. Beloch showed how Lill's method could be adapted to solve cubic
equations using paper folding.
[5]
If simultaneous folds are allowed then any Nth degree equation
with a real root can be solved using N-2 simultaneous folds.
[6]

2. References[edit]
1. Jump up^ Dan Kalman (2009). Uncommon Mathematical Excursions: Polynomia and Related
Realms. AMS. pp. 1322. ISBN 978-0-88385-341-2.
2. Jump up^ M. E. Lill (1867). "Rsolution graphique des quations numriques de tous degrs
une seule inconnue, et description d'un instrument invent dans ce but". Nouvelles Annales de
Mathmatiques. 2 6: 359362.
3. Jump up^ M. E. Lill (1868). "Rsolution graphique des quations algbriques qui ont des racines
imaginaires". Nouvelles Annales de Mathmatiques. 2 7: 363367.
4. Jump up^ Phillips Verner Bradford, Sc.D.. Visualizing solutions to n-th degree algebraic
equations using right-angle geometric paths.
5. Jump up^ Thomas C. Hull (April 2011). "Solving Cubics With Creases: The Work of Beloch and
Lill". American Mathematical Monthly: 307315.doi:10.4169/amer.math.monthly.118.04.307.
6. Jump up^ Roger C. Alperin; Robert J. Lang (2009). "One-, Two-, and Multi-Fold Origami
Axioms". 4OSME (A K Peters).
3. External links[edit]
Bradford, Phillips Verner. "Extending Lill's Method of 1867". Visualizing solutions to n-th
degree algebraic equations using right-angle geometric paths. www.concentric.net.
Retrieved 3 February 2012.
Applet showing Lill's method applied to quadratic equations
Animation for Lill's Method
Categories:
Geometry
Paper folding
Polynomials