(eBook PDF) Applied Numerical Methods with MATLAB for Engineers and Scientists 4th Edition download
Uploaded by
babyshmazghi(eBook PDF) Applied Numerical Methods with MATLAB for Engineers and Scientists 4th Edition download
Uploaded by
babyshmazghi(eBook PDF) Applied Numerical Methods with
MATLAB for Engineers and Scientists 4th Edition
pdf download
https://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-applied-numerical-
methods-with-matlab-for-engineers-and-scientists-4th-edition/
Download more ebook from https://ebooksecure.com
We believe these products will be a great fit for you. Click
the link to download now, or visit ebooksecure.com
to discover even more!
Applied Numerical Methods with MATLAB for Engineers and
Scientists 4th Edition Steven C. Chapra Dr. - eBook PDF
https://ebooksecure.com/download/applied-numerical-methods-with-
matlab-for-engineers-and-scientists-ebook-pdf/
Numerical Methods in Engineering with MATLAB 3rd
Edition
http://ebooksecure.com/product/numerical-methods-in-engineering-
with-matlab-3rd-edition/
Essential MATLAB for Engineers and Scientists 7th
Edition - eBook PDF
https://ebooksecure.com/download/essential-matlab-for-engineers-
and-scientists-ebook-pdf-2/
(eBook PDF) Numerical Methods in Engineering with
MATLAB 3rd Edition
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-numerical-methods-in-
engineering-with-matlab-3rd-edition/
Essential MATLAB for engineers and scientists 7th
Edition Hahn B.D. - eBook PDF
https://ebooksecure.com/download/essential-matlab-for-engineers-
and-scientists-ebook-pdf/
(eBook PDF) Numerical Methods for Engineers 7th Edition
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-numerical-methods-for-
engineers-7th-edition/
(eBook PDF) Numerical Methods for Engineers 8th Edition
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-numerical-methods-for-
engineers-8th-edition-2/
(eBook PDF) Numerical Methods for Engineers 8th Edition
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-numerical-methods-for-
engineers-8th-edition/
(eBook PDF) Numerical Methods for Engineers 8th Edition
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-numerical-methods-for-
engineers-8th-edition-3/
CONTENTS vii
CHAPTER 7
Optimization 198
7.1 Introduction and Background 199
7.2 One-Dimensional Optimization 202
7.3 Multidimensional Optimization 211
7.4 Case Study: Equilibrium and Minimum Potential Energy 213
Problems 215
Part Three Linear Systems 223
3.1 Overview 223
3.2 Part Organization 225
CHAPTER 8
Linear Algebraic Equations and Matrices 227
8.1 Matrix Algebra Overview 229
8.2 Solving Linear Algebraic Equations with MATLAB 238
8.3 Case Study: Currents and Voltages in Circuits 240
Problems 244
CHAPTER 9
Gauss Elimination 248
9.1 Solving Small Numbers of Equations 249
9.2 Naive Gauss Elimination 254
9.3 Pivoting 261
9.4 Tridiagonal Systems 264
9.5 Case Study: Model of a Heated Rod 266
Problems 270
CHAPTER 10
LU Factorization 274
10.1 Overview of LU Factorization 275
10.2 Gauss Elimination as LU Factorization 276
10.3 Cholesky Factorization 283
10.4 MATLAB Left Division 286
Problems 287
viii CONTENTS
CHAPTER 11
Matrix Inverse and Condition 288
11.1 The Matrix Inverse 288
11.2 Error Analysis and System Condition 292
11.3 Case Study: Indoor Air Pollution 297
Problems 300
CHAPTER 12
Iterative Methods 305
12.1 Linear Systems: Gauss-Seidel 305
12.2 Nonlinear Systems 312
12.3 Case Study: Chemical Reactions 320
Problems 323
CHAPTER 13
Eigenvalues 326
13.1 Mathematical Background 328
13.2 Physical Background 331
13.3 The Power Method 333
13.4 MATLAB Function: eig 336
13.5 Case Study: Eigenvalues and Earthquakes 337
Problems 340
Part Four Curve Fitting 343
4.1 Overview 343
4.2 Part Organization 345
CHAPTER 14
Linear Regression 346
14.1 Statistics Review 348
14.2 Random Numbers and Simulation 353
14.3 Linear Least-Squares Regression 358
14.4 Linearization of Nonlinear Relationships 366
14.5 Computer Applications 370
14.6 Case Study: Enzyme Kinetics 373
Problems 378
CONTENTS ix
CHAPTER 15
General Linear Least-Squares and Nonlinear Regression 385
15.1 Polynomial Regression 385
15.2 Multiple Linear Regression 389
15.3 General Linear Least Squares 391
15.4 QR Factorization and the Backslash Operator 394
15.5 Nonlinear Regression 395
15.6 Case Study: Fitting Experimental Data 397
Problems 399
CHAPTER 16
Fourier Analysis 404
16.1 Curve Fitting with Sinusoidal Functions 405
16.2 Continuous Fourier Series 411
16.3 Frequency and Time Domains 414
16.4 Fourier Integral and Transform 415
16.5 Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) 418
16.6 The Power Spectrum 423
16.7 Case Study: Sunspots 425
Problems 426
CHAPTER 17
Polynomial Interpolation 429
17.1 Introduction to Interpolation 430
17.2 Newton Interpolating Polynomial 433
17.3 Lagrange Interpolating Polynomial 441
17.4 Inverse Interpolation 444
17.5 Extrapolation and Oscillations 445
Problems 449
CHAPTER 18
Splines and Piecewise Interpolation 453
18.1 Introduction to Splines 453
18.2 Linear Splines 455
18.3 Quadratic Splines 459
18.4 Cubic Splines 462
18.5 Piecewise Interpolation in MATLAB 468
18.6 Multidimensional Interpolation 473
18.7 Case Study: Heat Transfer 476
Problems 480
x CONTENTS
Part Five Integration and Differentiation 485
5.1 Overview 485
5.2 Part Organization 486
CHAPTER 19
Numerical Integration Formulas 488
19.1 Introduction and Background 489
19.2 Newton-Cotes Formulas 492
19.3 The Trapezoidal Rule 494
19.4 Simpson’s Rules 501
19.5 Higher-Order Newton-Cotes Formulas 507
19.6 Integration with Unequal Segments 508
19.7 Open Methods 512
19.8 Multiple Integrals 512
19.9 Case Study: Computing Work with Numerical Integration 515
Problems 518
CHAPTER 20
Numerical Integration of Functions 524
20.1 Introduction 524
20.2 Romberg Integration 525
20.3 Gauss Quadrature 530
20.4 Adaptive Quadrature 537
20.5 Case Study: Root-Mean-Square Current 540
Problems 544
CHAPTER 21
Numerical Differentiation 548
21.1 Introduction and Background 549
21.2 High-Accuracy Differentiation Formulas 552
21.3 Richardson Extrapolation 555
21.4 Derivatives of Unequally Spaced Data 557
21.5 Derivatives and Integrals for Data with Errors 558
21.6 Partial Derivatives 559
21.7 Numerical Differentiation with MATLAB 560
21.8 Case Study: Visualizing Fields 565
Problems 567
CONTENTS xi
Part six Ordinary Differential Equations 573
6.1 Overview 573
6.2 Part Organization 577
CHAPTER 22
Initial-Value Problems 579
22.1 Overview 581
22.2 Euler’s Method 581
22.3 Improvements of Euler’s Method 587
22.4 Runge-Kutta Methods 593
22.5 Systems of Equations 598
22.6 Case Study: Predator-Prey Models and Chaos 604
Problems 609
CHAPTER 23
Adaptive Methods and Stiff Systems 615
23.1 Adaptive Runge-Kutta Methods 615
23.2 Multistep Methods 624
23.3 Stiffness 628
23.4 MATLAB Application: Bungee Jumper with Cord 634
23.5 Case Study: Pliny’s Intermittent Fountain 635
Problems 640
CHAPTER 24
Boundary-Value Problems 646
24.1 Introduction and Background 647
24.2 The Shooting Method 651
24.3 Finite-Difference Methods 658
24.4 MATLAB Function: bvp4c 665
Problems 668
APPENDIX A: MATLAB BUILT-IN FUNCTIONS 674
APPENDIX B: MATLAB M-FILE FUNCTIONS 676
APPENDIX C: INTRODUCTION TO SIMULINK 677
BIBLIOGRAPHY 685
INDEX 687
Required=Results
©Getty Images/iStockphoto
McGraw-Hill Connect®
Learn Without Limits
Connect is a teaching and learning platform that is proven
to deliver better results for students and instructors.
