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In Mathematica, what interpolation function is ListPlot using?

[Screenshot below]

I was using ListPlot to draw a smooth line through some data points. But I want to be able to work with the 1st and 2nd derivative of the plot, so I thought I'd create an actual "function" using Interpolation. But as you can see in the picture, it's not smooth. There are some strange spikes when I do Plot[Interpolation[...]...]. I'm wondering how ListPlot get's it's interpolated function, and how I can get the same thing, using Interpolation[] or some other method.

thanks,
Rob

Here is some text for copy/paste:

myPoints = {{0.,3.87},{1.21,4.05},{2.6,4.25},{4.62,4.48},{7.24,4.73},{9.66,4.93},
{12.48,5.14},{14.87,5.33},{17.34,5.55},{19.31,5.78},{20.78,6.01},{22.08,6.34},
{22.82,6.7},{23.2,7.06},{23.41,7.54},{23.52,8.78},{23.59,9.59},{23.62,9.93},
{23.72,10.24},{23.88,10.56},{24.14,10.85},{24.46,11.05},{24.81,11.2},
{25.73,11.44},{27.15,11.63}}

ListPlot[myPoints, Joined -> True, Mesh -> Full] 

Plot[Interpolation[myPoints][x], {x, 0, 27.2}] 

The last one has spikes.

Edit...

Gleno pointed out that my List plot is linear.  But what about when both have 
InterpolationOrder -> 3?
ListPlot[myPoints, Joined -> True, Mesh -> Full, InterpolationOrder -> 3]
Plot[Interpolation[myPoints, InterpolationOrder -> 3][x], {x, 0, 27.2}]

Mathematica ListPlot Screenshot

like image 259
Rob N Avatar asked Oct 04 '10 15:10

Rob N


2 Answers

Perhaps easier:

interp = Interpolation[myPoints, InterpolationOrder -> 2, Method -> "Spline"]

(*Now let's plot the function and its derivative*)
Show[ListPlot@myPoints, 
     Plot[{interp'[x], interp[x]}, 
          {x, Min[First /@ myPoints], Max[First /@ myPoints]}, PlotRange -> All]]

enter image description here

In the "region of interest":

Show[Plot[{interp'[x], interp[x]}, {x, 23, 24}], ListPlot@myPoints]

enter image description here

If you want a continuous second derivative, just increase the interpolation order like this:

interp = Interpolation[myPoints, InterpolationOrder -> 3, Method -> "Spline"];
Show[Plot[{interp'[x], interp[x]}, {x, 23, 24}], ListPlot@myPoints]

enter image description here

like image 119
Dr. belisarius Avatar answered Nov 15 '22 22:11

Dr. belisarius


I believe that the method used by ListPlot for interpolation is to interpolate each coordinate as a function of the list index. Something like the following looks a lot like the output from ListPlot[...,InterpolationOrder->3]:

With[{
  xyInterpolation=Interpolation[#,InterpolationOrder->3]&/@Transpose[myPoints]},
  ParametricPlot[Through[xyInterpolation[i]],{i,1,Length[myPoints]}]
]

From such an interpolation you should be able to grab your derivatives via implicit differentiation, e.g. dx/dy == (dx/dt)/(dy/dt). A delight to flaunt that notation in a place where it might make some mathematicians puke :)

like image 25
Janus Avatar answered Nov 15 '22 21:11

Janus