# How to increase precision: $MinPrecision does not help [duplicate] This question already has an answer here: I have the following series: f[x_] := Sin[x] n := 50 Ni3[x_] := Sum[(f[k]*(-1)^k)/((x - k)*Gamma[k + 1]*Gamma[n - k + 1]), {k, 0, n}]/ Sum[(-1)^k/((x - k)*Gamma[k + 1]*Gamma[n - k + 1]), {k, 0, n}] Plot[{Ni3[x], f[x]}, {x, -7, 7}, AspectRatio -> Automatic, PlotRange -> 10]  At number of terms n below 40 the plot gives what is expected. But when increasing it above 50 the plot becomes corrupted. The setting $MinPrecision does not affect the result. The series is proven to converge to $f(x)=\sin(x)$.

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## marked as duplicate by Mr.Wizard♦Jul 19 '13 at 0:34

Try using a high value of WorkingPrecision in Plot, e.g. WorkingPrecision -> 60. –  Szabolcs May 7 '13 at 3:42
@Szabolcs you made incorrect change to the expression, putting one sum inside the other –  Anixx May 7 '13 at 3:44
@Szabolcs re Working Precision - thanks, it worked. –  Anixx May 7 '13 at 3:46
Sorry about that. When you paste expressions like this, select them, right click, then use Copy As -> Input Form. –  Szabolcs May 7 '13 at 3:47
@Szabolcs I did exactly that. It is what exported as Input Form. –  Anixx May 7 '13 at 3:48

As Szabolcs suggests, cranking up WorkingPrecision (or for that matter, just forcing Plot[] to use arbitrary precision) helps a lot. In this answer, I've taken the liberty to slightly simplify your barycentric interpolant as well:

f[x_] := Sin[x]

Ni3[n_Integer, x_] := (x - n) Binomial[x, n]
Sum[(-1)^(n - k) Binomial[n, k] f[k]/(x - k), {k, 0, n}, Method -> "Procedural"]

Plot[{Ni3[50, x], f[x]}, {x, -7, 7}, AspectRatio -> Automatic,
PlotRange -> 10, WorkingPrecision -> 20]


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How to force it to use arbitrary precision? –  Anixx May 7 '13 at 3:50
You get this plot with WorkingPrecision -> 20? I get junk with that ... I needed a much higher value. –  Szabolcs May 7 '13 at 3:50
@Szabolcs, well, I simplified OP's function a bit; that helped. –  Guess who it is. May 7 '13 at 3:51
@Anixx, as I said, with WorkingPrecision. –  Guess who it is. May 7 '13 at 3:52
To be precise, it runs out of precision around 1.5 for a precision setting of 20, around -1.2 for 30, and looks fine for 40 (for default plot range). –  Szabolcs May 7 '13 at 3:52