Connect empowers students by continually adapting to deliver
precisely what they need, when they need it, and how they
need it, so your class time is more engaging and effective.
73% of instructors who use
Connect require it; instructor
satisfaction increases by 28%
Using Connect improves retention rates
when Connect is required.
by 19.8%, passing rates by
Analytics
12.7%, and exam scores by 9.1%.
Connect Insight®
Connect Insight is Connect’s new one-of-a-kind
visual analytics dashboard—now available for both
instructors and students—that provides at-a-
glance information regarding student performance,
which is immediately actionable. By presenting
assignment, assessment, and topical performance
results together with a time metric that is easily visible for
aggregate or individual results, Connect Insight gives the user
the ability to take a just-in-time approach to teaching and
learning, which was never before available. Connect Insight presents
Students can view
data that empowers students and helps instructors improve class their results for any
performance in a way that is efficient and effective. Connect course.
Mobile
Connect’s new, intuitive mobile interface gives students
and instructors flexible and convenient, anytime–anywhere
access to all components of the Connect platform.
Adaptive
THE ADAPTIVE
READING EXPERIENCE
DESIGNED TO TRANSFORM
THE WAY STUDENTS READ
More students earn A’s and
B’s when they use McGraw-Hill
Education Adaptive products.
SmartBook®
Proven to help students improve grades and study more
efficiently, SmartBook contains the same content within
the print book, but actively tailors that content to the
needs of the individual. SmartBook’s adaptive technology
provides precise, personalized instruction on what the
student should do next, guiding the student to master
and remember key concepts, targeting gaps in knowledge
and offering customized feedback, and driving the student
toward comprehension and retention of the subject matter.
Available on tablets, SmartBook puts learning at the student’s
fingertips—anywhere, anytime.
Over 8 billion questions have been
answered, making McGraw-Hill
Education products more intelligent,
reliable, and precise.
www.mheducation.com
PREFACE
This book is designed to support a one-semester course in numerical methods. It has been
written for students who want to learn and apply numerical methods in order to solve prob-
lems in engineering and science. As such, the methods are motivated by problems rather
than by mathematics. That said, sufficient theory is provided so that students come away
with insight into the techniques and their shortcomings.
MATLAB® provides a great environment for such a course. Although other en-
vironments (e.g., Excel/VBA, Mathcad) or languages (e.g., Fortran 90, C++) could
have been chosen, MATLAB presently offers a nice combination of handy program-
ming features with powerful built-in numerical capabilities. On the one hand, its
M-file programming environment allows students to implement moderately compli-
cated algorithms in a structured and coherent fashion. On the other hand, its built-in,
numerical capabilities empower students to solve more difficult problems without try-
ing to “reinvent the wheel.”
The basic content, organization, and pedagogy of the third edition are essentially pre-
served in the fourth edition. In particular, the conversational writing style is intentionally
maintained in order to make the book easier to read. This book tries to speak directly to the
reader and is designed in part to be a tool for self-teaching.
That said, this edition differs from the past edition in three major ways: (1) new
material, (2) new and revised homework problems, and (3) an appendix introducing
Simulink.
1. New Content. I have included new and enhanced sections on a number of topics. The
primary additions include material on some MATLAB functions not included in previ-
ous editions (e.g., fsolve, integrate, bvp4c), some new applications of Monte Carlo
for problems such as integration and optimization, and MATLAB’s new way to pass
parameters to function functions.
2. New Homework Problems. Most of the end-of-chapter problems have been modified,
and a variety of new problems have been added. In particular, an effort has been made
to include several new problems for each chapter that are more challenging and dif-
ficult than the problems in the previous edition.
3. I have developed a short primer on Simulink which I have my students read prior to
covering that topic. Although I recognize that some professors may not choose to
cover Simulink, I included it as a teaching aid for those that do.
xiv
PREFACE xv
Aside from the new material and problems, the fourth edition is very similar to the
third. In particular, I have endeavored to maintain most of the features contributing to its
pedagogical effectiveness including extensive use of worked examples and engineering and
scientific applications. As with the previous edition, I have made a concerted effort to make
this book as “student-friendly” as possible. Thus, I’ve tried to keep my explanations straight-
forward and practical.
Although my primary intent is to empower students by providing them with a sound
introduction to numerical problem solving, I have the ancillary objective of making this
introduction exciting and pleasurable. I believe that motivated students who enjoy engi-
neering and science, problem solving, mathematics—and yes—programming, will ulti-
mately make better professionals. If my book fosters enthusiasm and appreciation for these
subjects, I will consider the effort a success.
Acknowledgments. Several members of the McGraw-Hill team have contributed to
this project. Special thanks are due to Jolynn Kilburg, Thomas Scaife, Ph.D., Chelsea
Haupt, Ph.D., and Jeni McAtee for their encouragement, support, and direction.
During the course of this project, the folks at The MathWorks, Inc., have truly dem-
onstrated their overall excellence as well as their strong commitment to engineering and
science education. In particular, Naomi Fernandes of The MathWorks, Inc., Book Program
has been especially helpful and Jared Wasserman of the MathWorks Technical Support
Department was of great help with technical questions.
