Community Mathematics Centre, CoMaC
(2017)
Connecting
the dots...
the art and science of
interpolation and extrapolation.
At Right Angles, 6 (2).
pp. 12-16.
ISSN 2582-1873
Abstract
We need to point out the difference
between the two terms ‘interpolation’ and
‘extrapolation’. Suppose we are given n data
points, and we have been able to find a curve
corresponding to a polynomial f of degree n
which passes through all the n points. We may
now want to use this knowledge to estimate the
y-value corresponding to some x-value lying
within the range of the given data. All we need
to do now is to substitute this value of x into
the function f, and we get the desired estimate.
This process is known as interpolation. What
happens if the x-value lies outside the range of
the given data? We may assume now that the
same functional relationship holds between y
and x even if such is the case. Therefore, to get
the desired estimate, all we do (as earlier) is to
substitute this value of x into the function f. This
process is known as extrapolation.
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