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Exercise 10Calculus › Single-variable calculus › Differentiation › Taylor expansionsL1Added 3 Nov 2026

Expanding √x at x = 4

#Taylor expansion#shifted point#numerical estimate

Statement

  1. Find the expansion of x\sqrt x at the point 44 up to order 33, i.e. of 4+h\sqrt{4+h} as h→0h\to0.
  2. Estimate 4.1\sqrt{4.1}.
Hint

Factor: 4+h=21+h4\sqrt{4+h}=2\sqrt{1+\frac h4} and use the expansion of 1+u\sqrt{1+u}.

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Solution

1. With u=h4u=\frac h4 and 1+u=1+u2−u28+u316+o(u3)\sqrt{1+u}=1+\frac u2-\frac{u^2}8+\frac{u^3}{16}+o(u^3):
4+h=2+h4−h264+h3512+o(h3).\sqrt{4+h}=2+\frac h4-\frac{h^2}{64}+\frac{h^3}{512}+o(h^3).

2. For h=0.1h=0.1:
2+0.025−0.00015625+0.00000195=2.02484570.2+0.025-0.00015625+0.00000195=2.02484570.
The exact value is 2.02484567…2.02484567\dots: the error is about 3⋅10−83\cdot10^{-8}.

Remark. Always expand around the nearest "nice" point: the closer to the centre, the better the approximation. Expanding x\sqrt x at 00 is impossible (the derivative blows up there).