The generosity of the Berger family has provided me with the opportunity to work on
creative projects such as this book dealing with computing and engineering. In addition,
my colleagues in the School of Engineering at Tufts, notably Masoud Sanayei, Babak
Moaveni, Luis Dorfmann, Rob White, Linda Abriola, and Laurie Baise, have been very
supportive and helpful.
Significant suggestions were also given by a number of colleagues. In particular, Dave
Clough (University of Colorado–Boulder), and Mike Gustafson (Duke University) pro-
vided valuable ideas and suggestions. In addition, a number of reviewers provided use-
ful feedback and advice including Karen Dow Ambtman (University of Alberta), Jalal
Behzadi (Shahid Chamran University), Eric Cochran (Iowa State University), Frederic
Gibou (University of California at Santa Barbara), Jane Grande-Allen (Rice University),
Raphael Haftka (University of Florida), Scott Hendricks (Virginia Tech University), Ming
Huang (University of San Diego), Oleg Igoshin (Rice University), David Jack (Baylor Uni-
versity), Se Won Lee (Sungkyunkwan University), Clare McCabe (Vanderbilt University),
Eckart Meiburg (University of California at Santa Barbara), Luis Ricardez (University of
Waterloo), James Rottman (University of California, San Diego), Bingjing Su (University
of Cincinnati), Chin-An Tan (Wayne State University), Joseph Tipton (The University
of Evansville), Marion W. Vance (Arizona State University), Jonathan Vande Geest
(University of Arizona), Leah J. Walker (Arkansas State University), Qiang Hu (University
of Alabama, Huntsville), Yukinobu Tanimoto (Tufts University), Henning T. Søgaard
(Aarhus University), and Jimmy Feng (University of British Columbia).
It should be stressed that although I received useful advice from the aforementioned
individuals, I am responsible for any inaccuracies or mistakes you may find in this book.
Please contact me via e-mail if you should detect any errors.
xvi PREFACE
Finally, I want to thank my family, and in particular my wife, Cynthia, for the love,
patience, and support they have provided through the time I’ve spent on this project.
Steven C. Chapra
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts
steven.chapra@tufts.edu
PEDAGOGICAL TOOLS
Theory Presented as It Informs Key Concepts. The text is intended for Numerical
Methods users, not developers. Therefore, theory is not included for “theory’s sake,” for ex-
ample no proofs. Theory is included as it informs key concepts such as the Taylor series, con-
vergence, condition, etc. Hence, the student is shown how the theory connects with practical
issues in problem solving.
Introductory MATLAB Material. The text includes two introductory chapters on how to
use MATLAB. Chapter 2 shows students how to perform computations and create graphs
in MATLAB’s standard command mode. Chapter 3 provides a primer on developing
numerical programs via M ATLAB M-file functions. Thus, the text provides students with
the means to develop their own numerical algorithms as well as to tap into MATLAB’s
powerful built-in routines.
Algorithms Presented Using MATLAB M-files. Instead of using pseudocode, this book
presents algorithms as well-structured MATLAB M-files. Aside from being useful com-
puter programs, these provide students with models for their own M-files that they will
develop as homework exercises.
Worked Examples and Case Studies. Extensive worked examples are laid out in detail
so that students can clearly follow the steps in each numerical computation. The case stud-
ies consist of engineering and science applications which are more complex and richer than
the worked examples. They are placed at the ends of selected chapters with the intention
of (1) illustrating the nuances of the methods and (2) showing more realistically how the
methods along with MATLAB are applied for problem solving.
Problem Sets. The text includes a wide variety of problems. Many are drawn from en-
gineering and scientific disciplines. Others are used to illustrate numerical techniques and
theoretical concepts. Problems include those that can be solved with a pocket calculator as
well as others that require computer solution with MATLAB.
Useful Appendices and Indexes. Appendix A contains MATLAB commands, Appendix
B contains M-file functions, and new Appendix C contains a brief Simulink primer.
Instructor Resources. Solutions Manual, Lecture PowerPoints, Text images in Power-
Point, M-files and additional MATLAB resources are available through Connect®.
Part One
Modeling, Computers,
and Error Analysis
1.1 MOTIVATION
What are numerical methods and why should you study them?
Numerical methods are techniques by which mathematical problems are formulated
so that they can be solved with arithmetic and logical operations. Because digital comput-
ers excel at performing such operations, numerical methods are sometimes referred to as
computer mathematics.
In the pre–computer era, the time and drudgery of implementing such calculations
seriously limited their practical use. However, with the advent of fast, inexpensive digital
computers, the role of numerical methods in engineering and scientific problem solving
has exploded. Because they figure so prominently in much of our work, I believe that
numerical methods should be a part of every engineer’s and scientist’s basic education.
Just as we all must have solid foundations in the other areas of mathematics and science,
we should also have a fundamental understanding of numerical methods. In particular, we
should have a solid appreciation of both
their capabilities and their limitations.
Beyond contributing to your overall
education, there are several additional
reasons why you should study numerical
methods:
1. N umerical methods greatly expand the
types of problems you can address.
They are capable of handling large sys-
tems of equations, nonlinearities, and
complicated geometries that are not
uncommon in engineering and science
and that are often impossible to solve
analytically with standard calculus. As
such, they greatly enhance your prob-
lem-solving skills.
2. Numerical methods allow you to use
“canned” software with insight. During
1
2 PART 1 Modeling, Computers, and Error Analysis
your career, you will invariably have occasion to use commercially available prepack-
aged computer programs that involve numerical methods. The intelligent use of these
programs is greatly enhanced by an understanding of the basic theory underlying the
methods. In the absence of such understanding, you will be left to treat such packages
as “black boxes” with little critical insight into their inner workings or the validity of
the results they produce.
3. Many problems cannot be approached using canned programs. If you are conversant
with numerical methods, and are adept at computer programming, you can design
your own programs to solve problems without having to buy or commission expensive
software.
4. Numerical methods are an efficient vehicle for learning to use computers. Because nu-
merical methods are expressly designed for computer implementation, they are ideal for
illustrating the computer’s powers and limitations. When you successfully implement
numerical methods on a computer, and then apply them to solve otherwise intractable
problems, you will be provided with a dramatic demonstration of how computers can
serve your professional development. At the same time, you will also learn to acknowl-
edge and control the errors of approximation that are part and parcel of large-scale
numerical calculations.
5. Numerical methods provide a vehicle for you to reinforce your understanding of math-
ematics. Because one function of numerical methods is to reduce higher mathematics
to basic arithmetic operations, they get at the “nuts and bolts” of some otherwise
obscure topics. Enhanced understanding and insight can result from this alternative
perspective.
With these reasons as motivation, we can now set out to understand how numerical
methods and digital computers work in tandem to generate reliable solutions to mathemati-
cal problems. The remainder of this book is devoted to this task.
