Code to find the zero of a real function

test_fzero.jl

using Test
import Zeros.fzero

# test problems from Table 1 of paper referenced in fzero.jl
# 1
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> sin(x) - x/2, pi/2, pi) 1.89549426703398094714

# 2
function test2(x)
    -2*sum([(2i - 5)^2/(x - i^2)^3 for i = 1:20])
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(test2, 1 + 1e-9, 4 - 1e-9) 3.0229153472730568
@test_approx_eq fzero(test2, 100 + 1e-9, 121 - 1e-9) 110.02653274766949

# 3
function test3(x, a, b)
    a*x*exp(b*x)
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test3(x, -40, -1), -9, 31) 0.0
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test3(x, -100, -2), -9, 31) 0.0
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test3(x, -200, -3), -9, 31) 0.0

# 4
function test4(x, n, a)
    x^n - a
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test4(x, 4, 0.2), 0, 5) 0.668740304976422
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test4(x, 12, 1), 0, 5) 1.0
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test4(x, 8, 1), -0.95, 4.05) 1.0
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test4(x, 12, 1), -0.95, 4.05) 1.0

# 5
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> sin(x) - 0.5, 0, 1.5) 0.5235987755982989

# 6
function test6(x, n)
    2x*exp(-n) - 2*exp(-n*x) + 1
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test6(x, 1), 0, 1) 0.42247770964123665
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test6(x, 20), 0, 1) 0.03465735902085385
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test6(x, 100), 0, 1) 0.006931471805599453

# 7
function test7(x, n)
    (1 + (1 - n)^2)*x - (1 - n*x)^2
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test7(x, 5), 0, 1) 0.0384025518406219
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test7(x, 10), 0, 1) 0.0099000099980005
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test7(x, 20), 0, 1) 0.0024937500390620117

# 8
function test8(x, n)
    x^2 - (1 - x)^n
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test8(x, 2), 0, 1) 0.5
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test8(x, 5), 0, 1) 0.345954815848242
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test8(x, 10), 0, 1) 0.24512233375330725
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test8(x, 20), 0, 1) 0.16492095727644096

# 9
function test9(x, n)
    (1 + (1 - n)^4)*x - (1 - n*x)^4
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test9(x, 1), 0, 1) 0.2755080409994844
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test9(x, 2), 0, 1) 0.1377540204997422
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test9(x, 20), 0, 1) 7.668595122185337e-6

# 10
function test10(x, n)
    exp(-n*x)*(x - 1) + x^n
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test10(x, 1), 0, 1) 0.401058137541547
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test10(x, 5), 0, 1) 0.5161535187579336
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test10(x, 20), 0, 1) 0.5527046666784878

# 11
function test11(x, n)
    (n*x - 1)/((n - 1)*x)
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test11(x, 2), 0.01, 1) 0.5
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test11(x, 15), 0.01, 1) 0.0666666666666666
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test11(x, 20), 0.01, 1) 0.05

# 12
function test12(x, n)
    x^(1/n) - n^(1/n)
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test12(x, 2), 1, 100) 2
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test12(x, 6), 1, 100) 6
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test12(x, 33), 1, 100) 33

# 13
function test13(x)
    if x == 0
        return 0
    else
        return x/exp(x^2)
    end
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(test13, -1, 4) 0

# 14
function test14(x, n)
    if x >= 0
        return n/20*(x/1.5 + sin(x) - 1)
    else
        return -n/20
    end
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test14(x, 1), -1e4, pi/2) 0.6238065189616123
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test14(x, 40), -1e4, pi/2) 0.6238065189616123

# 15
function test15(x, n)
    if x > 2e-3/(1+ n)
        return e - 1.859
    elseif x < 0
        return -0.859
    else
        return exp((n + 1)*x/2*1e3) - 1.859
    end
end
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test15(x, 20), -1e4, 1e4) 0.00005905130559421971
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test15(x, 40), -1e4, 1e4) 0.000030245790670210097
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test15(x, 100), -1e4, 1e4) 0.000012277994232461523
@test_approx_eq fzero(x -> test15(x, 1000), -1e4, 1e4) 1.2388385788997142e-6

Zeros.jl

module Zeros
export fzero

# the function fzero finds the root of a continuous function within a provided
# interval [a, b], without requiring derivatives.

