c to compile this, first type "f77 newton.f" then to run it, type "a.out"

      program newton
      real x_guess,f_guess,df_guess,f_prev,x_prev,x_temp
      integer ict


c how close we want to get to the solution:
      tol = 1.e-8
c the counter for the iteration loop:
      ict = 0
c what we're going to test: "is test close to zero?"
      f_guess = 2*tol
c first guess for root
c      x_guess = -5.0
      write(6,*)'what is your first guess?'
      read(5,*)x_guess

c to get started, we take a newton step
      f_guess = f(x_guess)
      fx_guess = fx(x_guess)
      x_temp = x_guess - f_guess/fx_guess

      write(4,*)ict,'x_0 = ',x_guess,'f(x_0) =',f_guess
      write(6,*)'step = ',ict, ' root ',x_guess

c now update:
      x_prev = x_guess
      f_prev = f_guess
      x_guess = x_temp
      ict = ict + 1

c now that we have values for x_guess, x_prev, and f_prev, we can start
c the secant method
      
      do while((abs(f_guess).gt.tol).and.(ict.lt.100))
         f_guess = f(x_guess)
         write(4,*)ict,'x_0 = ',x_guess,'f(x_0) =',f_guess
         write(6,*)'step = ',ict, ' root ',x_guess

         x_temp = x_guess - f_guess*(x_guess-x_prev)/(f_guess-f_prev)
c save present values of f_guess and x_guess as "past"
         x_prev = x_guess
         f_prev = f_guess
c save new value of x as present
         x_guess = x_temp



c update the iteration counter
         ict = ict+1
      end do

      stop
      end

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c define the function whose zero we're looking for:
      function f(x)
      real f,x

      f = (x+1.0)*(x-1.0)**2

      return
      end

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c define the derivative of the function whose zero we're looking for:
      function fx(x)
      real fx,x

      fx = (x-1.0)**2 + (x+1.0)*2*(x-1.0)

      return
      end