1.2 PART ORGANIZATION
This book is divided into six parts. The latter five parts focus on the major areas of nu-
merical methods. Although it might be tempting to jump right into this material, Part One
consists of four chapters dealing with essential background material.
Chapter 1 provides a concrete example of how a numerical method can be employed
to solve a real problem. To do this, we develop a mathematical model of a free-falling
bungee jumper. The model, which is based on Newton’s second law, results in an ordinary
differential equation. After first using calculus to develop a closed-form solution, we then
show how a comparable solution can be generated with a simple numerical method. We
end the chapter with an overview of the major areas of numerical methods that we cover in
Parts Two through Six.
Chapters 2 and 3 provide an introduction to the MATLAB® software environment.
Chapter 2 deals with the standard way of operating MATLAB by entering commands one
at a time in the so-called calculator, or command, mode. This interactive mode provides
a straightforward means to orient you to the environment and illustrates how it is used for
common operations such as performing calculations and creating plots.
1.2 PART ORGANIZATION 3
Chapter 3 shows how MATLAB’s programming mode provides a vehicle for assem-
bling individual commands into algorithms. Thus, our intent is to illustrate how MATLAB
serves as a convenient programming environment to develop your own software.
Chapter 4 deals with the important topic of error analysis, which must be understood
for the effective use of numerical methods. The first part of the chapter focuses on the
roundoff errors that result because digital computers cannot represent some quantities
exactly. The latter part addresses truncation errors that arise from using an approximation
in place of an exact mathematical procedure.
1
Mathematical Modeling,
Numerical Methods,
and Problem Solving
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
The primary objective of this chapter is to provide you with a concrete idea of what
numerical methods are and how they relate to engineering and scientific problem
solving. Specific objectives and topics covered are
• Learning how mathematical models can be formulated on the basis of scientific
principles to simulate the behavior of a simple physical system.
• Understanding how numerical methods afford a means to generate solutions in a
manner that can be implemented on a digital computer.
• Understanding the different types of conservation laws that lie beneath the models
used in the various engineering disciplines and appreciating the difference
between steady-state and dynamic solutions of these models.
• Learning about the different types of numerical methods we will cover in this
book.
YOU’VE GOT A PROBLEM
S
uppose that a bungee-jumping company hires you. You’re given the task of
predicting the velocity of a jumper (Fig. 1.1) as a function of time during the
free-fall part of the jump. This information will be used as part of a larger
analysis to determine the length and required strength of the bungee cord for jumpers
of different mass.
You know from your studies of physics that the acceleration should be equal to the ratio
of the force to the mass (Newton’s second law). Based on this insight and your knowledge
4
1.1 A Simple Mathematical Model 5
Upward force of physics and fluid mechanics, you develop the following mathematical model for the rate
due to air of change of velocity with respect to time,
resistance
c
dυ = g − ___
___ md υ2
dt
where υ = downward vertical velocity (m/s), t = time (s), g = the acceleration due to
gravity (≅ 9.81 m/s2), cd = a lumped drag coefficient (kg/m), and m = the jumper’s
mass (kg). The drag coefficient is called “lumped” because its magnitude depends on fac-
tors such as the jumper’s area and the fluid density (see Sec. 1.4).
Because this is a differential equation, you know that calculus might be used to obtain
an analytical or exact solution for υ as a function of t. However, in the following pages, we
will illustrate an alternative solution approach. This will involve developing a computer-
oriented numerical or approximate solution.
Aside from showing you how the computer can be used to solve this particular prob-
Downward lem, our more general objective will be to illustrate (a) what numerical methods are and
force due (b) how they figure in engineering and scientific problem solving. In so doing, we will also
to gravity show how mathematical models figure prominently in the way engineers and scientists use
numerical methods in their work.
FIGURE 1.1
Forces acting
on a free-falling
bungee jumper.
1.1 A SIMPLE MATHEMATICAL MODEL
A mathematical model can be broadly defined as a formulation or equation that expresses
the essential features of a physical system or process in mathematical terms. In a very gen-
eral sense, it can be represented as a functional relationship of the form
Dependent
variable
= f (
independent
variables
, parameters,
forcing
functions )
(1.1)
where the dependent variable is a characteristic that typically reflects the behavior or state
of the system; the independent variables are usually dimensions, such as time and space,
along which the system’s behavior is being determined; the parameters are reflective of
the system’s properties or composition; and the forcing functions are external influences
acting upon it.
The actual mathematical expression of Eq. (1.1) can range from a simple algebraic
relationship to large complicated sets of differential equations. For example, on the basis
of his observations, Newton formulated his second law of motion, which states that the
time rate of change of momentum of a body is equal to the resultant force acting on it. The
mathematical expression, or model, of the second law is the well-known equation
F = ma (1.2)
where F is the net force acting on the body (N, or kg m/s2), m is the mass of the object (kg),
and a is its acceleration (m/s2).
6 Mathematical Modeling, Numerical Methods, and Problem Solving
The second law can be recast in the format of Eq. (1.1) by merely dividing both sides
by m to give
a = __ F
m (1.3)
where a is the dependent variable reflecting the system’s behavior, F is the forcing func-
tion, and m is a parameter. Note that for this simple case there is no independent variable
because we are not yet predicting how acceleration varies in time or space.
Equation (1.3) has a number of characteristics that are typical of mathematical models
of the physical world.
• It describes a natural process or system in mathematical terms.
• It represents an idealization and simplification of reality. That is, the model ignores
negligible details of the natural process and focuses on its essential manifestations.
Thus, the second law does not include the effects of relativity that are of minimal
importance when applied to objects and forces that interact on or about the earth’s
surface at velocities and on scales visible to humans.
• Finally, it yields reproducible results and, consequently, can be used for predictive
purposes. For example, if the force on an object and its mass are known, Eq. (1.3) can
be used to compute acceleration.
Because of its simple algebraic form, the solution of Eq. (1.2) was obtained easily.
However, other mathematical models of physical phenomena may be much more complex,
and either cannot be solved exactly or require more sophisticated mathematical techniques
than simple algebra for their solution. To illustrate a more complex model of this kind,
Newton’s second law can be used to determine the terminal velocity of a free-falling body
near the earth’s surface. Our falling body will be a bungee jumper (Fig. 1.1). For this case,
a model can be derived by expressing the acceleration as the time rate of change of the
velocity (dυ/dt) and substituting it into Eq. (1.3) to yield
dυ = __
___ F (1.4)
dt m
where υ is velocity (in meters per second). Thus, the rate of change of the velocity is equal
to the net force acting on the body normalized to its mass. If the net force is positive, the
object will accelerate. If it is negative, the object will decelerate. If the net force is zero, the
object’s velocity will remain at a constant level.
Next, we will express the net force in terms of measurable variables and parameters.