# It is based on algorithm 4.2 described in:
# 1. G. E. Alefeld, F. A. Potra, and Y. Shi, "Algorithm 748: enclosing zeros of
# continuous functions," ACM Trans. Math. Softw. 21, 327–344 (1995).

# Copyright (c) 2013 John C. Travers <jtravs@gmail.com>
# Released under the MIT license.

# NOTE: the code here was derived directly from the algorithms described in the
# above paper, no ACM copyrighted code was used. Some implementation tips (but
# no codes) were obtained by reading the Boost C++ sources in math/tools.

# TODO the number of function evaluations could be reduced by factoring
# them out

# finds the root of a continuous real function f within the interval [a, b]
# input:
#     tolerance: stopping criteria
#     max_iter:  maximum number of iterations
#
# output:
#     an estimate of the zero of f
function fzero(f::Function, a, b;
               tolerance=0.0, lambda=0.7, mu=0.5, max_iter=1000)
    # TODO accept a scalar guess and try to construct our own bracket
    if a >= b || f(a)f(b) >= 0
        error("on input a < b and f(a)f(b) < 0 must both hold")
    end
    # start with a secant approximation
    c = secant(f, a, b)
    # re-bracket and check termination
    stop, other = bracket(f, a, b, c, tolerance, lambda)
    if stop
        return other[1]
    else
        a, b, d = other
    end
    for n = 2:max_iter
        # use either a cubic (if possible) or quadratic interpolation
        if n > 2 && distinct(f, a, b, d, e)
            c = ipzero(f, a, b, d, e)
        else
            c = newton_quadratic(f, a, b, d, 2)
        end
        # re-bracket and check termination
        stop, other = bracket(f, a, b, c, tolerance, lambda)
        if stop
            return other[1]
        else
            ab, bb, db = other
        end
        eb = d
        # use another cubic (if possible) or quadratic interpolation
        if distinct(f, ab, bb, db, eb)
            cb = ipzero(f, ab, bb, db, eb)
        else
            cb = newton_quadratic(f, ab, bb, db, 3)
        end
        # re-bracket and check termination
        stop, other = bracket(f, ab, bb, cb, tolerance, lambda)
        if stop
            return other[1]
        else
            ab, bb, db = other
        end
        # double length secant step, if we fail, use bisection
        u = abs(f(ab)) < abs(f(bb)) ? ab : bb
        cb = u - 2*f(u)/(f(bb) - f(ab))*(bb - ab)
        ch = abs(cb - u) > (bb - ab)/2 ? ab + (bb - ab)/2 : cb
        # re-bracket and check termination
        stop, other = bracket(f, ab, bb, ch, tolerance, lambda)
        if stop
            return other[1]
        else
            ah, bh, dh = other
        end
        # if not converging fast enough bracket again on a bisection
        if bh - ah < mu*(b - a)
            a = ah
            b = bh
            d = dh
            e = db
        else
            e = dh
            stop, other = bracket(f, ah, bh, ah + (bh - ah)/2,
                                  tolerance, lambda)
            if stop
                return other[1]
            else
                a, b, d = other
            end
       end
    end
    error("root not found within max_iter iterations")
end


# calculate a scaled tolerance
# based on algorithm on page 340 of [1]
function tole(a, b, fa, fb, tolerance)
    u = abs(fa) < abs(fb) ? abs(a) : abs(b)
    2u*eps(1.0) + tolerance
end


