ENGR 351 Numerical Methods for Engineers
College of Engineering
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Quiz
Illustrate the difference between fitting an interpolating polynomial and a quadratic spline to the data shown in the graphs.
Answer: With an interpolating polynomial, we have a single equation that goes through each point. In addition, we can have up to a third order polynomial (4points).
With a quadratic spline, we can estimate a 2nd order equation between each point.