For a body falling within the vicinity of the earth, the net force is composed of two
opposing forces: the downward pull of gravity FD and the upward force of air resistance FU
(Fig. 1.1):
F = FD + FU (1.5)
If force in the downward direction is assigned a positive sign, the second law can be
used to formulate the force due to gravity as
FD = mg (1.6)
2
where g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s ).
1.1 A Simple Mathematical Model 7
Air resistance can be formulated in a variety of ways. Knowledge from the science
of fluid mechanics suggests that a good first approximation would be to assume that it is
proportional to the square of the velocity,
FU = −cd υ2 (1.7)
where cd is a proportionality constant called the lumped drag coefficient (kg/m). Thus, the
greater the fall velocity, the greater the upward force due to air resistance. The parameter
cd accounts for properties of the falling object, such as shape or surface roughness, that af-
fect air resistance. For the present case, cd might be a function of the type of clothing or the
orientation used by the jumper during free fall.
The net force is the difference between the downward and upward force. Therefore,
Eqs. (1.4) through (1.7) can be combined to yield
c
dυ = g − ___
___ md υ2 (1.8)
dt
Equation (1.8) is a model that relates the acceleration of a falling object to the forces
acting on it. It is a differential equation because it is written in terms of the differential rate
of change (dυ/dt) of the variable that we are interested in predicting. However, in contrast
to the solution of Newton’s second law in Eq. (1.3), the exact solution of Eq. (1.8) for the
velocity of the jumper cannot be obtained using simple algebraic manipulation. Rather,
more advanced techniques such as those of calculus must be applied to obtain an exact or
analytical solution. For example, if the jumper is initially at rest (υ = 0 at t = 0), calculus
can be used to solve Eq. (1.8) for
( )
___ ___
gm gc
υ(t) = ___
c tanh √___
√ md t (1.9)
d
where tanh is the hyperbolic tangent that can be either computed directly1 or via the more
elementary exponential function as in
x −x
ex − e−x
tanh x = _______ (1.10)
e +e
Note that Eq. (1.9) is cast in the general form of Eq. (1.1) where υ(t) is the dependent
variable, t is the independent variable, cd and m are parameters, and g is the forcing function.
EXAMPLE 1.1 Analytical Solution to the Bungee Jumper Problem
Problem Statement. A bungee jumper with a mass of 68.1 kg leaps from a stationary
hot air balloon. Use Eq. (1.9) to compute velocity for the first 12 s of free fall. Also deter-
mine the terminal velocity that will be attained for an infinitely long cord (or alternatively,
the jumpmaster is having a particularly bad day!). Use a drag coefficient of 0.25 kg/m.
1
MATLAB allows direct calculation of the hyperbolic tangent via the built-in function tanh(x).
8 Mathematical Modeling, Numerical Methods, and Problem Solving
Solution. Inserting the parameters into Eq. (1.9) yields
_________
(√ )
_________
9.81(68.1) 9.81(0.25)
√
υ(t) = _________
0.25
tanh _________
68.1
t = 51.6938 tanh(0.18977t)
which can be used to compute
t, s υ, m/s
0 0
2 18.7292
4 33.1118
6 42.0762
8 46.9575
10 49.4214
12 50.6175
∞ 51.6938
According to the model, the jumper accelerates rapidly (Fig. 1.2). A velocity of
49.4214 m/s (about 110 mi/hr) is attained after 10 s. Note also that after a sufficiently
FIGURE 1.2
The analytical solution for the bungee jumper problem as computed in Example 1.1. Velocity
increases with time and asymptotically approaches a terminal velocity.
60
Terminal velocity
40
υ, m/s
20
0
0 4 8 12
t, s
Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
infinite shame.
That was the trouble.... She had not had time to adjust herself to
the situation. It had been a moment of madness when she suddenly
commenced packing to go home. She had not known what she was
doing.... An hour later, she would have been calm again, herself,
assured, smiling. He need never have known....
But—if she really meant it—then she must prove it.
Well?
In among these reasoned arguments that pursued each other in
an endless weary circle in her mind, floated irrelevant memories—
the pressure of Felix’s arm about her shoulders that afternoon on the
train going out to Woods Point to be married—a fragment of that
wild letter he had written her from Canal Street, about the girl in
Iowa—the look in his eyes as he had seen her among the children at
the Community Theatre.... and still more irrelevant memories—the
complaining tones of her mother, saying cruel and unjust things
about her father, things not meant for a child’s ears, years ago—and
her father’s face, with its wise, mocking, incredulous, ironic smile,
cutting her to the heart....
Well?
If she went back, if she proved that she meant what she had said
—things would have to be different. They had been too close. They
had been like other married people. That was his fault. Yes, it was
his fault, after all, that she had not been able to carry out her
promises. He had made it too hard for her.... They never should
have lived together under the same roof. They never should have
become legally married in the first place....
They would have to live apart, in separate studios. They must not
pretend to be man and wife. She would be—yes, that was the word
which made their relationship clear—his mistress. It was a good
word, making no pretences. His mistress—yes, she could be that. If
she loved him enough....
What? Did she love him enough only to be his wife? Not enough
to give him his freedom?
Her father’s face, with its mocking, incredulous, ironic smile, came
into her mind, blurring her thoughts, rousing her to a queer anger
against herself.
No. Or yes?...
Well, then?
LIII. Two Letters
O N the tenth day of Felix’s stubborn waiting, a letter came from
Rose-Ann. It was at the studio when he returned there early in
the afternoon, lying on the floor where the postman had stuck it
under the door.
He picked it up, and sat down at his desk. At the very sight of it,
of her large undisciplined handwriting on the square envelope, her
presence seemed suddenly to fill the room, like a perfume of flowers
—seemed to touch and envelope and caress him. He breathed
deeply, and the constraint that had held him tense, that had held
him rigid all these days and nights, flowed from him. It was as if she
had returned herself—and all at once all that had passed was like a
nightmare, terrible and queer, but already vanishing into oblivion
with the daylight.
He could feel her presence, hear her voice, sweet and familiar;
she was as if beside him in the room. All that their marriage had
been flooded his mind, memories of peace and happiness and lovely
companionship.
Nothing—nothing could break that bond. She knew it as well as
he. As if a mere moment could hurt that lifetime of theirs together!
He tore open the letter.
Dear Felix Fay—
That was the way it began....
Dear Felix Fay—What has happened of course makes it necessary for
us to make a decision—a decision which I cannot make alone. We have
many things in common—tastes, ideas, a love of beauty—and it seems
that it would be a pity if we were to lose the opportunity for
companionship altogether. We cannot, of course, go on as before—I
mean living together so intimately. I can find another studio, perhaps
near yours.—But I do not know if I am making myself clear. It may sound
as if I were proposing to break off our relationship altogether. I have
considered that, too; but that is, after all, in your hands. What I am
suggesting is that each of us retain our freedom, and live in such a way
that we can use that freedom without hurting each other’s feelings—but
not pretending to be married any more. Only the situation must be quite
clear to both of us. Please tell me whether you agree definitely to these
terms. If so, I think everything can be arranged in detail so that we both
will be happy.