# bracket the root
# inputs:
#     - f: the function
#     - a, b: the current bracket with f(a)f(b) < 0
#     - c within (a,b): current best guess of the root
#     - tolerance, lambda: stopping criteria
#
# if root is not yet found, return
#     stop, (ab, bb, d)
# with:
#     - stop == false
#     - [ab, bb] a new interval within [a, b] with f(ab)f(bb) < 0
#     - d a point not inside [ab, bb]; if d < ab, then f(ab)f(d) > 0,
#       and f(d)f(bb) > 0 otherwise
#
# if the root is found, return:
#     stop, (x0, fx0)
# with:
#     - stop == true
#     - x0 the root
#     - fx0 the function value at x0
#
# based on algorithm on page 341 of [1]
function bracket(f::Function, a, b, c, tolerance, lambda)
    if !(a <= c <= b)
        error("c must be in (a,b)")
    end
    fa = f(a)
    fb = f(b)
    delta = lambda*tole(a, b, fa, fb, tolerance)
    if b - a <= 4delta
        c = (a + b)/2
    elseif c <= a + 2delta
        c = a + 2delta
    elseif c >= b - 2delta
        c = b - 2delta
    end
    fc = f(c)
    if fc == 0
        return true, (c, fc)
    elseif sign(fa)*sign(fc) < 0
        aa = a
        bb = c
        db = b
    else
        aa = c
        bb = b
        db = a
    end
    faa = f(aa)
    fbb = f(bb)
    if bb - aa < 2*tole(aa, bb, faa, fbb, tolerance)
        if abs(faa) < abs(fbb) 
            x0 = aa
            fx0 = faa
        else
            x0 = bb
            fx0 = fbb
        end
        return true, (x0, fx0)
    end
    return false, (aa, bb, db)
end


# take a secant step, if the resulting guess is very close to a or b, then
# use bisection instead
function secant(f::Function, a, b)
    c = a - f(a)/(f(b) - f(a))*(b - a)
    tol = eps(1.0)*5
    if c <= a + abs(a)*tol || c >= b - abs(b)*tol
        return a + (b - a)/2
    end
    return c
end


# approximate zero of f using quadratic interpolation
# if the new guess is outside [a, b] we use a secant step instead
# based on algorithm on page 330 of [1]
function newton_quadratic(f::Function, a, b, d, k::Int)
    fa = f(a)
    fb = f(b)
    fd = f(d)
    B = (fb - fa)/(b - a)
    A = ((fd - fb)/(d - b) - B)/(d - a)
    if A == 0
        return secant(f, a, b)
    end
    if A*fa > 0
        r = a
    else
        r = b
    end
    for i = 1:k
        r -= (fa + (B + A*(r - b))*(r - a))/(B + A*(2*r - a - b))
    end
    if r <= a || r >= b
        r = secant(f, a, b)
    end
    return r
end


# approximate zero of f using inverse cubic interpolation
# if the new guess is outside [a, b] we use a quadratic step instead 
# based on algorithm on page 333 of [1]
function ipzero(f::Function, a, b, c, d)
    fa = f(a)
    fb = f(b)
    fc = f(c)
    fd = f(d)
    Q11 = (c - d)*fc/(fd - fc)
    Q21 = (b - c)*fb/(fc - fb)
    Q31 = (a - b)*fa/(fb - fa)
    D21 = (b - c)*fc/(fc - fb)
    D31 = (a - b)*fb/(fb - fa)
    Q22 = (D21 - Q11)*fb/(fd - fb)
    Q32 = (D31 - Q21)*fa/(fc - fa)
    D32 = (D31 - Q21)*fc/(fc - fa)
    Q33 = (D32 - Q22)*fa/(fd - fa)
    c = a + (Q31 + Q32 + Q33)
    if (c <= a) || (c >= b)
        c = newton_quadratic(f, a, b, d, 3)
    end
    return c
end


# floating point comparison function
function almost_equal(x, y)
    const min_diff = realmin(Float64)*32
    abs(x - y) < min_diff
end


# check that all interpolation values are distinct
function distinct(f::Function, a, b, d, e)
    f1 = f(a)
    f2 = f(b)
    f3 = f(d)
    f4 = f(e)
    !(almost_equal(f1, f2) || almost_equal(f1, f3) || almost_equal(f1, f4) ||
      almost_equal(f2, f3) || almost_equal(f2, f4) || almost_equal(f3, f4))
end
end

This looks great. My own style (which isn't standard at all) would be to add type constraints on all of the inputs:

function fzero(f::Function, a::Real, b::Real;
               tolerance::Real=0.0, lambda::Real=0.7, mu::Real=0.5, max_iter::Integer=1000)