proposal to rename "interpolate", was: Interpolation function

Am 10 Dec 2005 um 11:47 hat Robert Dodier geschrieben:


> there is a function named "interpolate", but its purpose is to find a
> root of an equation by a numerical method.
> 
> i propose that "interpolate" be renamed to "solve_numerically",
> with the eventual goal that the function would be beefed up to
> use a more powerful method (or a combination of several
> methods) than it does at present. in the near term, i think
> just renaming it is helpful.
> 
> we could also consider having "solve (eq, x), numer" invoke a
> numerical method such as solve_numerically or something else.
> 
> at present there doesn't seem to be any other built-in general purpose
> function to find roots numerically. there are a couple of functions
> for numerical roots of polynomials.
> 
> comments?
> 

Hi Robert,

yes, the name 'interpolate' is absolutely misleading. So due to that in the past I have 
overlooked this function.
I would suggest simply  'fsolve'.

Volker