Rose-Ann.
2
Felix’s first feeling, oddly enough, when he read this letter, was a
sense of Rose-Ann’s disloyalty to their studio—the studio which they
had made together.... His imagination, stunned and shocked, clung
bitterly to this one point, as if that were the crux of the matter....
That she should not want to live in this studio, this studio whose
walls she had kalsomined, whose very floor she had painted! Why,
every part of it spelled her! As if he could take her studio, and let
her go and live in another! If there was any moving to be done, he
would do it. He would get another place. She could live here—she
must live here.... He would take a few books—no, he would take
nothing. It was all hers....
Some obliquity of the imagination helped him, like a drug,
anaesthetizing his emotions, during the first few minutes after
reading that letter. His mind was actually busy with the practical
details of taking up a new residence, as if that were all that
mattered.
And then his mind began to feel the pain of what had happened,
slowly, increasingly, terrifically.... She had repudiated their marriage.
He felt knocked down, trampled, stamped upon, hurt all over.
So this was what she had been thinking of! Not of coming home
to him—but of living apart from him.
He read the letter again, with a rising anger that mingled with his
pain. What was it she said? “We have many things in common—
tastes, ideas, a love of beauty.”—“Pity if we were to lose the
opportunity for companionship altogether”—“Not pretending to be
married any more.” So it meant nothing to her, then, this marriage?
She could end it so easily? And companionship, mere companionship
—that did mean something to her? That was what she wanted to
keep! “Everything can be arranged in detail so that we both will be
happy.”
What could he reply to a letter like that? What could he say to a
girl who told him that her happiness lay in their not being married
any more? “Everything could be arranged in detail.” What detail?
Where she was going to live? What did that matter to him? Why
should she think that she had to live near him? She need not be so
kind. If their marriage meant nothing to her, he could give her up
altogether. “Companionship.” The dead body of their love for
consolation? No, she need not have offered him that.... She might
have spared that touch.
“Whether you agree definitely to these terms.” How could she
think he would want anything like that? Had she only written that to
torture him? She did not insist on breaking off the relationship
“altogether.” He stared at the words. Was that what she thought of
him? That he would be happy—that was her word—happy ... if—
Verses from a poem, bitter verses, came into his mind:
“A kiss is but a kiss now! and no wave
Of a great flood that whirls us to the sea.
But as you will! we’ll sit contentedly
And eat our pot of honey on the grave.”
He laid his head on his arms, bent over the table, shivering with a
fit of cold anger and disgust. Then he roused himself, and wrote
quickly an answer to Rose-Ann’s letter.
It was only a few lines. He read them over, sealed the envelope,
and went out to mail it in the box on the corner ... where he had
gone so often to mail his criticism, so that he could return and talk
the night through at Rose-Ann’s side.
Rose-Ann had composed her letter with difficulty. At the last
moment, interfering with a perfectly clear statement of the case to
him, had come a distaste for proposing herself as any man’s mistress
—even her husband’s.... She must put it in such a way that he would
understand her willingness. He would understand, too, why she had
failed before. It was her apologia.... And if they lived apart, and—
didn’t want to have other love-affairs, then they would both be sure
that it wasn’t her fault. Doubtless she had been rather silly about it.
He hadn’t really been in love with Phyllis....
It would be possible to go back to him, now. By that letter she
had exorcised that ghastly cry that had kept ringing in her ears,
night and day—“You didn’t mean it after all!” She could sleep, now.
She slept.... But why didn’t his answer come? The mails were
uncertain. His letter might be in the post-office now. It would be
delivered tomorrow morning.
She packed for her return journey, and slept again, peacefully.
His letter came, and her father presented it to her with his wise
smile. She took it to her room and tore it open.
Rose-Ann, I think it had better be all over for good. I want you to have
the studio. I will go somewhere else.
Felix.
4
Incredulous, with that letter burning her flesh, tearing and rasping
at her heart where she had thrust it into the bosom of her dress, she
made the journey to Chicago.
“All over ... all over ... all over....” She could not understand it.
Felix was not in the studio. She called him up at the office. He was
not there.
Was he with Phyllis?
She waited. Three days.
“Well,” she said aloud to the empty studio. “It’s true. It is all over.”
She went back to the Motion Picture World, gave some
explanation of her absence, and started in making up the magazine.
“You know,” said Bodger, the editor, “we’re considering moving out
to California in the course of the next few months. Los Angeles.
Might as well be on the spot.... I don’t suppose you’d consider
coming along with us?”
“Oh, I might!” said Rose-Ann.
LIV. The God and the Pedestal
F OR some hours after sending his reply to Rose-Ann, Felix kept his
mind steeled against any realization of its consequences. He was
in a peculiar state of righteousness—like one who has struck a fatal
blow and keeps insisting that he has been struck first. To him, his
letter to Rose-Ann appeared but the reflex of her own—and she, as
it were, the author of both letters. Yes, the crime was hers!
But just what this crime was, he still managed to keep from
realizing—even when, after mailing his letter and sitting for an hour
in a kind of stupour at his desk, he rose, took a book from the shelf,
and went away to find a room. The book was “The Bab Ballads.”
He took the Illinois Central in, and a north side elevated train out
again, as though seeking to be as far as possible from the studio. He
got off, at a venture, at Wilson Avenue, and within an hour found a
small apartment of two rooms and bath, furnished “for light-
housekeeping,” situated over a coffee-and-tea store, three flights up.
It had a fairly large sitting room at the front. He noticed a small
book case filled with sets of “The Ivanhoe Novels” and “The
Complete Works of Bulwer-Lytton.” Felix told the fat middle-aged
woman from the store who showed it to him that he would want the
bookcase for books of his own, but not immediately; he remarked
that he would probably buy some of her coffee in the morning to
make his breakfast on; and assured her that he would not set the
hot cup on the bare table-top, which she said was real mahogany
and had been left her by a deceased roomer whom she had looked
after when he was sick. When she had gone, leaving him the keys,
Felix put the Bab Ballads in between the Waverly Novels and the
Complete Works of Bulwer-Lytton, and sat down in an old plush-
upholstered chair, to make himself at home.
In a few minutes there was a knock—it was the fat woman from
the store, who had brought him up a pound of her best coffee.
“Not that I want to bother you,” she said. “You needn’t be afraid
I’ll be knocking at your door and keeping watch of your comings and
goings—live and let live, is what I say. But I knew from the way you
spoke of coffee that you really liked it, and I just thought I’d bring
you some for your breakfast. A man that makes his own coffee
knows what coffee is—isn’t that so!”
