泰勒级数是用无限项的连加式来表示一个函数。设 f ( x ) f(x) f(x)在 x 0 x_0 x0处具有 n n n阶导数,试找出一个关于 ( x − x 0 ) (x-x_0) (x−x0)的 n n n次多项式
p n ( x ) = a 0 + a 1 ( x − x 0 ) + a 2 ( x − x 0 ) 2 + ⋯ + a n ( x − x 0 ) n p_n(x)=a_0+a_1(x-x_0)+a_2(x-x_0)^2+\cdots+a_n(x-x_0)^n pn(x)=a0+a1(x−x0)+a2(x−x0)2+⋯+an(x−x0)n
来近似表达 f ( x ) f(x) f(x),要求使得 p n ( x ) p_n(x) pn(x)与 f ( x ) f(x) f(x)之差是当 x → x 0 x\rightarrow x_0 x→x0 时比 ( x − x 0 ) n (x-x_0)^n (x−x0)n高阶的无穷小。
设 p n ( x ) p_n(x) pn(x)在 x 0 x_0 x0处的函数值及它的直到 n n n阶导数在 x 0 x_0 x0处的值依次与 f ( x 0 ) , f ′ ( x 0 ) , ⋯ , f ( n ) ( x 0 ) f(x_0), f'(x_0), \cdots, f^{(n)}(x_0) f(x0),f′(x0),⋯,f(n)(x0)相等,即满足
p n ( x 0 ) = f ( x 0 ) , p n ′ ( x 0 ) = f ′ ( x 0 ) , p_n(x_0)=f(x_0), p_n'(x_0)=f'(x_0), pn(x0)=f(x0),pn′(x0)=f′(x0),
p n ′ ′ ( x 0 ) = f ′ ′ ( x 0 ) , ⋯ , p n ( n ) ( x 0 ) = f ( n ) ( x 0 ) , p_n''(x_0)=f''(x_0), \cdots, p_n^{(n)}(x_0)=f^{(n)}(x_0), pn′′(x0)=f′′(x0),⋯,pn(n)(x0)=f(n)(x0),
按这些等式来确定系数 a 0 , a 1 , a 2 , ⋯ , a n a_0, a_1, a_2, \cdots, a_n a0,a1,a2,⋯,an。对 p n ( x ) p_n(x) pn(x)求各阶导数,然后分别代入以上等式,得
a 0 = f ( x 0 ) , 1 ⋅ a 1 = f ′ ( x 0 ) , a_0=f(x_0), 1\cdot a_1=f'(x_0), a0=f(x0),1⋅a1=f′(x0),
2 ! a 2 = f ′ ′ ( x 0 ) , ⋯ , n ! a n = f ( n ) ( x 0 ) 2!a_2=f''(x_0), \cdots , n!a_n=f^(n)(x_0) 2!a2=f′′(x0),⋯,n!an=f(n)(x0)
可得
a 0 = f ( x 0 ) , a 1 = f ′ ( x 0 ) , a 2 = 1 2 ! f ′ ′ ( x 0 ) , ⋯ , a n = 1 n ! f ( n ) ( x 0 ) a_0=f(x_0), a_1=f'(x_0), a_2=\frac{1}{2!}f''(x_0), \cdots, a_n=\frac{1}{n!}f^{(n)}(x_0) a0=f(x0),a1=f′(x0),a2=