1

8.10 Use the data from Problem 8.9 and the four-point backward difference formula that was derived in
Problem 8.6 for evaluating the first derivative of a function specified at unequally spaced points to calcu-
late the following quantities.
(a) Evaluate the rate of change in the number of male and female physicians in 2008.
(b) Use the data from 2008, 2006, together with the slopes in 2008 from part (a) to estimate the year in
which the number of female and male physicians will be equal. Use the three-point central difference
formula for the derivative (Eq. (8.36)) of a function specified at unequally spaced points.
Solution
The formula from Problem 8.6 is:
df
------ =
dx x = xi

( xi – xi – 2 ) 2 ( x i – xi – 3 ) 2 f ( xi – 1 ) + ( x i – xi – 1 ) 2 ( xi – x i – 3 ) 2 f ( xi – 2 ) – 2 ( xi – xi – 1 ) 2 ( xi – x i – 2 ) 2 f ( xi – 3 )
-+
= ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 ( xi – xi – 1 ) 2 ( xi – xi – 2 )2 ( xi – xi – 3 ) – ( xi – xi – 2 ) 2 ( xi – xi – 3 ) 2 ( xi – xi – 1 ) – ( xi – xi – 1 ) 2 ( xi – xi – 3 ) 2 ( xi – xi – 2 )
[ 2 ( x – x ) 2 ( x – x ) 2 – ( x – x ) 2 ( x – x ) 2 – ( x – x ) 2 ( x – x ) 2 ]f ( x )
i i–1 i i–2 i i–1 i i–3 i i–2 i i–3 i
+ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
2 ( xi – xi – 1 ) ( xi – xi – 2 ) ( xi – xi – 3 ) – ( xi – xi – 2 ) ( xi – xi – 3 ) ( xi – xi – 1 ) – ( xi – xi – 1 ) ( xi – xi – 3 ) ( xi – xi – 2 )
2 2 2 2 2 2

(a) x i = 2008 , x i – 1 = 2006 , x i – 2 = 2003 , x i – 3 = 2002

Male physicians:
df
------ =
dx x = 2008

( 5 ) 2 ( 6 ) 2 665647 + ( 2 ) 2 ( 6 ) 2 646493 – 2 ( 2 ) 2 ( 5 ) 2 638182 [ 2 ( 2 ) 2 ( 5 ) 2 – ( 2 ) 2 ( 6 ) 2 – ( 5 ) 2 ( 6 ) 2 ]677807

- + ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 ( 2 )2( 5 )2( 6 ) – ( 5 )2( 6 )2( 2 ) – ( 2 )2( 6 )2( 5 ) 2( 2 )2( 5 )2( 6 ) – ( 5 )2( 6 )2( 2 ) – ( 2 )2( 6 )2( 5 )
=5,703

Female physicians:
df-
----- =
dx x = 2008

( 5 ) 2 ( 6 ) 2 256257 + ( 2 ) 2 ( 6 ) 2 ( 225042 ) – 2 ( 2 ) 2 ( 5 ) 2 215005- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ 2 ( 2 ) 2 ( 5 ) 2 – ( 2 ) 2 ( 6 ) 2 – ( 5 ) 2 ( 6 ) 2 ]276417-
= ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- +
2 ( 2 )2( 5 )2( 6 ) – ( 5 )2( 6 )2( 2 ) – ( 2 )2( 6 )2( 5 ) 2( 2 )2( 5 )2( 6 ) – ( 5 )2( 6 )2( 2 ) – ( 2 )2( 6 )2( 5 )
=10,045

(b)

Excerpts from this work may be reproduced by instructors for distribution on a not-for-profit basis
for testing or instructional purposes only to students enrolled in courses for which the textbook
has been adopted. Any other reproduction or translation of this work beyond that permitted by
Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without the permission of the
copyright owner is unlawful.
2

Equation (8.36):
xi + 1 – xi + 2 2x i + 1 – x i – x i + 2 xi + 1 – xi
f ′ ( x i + 1 ) = ----------------------------------------------- y i + ---------------------------------------------------------- y i + 1 + ------------------------------------------------------ y i + 2
( xi – xi + 1 ) ( xi – xi + 2 ) ( xi + 1 – xi ) ( xi + 1 – xi + 2 ) ( xi + 2 – xi ) ( xi + 2 – xi + 1 )

Use x i = 2006 , and x i + 1 = 2008 with f ′ ( 2008 ) to predict x i + 2 when y i + 2 is the same for male and
females.
For males:
2008 – x i + 2 2 ( 2008 ) – 2006 – x i + 2 2
5703 = -------------------------------------------- 665647 + ------------------------------------------------------ 677807 + ---------------------------------------------------------------- y i + 2
( – 2 ) ( 2006 – x i + 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2008 – x i + 2 ) ( x i + 2 – 2006 ) ( x i + 2 – 2008 )
For females:
2008 – x i + 2 2 ( 2008 ) – 2006 – x i + 2 2
10045 = -------------------------------------------
- 256257 + -----------------------------------------------------
- 276417 + ---------------------------------------------------------------- y
( – 2 ) ( 2006 – x i + 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2008 – x i + 2 ) ( x i + 2 – 2006 ) ( x i + 2 – 2008 ) i + 2
Since the last two term are the same:

2008 – x i + 2 2010 – x i + 2 2008 – x i + 2 2010 – x i + 2

5703 + -------------------------------
- 332823.5 – --------------------------------
- 338903.5 = 10045 + -------------------------------
- 128128.5 – --------------------------------
- 138208.5
( 2006 – x i + 2 ) ( 2008 – x i + 2 ) ( 2006 – x i + 2 ) ( 2008 – x i + 2 )

2008 – x i + 2 2010 – x i + 2
-------------------------------
- 204695 – --------------------------------
- 200695 – 4342 = 0
( 2006 – x i + 2 ) ( 2008 – x i + 2 )

The last equation is quadratic with a zero between 2045 and 2046. This is the prediction as when the num-
ber of female and male physicians will be equal.

Excerpts from this work may be reproduced by instructors for distribution on a not-for-profit basis
for testing or instructional purposes only to students enrolled in courses for which the textbook
has been adopted. Any other reproduction or translation of this work beyond that permitted by
Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without the permission of the
copyright owner is unlawful.