He thanked her, and sat down to look out of the window. The
interest of the room itself had been exhausted; it was empty equally
of memories and of hopes; it was just so many dismal square feet of
space. He had uprooted himself from the place in which he had lived
for months that were like years, and years that were like lifetimes;
he had lived in that studio—really lived in it; he was living there now,
in his thoughts; it would take longer to uproot his mind from that
place than it had his body. And yet—he could foresee the time,
incredible though it was, when that studio life with Rose-Ann would
be only a memory, a part of his past ... like his life with his Iowa
sweetheart during their brief idyl, years ago. Yes, the time would
come when all this, that was now so warm and near, would be dim
and remote; a time when it would no longer hurt him to think about
it all....
As he sat there facing the window, looking out unseeingly at the
lighted facade of the building opposite, the strains of dance music
reached him, and he saw couples float past the windows of the hall
on the floor opposite his own. He watched and listened with a kind
of dull fascination, for a long time.... He was very tired. He thought
of going to bed. But that music from across the street would never
stop—it would keep on with its silly gaiety hour after hour.
He rose at last and went out. He was going to his work-room. He
could spend several hours cleaning up there—destroying
manuscripts he didn’t want to keep, reducing the amount of things
to be moved to a minimum.
Phyllis might be in her room.... He thought of her there, and the
thought comforted him. He saw her again, in his thoughts, as he had
seen her first—serene and kind and strong. It was good to think of
her.
Still his mind did not quite encompass the situation. It was as
though something had happened to him—something stupendous,
terrible, and almost unbearable, like the death of a beloved friend—
something not wholly to be realized. And it had the resistlessness of
some such event; he did not conceive it as something within his
power to alter or prevent—nor in any sense as something which he
had done himself. If he had thought of himself as having done this
thing, he might have thought of undoing it. But it was a thing which
had happened, like an earthquake....
In his room he gathered up fragments of manuscript—jottings of
ideas, efforts, experiments, unfinished things—and tore them up
after a casual glance. There would be little to take with him. That
was good.... He had the feeling that a new life had begun for him, a
life at which he still stared in vague bewilderment, like a creature
painfully new-born into an uncomprehended world.
He could hear Phyllis moving about on the other side of the
partition. He finished his work; the wastebasket was full of torn
manuscript, and his Roget’s Thesaurus and his favourite penholder
lay together on the table, ready to take to his new home. He no
longer had need of a work-room, a special refuge from the
distracting intimacies of marriage. He was free from all that. Yes—
think of that—free!... He laughed out loud.
Presently Phyllis would come and knock on his door. She had
heard him enter, she knew he was there. He wanted to see her, he
wanted the comfort of her eyes, her hands. He wanted her serenity,
her kindness, her strength. But he lacked even the energy to ask for
it. He could only sit and wait until she came to him.
He felt as though the last strength he possessed were being used
up in some terrific effort—an effort that would cease when she
came. Then it would make no difference that he had no strength left
—her courage and kindness would sustain him.
The impossible had happened—yes, the impossible. For it was
unthinkable that Rose-Ann should have destroyed their marriage.
But she had.... And now in this strange world there was only one
certainty left—Phyllis’s eyes, her arms, her understanding love. Here
was reality, here firm ground amidst a reeling chaos of fantastic
madness.... Phyllis!
He could hear, as in a dream, the bubbling of coffee, could taste
the fragrance of its odour stealing through the door.... Presently,
very soon, she would come....
He heard her knock, and he thought he answered, but it seemed
not, for she knocked again, and then opened the door. He sat there
limply in his chair, glad she had come.
“Did I disturb you?” she asked.
He shook his head.
“You’re tired!” she said, and came quickly to him and put her hand
on his forehead. “I’ve made some coffee,” she said. “It will be good
for you.”
“Yes,” he said, and rose.
She led the way into her room, and pointed to the couch. “Lie
down and rest,” she said. “I’ll give you your coffee in a moment.”
She busied herself with cups and saucers, and he watched her
from the couch. She came toward him, a cup of coffee in her hand,
her arm bare to the elbow, and above it her eyes shining under a
tangle of soft brown hair.
“Here!” she said.
When he made no effort to take the cup, she set it down on the
stool beside the bed. He took her hand, and drew her toward him.
She yielded to his gesture and sat down beside him on the couch,
looking at him with a kind of startled amusement as he took her arm
and pressed his cheek against it.
“You’re very tired, aren’t you?” she said sympathetically, and
touched his shoulder with her other hand.
He clung to her arm. It was cool against his cheek. All the beauty,
all the peace, all the rest in the world seemed to be in that cool
white flesh. Was it because it was hers—or because it was a girl’s
arm, promising rest and comfort? He did not know. He only clung to
it.
“Is it your work—are you having difficulties?” she asked.
He laughed. His work!
That laugh seemed to reassure her in some way. She smiled down
at him, bent over him, her hair blinded him, and then her lips
brushed his.
“Dear!” she said.
He held her close to him, and their lips met—hungrily, thirstily. At
first all her body relaxed into the embrace, and it seemed to him
that the peace he needed flowed into him from her kiss, from her
arms, her body—rest, the infinite sweetness of rest.... And then she
seemed to grow frightened. She held herself away from him, she
looked at him questioningly.
But, again reassured, she bent again, and surrendered herself to
the embrace. But something in the exigence of his mood came to
her even in this surrender, and once more, suddenly and coolly, she
drew herself away.
“What is the matter?” she demanded, looking at him with alien
eyes. She bent, not tenderly, and took his shoulder, as if to shake his
secret out of him.
“The matter is,” said Felix, “that my marriage has gone to hell.”
“What!” The exclamation came in a tone of utter incredulous
astonishment from the girl at his side, who sat there, rigid, as
though frozen by that news.
“Yes, I tell you!” he cried. “We’ve—busted up everything—for good
and all.”
And feeling himself uncontrollably about to cry, he turned his face
against the couch, and lay shaken with convulsive strangling sobs.
The girl sprang up, and looked down at him. She had never seen
him cry. She had not known that he could cry. As a matter of fact, he
had not cried very many times in his life, and he did not know how,
and did it badly.
He looked up at last, brushing his eyes with his coatsleeve. He
wanted her pity.
He saw her looking at him with haughty anger. Her whole gesture
was one of outrage. When she saw him look up, she clenched her
fists, and said,
“You never told me—”
“Never told you?” His anger burst out against her, anger mixed
with self-pity. “What did you expect?”
She turned half away from him in disdain.
“Not this!” she said.
“No!” he said, sitting up. “No, you little idiot, I suppose you
didn’t.... And I didn’t either. Well—you see.”
She looked back over her shoulder with repugnance, as if she
were looking at something sick, wounded, or diseased.
“Yes,” she said doubtfully, “I see....”
She turned back to him, her hostility gone, and a mournful look in
her eyes.
“I never supposed,” she said haltingly, “that you—”
She paused, and then went on,
“—You too—”
Under her glance he straightened up, ashamed of himself. He
rose. He must, he supposed, have looked silly....
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“I’m sorry too—Felix,” she answered, and there was in her tone
the quality of a farewell.
There was something bracing at this moment in her scornful
silence as she let him walk out of the room.... He went to the
bathroom and washed his face; looked at himself in the mirror: was
the face he saw there the one that had been twisted in grotesque
sobbing a few minutes ago? No one would have guessed it.... He
looked hard at that face, for some sign of weakness. But it seemed
to him that the weakness had been burned out of it by the fire of a
girl’s scorn. It was a face indifferent and aloof from sorrow, with
amused eyes and jauntily smiling mouth. Yes, that was Felix Fay as
he should be.
He went back to his room, tossed his Roget’s Thesaurus and his
favourite penholder into the wastebasket with the torn manuscripts,
put on his hat—and then noticed his stick in the corner.
He picked it up, hung it over his arm, turned out the gas, and
went out whistling.
Book Six
Wilson Avenue
LV. The Consolations of Philosophy
C OMING out on the street, swinging his stick, Felix was vividly
conscious of the outer world—it was as if the curtain had just
risen upon a stage scene. The shapes of the trees in the distance
had all the interest of a beautifully painted set—artificial, as scenery
should be, not aping nature, but symbolizing it. The houses that
stood beside the road were cardboard shapes that suggested great
masses of brick and stone. And the way the night sky bent down at
the street-end to touch the earth—that was marvelous.
The whole scene was refreshing. It had the beauty of something
made to be looked at. It was as if the outer-world were no longer
the unnoted background of a drama in which he was a baffled
participant: he had stepped out of the play now, he was a spectator
—he could look on and enjoy the spectacle.
There was a sense of vast release in his mind. The burden of
emotion, of pain, of grief, of anger, the intolerable burden of human
illusion, was lifted. His shoulders felt lighter, and he carried himself
with a jaunty air.
A man passed him—no spectator like himself of this play, but a
participant in it, a man to whom things really seemed to matter. With
a tired droop of the head and shoulders, putting one foot
mechanically before another, he was going home. Two girls passed,
eagerly talking to each other. None of them saw him, or the world
through which they moved—they were busy acting their parts, too
busy thinking about yesterday and tomorrow.
How good it was no longer to have a part to play—to be able to
look on, full of curiosity! He was like a disembodied spirit that
wanders freely upon the earth without a care. The world was
beautiful. All the time that he had been worrying about other things,
it had been beautiful—and he had been too passionately entangled
in the coil of personal emotions to notice.... The crooked branch of
an elm, from which all but a few leaves had fallen, drooping black
against the luminous sky—the world had been full of such things all
along, and he had never paused to look before.
It was pleasant to have a mind able to notice little things—like the
fantastic shadow that danced along the sidewalk, growing shorter
and longer and dodging about in front and behind—a mind that
could dwell upon light things, instead of revolving eternally in some
cycle of hope and fear. A leisurely, disinterested, curious mind!
As he walked, his thoughts touched lightly upon Rose-Ann—he
had a fleeting memory-picture, uncoloured by any painful emotion,
of her standing on the balcony of that house in Woods Point, about
to jump off into the snow-bank; he sensed her as a creature
possessed by some wish which she did not understand, driven on by
it to delightful and absurd actions.... And Clive, ironically officiating
as host to a bridal pair in the house which he had built to shelter his
own happiness.... And Phyllis, holding Clive perpetually at arm’s
length, because he was not utterly a god.... And himself, strangest
shape of all, taking the emotions of all these other characters
seriously and trying to adjust his life to them! They were like people
in a play, strange and foolish, beautiful and pitiful. He saw them all,
he saw his own past self, with a delicate and appreciating
exactitude.
But they did not matter—he could stop thinking of them, and look
at the nimbus of light around the arc lamp on the corner. That was
strange and beautiful, too.
To be a spectator of the spectacle of existence! At first that was
enough. But presently he was aware of a vague desire for a fellow-
spectator. The desire was faint, but faint as it was it moved his steps
to the Illinois Central platform, and presently he emerged upon
Michigan Avenue.
That evening in the Artists’ Theatre there was a rehearsal of
several episodes from Schnitzler’s “Anatol,” which was to be the
second bill of the season. At midnight Elva Macklin saw Felix Fay
stroll in and listen to the jaded end of the rehearsal from the
theatre’s one tiny and inconvenient box.
Felix saw her, too, and realized by what instinctive wish he had
been led, without conscious thought, to the Artists’ Theatre. He
wanted her for his fellow-spectator of the spectacle of existence.
He saw her as if for the first time. He had never talked with her
much; and he had been drunk, on dreams if not on whiskey, the
time he had danced with her at the ball. She had been a sort of
dream-figure to him, an out-of-the-world creature. He saw her now
clearly enough—an intense young egotist in her every word and
gesture; no dryad, but soulless enough for all her human nature—a
girl who still kept the hardness of a child about her. She would never
make a good actress, he reflected; she was too much herself; she
was acting abominably her part in this Schnitzler play, but with her
own special charm, the charm that made her what she was. But she
was not a person to pity. He liked her for that. He would talk to her.
A few moments later, as Elva Macklin was putting on her coat to
go home, Felix Fay appeared at the door of the tiny women’s
dressing room.
The others had gone, she was there alone.
“May I come in?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, “whoever you are ... and you may button my spats
if you want to, Felix Fay. I’m too tired, and I was going off without
them.”
She continued, as he knelt at her feet and twisted the reluctant
buttons one by one into place, “I’ve done the circus girl for hours,
over and over again. Gregory doesn’t like the way I do it—and I
don’t like the way Jimmy Taylor does Anatol. Neither does Gregory,
for that matter. Everything’s gone wrong tonight.... Gregory gets
more and more Napoleonic. He says, ‘Stop! we’ll do that scene all
over again!’ Nothing about what’s the matter, or how it should be
done—we just know that it doesn’t suit him, and so we do it
differently. And usually worse. Then he frowns; he bites his lip; he
even stamps his foot: but even that doesn’t do much good!”
She put out her other foot. “Jimmie’s really impossible as Anatol.
He looks all right—but he hasn’t any spirit. You just can’t imagine
Jimmie’s having six mistresses. He treats me as though I were his
aunt.... Gregory wants me to do the circus girl ‘simply’—whatever
that means. I wish he would condescend to explain, instead of just
looking haughty.... I’m awfully tired.... Thanks. I don’t feel quite
clothed without my spats.”
Felix stood up. “Let’s go somewhere and get something to eat,” he
said.
“I’d like to,” she said. “I don’t want to go home. I’m too tired to
sleep.” She buttoned her coat about her.
