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I have a set of data as the following

data = {{-(1/10), 0.1231238244553477`}, {0, 0.11842669584606009}, {1/
   10, 0.11295156506691292`}, {1/5, 0.10626995173555345`}, {1/4, 
   0.10225817762630054`}, {27/100, 0.10051846336254686`}, {7/25, 
   0.09963726811580004`}, {29/100, 0.09877358379658636`}, {3/10, 
   0.0979774456159904`}, {63/200, 0.09726355431994167`}, {8/25, 
   0.0974294913135746`}, {13/40, 0.09826117039951159`}, {1/3, 
   0.1265770484367747`}}

ListPloting the data

ListPlot[data, Frame -> True, Axes -> None, FrameStyle -> Black, 
 BaseStyle -> FontSize -> 13, RotateLabel -> True, PlotStyle -> Blue, 
 PlotRange -> {5/100, 15/100}, Joined -> True, 
 InterpolationOrder -> 3]

leads to the following plot

enter image description here

While keeping the interpolationOrder, I want to have a smooth graph without a sharp valley, something like the red curve in the following plot

enter image description here

What should I do?

p.s., Increasing the number of points didn't solve the problem.

I saw a similar plot in a paper:

enter image description here

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3 Answers 3

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First, hunting for a method that makes your data look nicer than standard methods looks suspicious, speaking as someone from outside science.

That said, here's a standard method, Eugene Lee's "centripetal" parametrization. See this answer by @J.M for more, including a reference.

parametrizeCurve[pts_List, a : (_?NumericQ) : 1/2] := 
  FoldList[Plus, 0, Normalize[(Norm /@ Differences[pts])^a, Total]] /;
    MatrixQ[pts, NumericQ];

tvals = parametrizeCurve[data, 0.6]; (* a = 0.6 *)
plot = ParametricPlot[
  Evaluate[Interpolation[Transpose@{tvals, data}, t]],
  {t, 0, 1}, AspectRatio -> 0.61, Frame -> True] (*//
 Show[#,
   Graphics[{First@
      Cases[Cases[#, {___, _Line, ___}, Infinity], _Directive, 
       Infinity],
     PointSize@Medium, Point@data}]
   ] &*)

Mathematica graphics

Uncomment the Show[..] code to see the data points marked.

Note that Lee's method is a standard in computer design, not data analysis AFAIK. But it makes a pretty curve, if that is important. Searching for the value 0.6 for the parameter a is still a bit like $P$-hunting. While 0.7 looks a little nicer, the following shows whether the plot is the graph of a function (shows whether the horizontal coordinate steadily increases):

Cases[Normal@plot, _Line, Infinity][[1, 1, All, 1]] // 
  Differences // Min // Positive
(* True (a=0.6), False (a=0.7) *)

Update: Hacking Interpolation

If you want to be sure you have a function, you can adjust the derivatives at the interpolation nodes "by eye" to get a good looking plot:

ddata = NDSolve`FiniteDifferenceDerivative[
   1,                        (* first derivative *)
   data[[All, 1]],           (* grid ("x" values) *)
   data[[All, 2]],           (* function values *)
   "DifferenceOrder" -> 2];  (* central diff. rule *)
ddata = ReplacePart[         (* adjust f' by hand *)
   ddata, {-2 :> 0.3, -3 :> 0.08}]; 
ip = Interpolation[
   Transpose@{List /@ data[[All, 1]], data[[All, 2]], ddata}];
Plot[ip[x],
 {x, data[[1, 1]], data[[-1, 1]]},
 Frame -> True]

Mathematica graphics

Again, you have to hunt for a=0.3 and b=0.08. (Using Manipulate[] is easiest.)

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You are creating the "valley" yourself by using polynomial interpolation. Polynomials always overshoot if the slope changes rapidly.

What to do? You can ask yourself if high degree interpolation is really necessary, because the data is rather smooth:

ListLinePlot[data]

enter image description here

If you insists on interpolation by some curve, you may try Interpolation together with a spline method and InterpolationOrder->1. With this you get:

f = Interpolation[data, Method -> "Spline", InterpolationOrder -> 1];
Plot[f[x], {x, -0.10, .4}, PlotRange -> {0.09, .15}]

enter image description here

However, even if you increase the interpolation order by only, 1 you get some artefacts:

f = Interpolation[data, Method -> "Spline", InterpolationOrder -> 2]; Plot[f[x], {x, -0.10, .4}, PlotRange -> {0.09, .15}]

enter image description here

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  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @Huber Thank you very much for the answer. Since there are some breaks in the graph (when using ListLinePlot) and as I want to have a smooth graph, I used Interpolation. By using Method -> "Spline", there still is a break in the plot. Is it possible to have a smother curve? $\endgroup$
    – Kheeyal
    Jun 22 at 9:31
  • $\begingroup$ Where do you see a break in the plot? I see a continuous line. $\endgroup$ Jun 22 at 11:18
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ I think the OP means that f'[x] is discontinuous (makes "corners" or "kinks" in the graph -- a break in smoothness) for order 1. Of course order 2 has a continuous derivative but makes the wiggle near 3.2, which you have already observed. $\endgroup$
    – Michael E2
    Jun 22 at 14:18
  • $\begingroup$ @Huber at the vicinity of 0.3 there are small breaks $\endgroup$
    – Kheeyal
    Jun 22 at 14:56
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ I don't think there's any difference (except the points generated) in the plots of ListLinePlot, Interpolation[data, Method -> "Spline", InterpolationOrder -> 1], or even Interpolation[data, InterpolationOrder -> 1] -- they all connect the data points with straight lines. $\endgroup$
    – Michael E2
    Jun 22 at 15:59
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modified

Try Method -> "Hermite"

ip = Interpolation[data, Method -> "Hermite", InterpolationOrder -> 2 ];
Show[{Plot[ip[x], {x, -.1, .4}, PlotRange -> {0.09, .15}],ListPlot[data]}]

enter image description here

addendum

Inspired from @MichaelE2' comments here I show two alternatives ResourceFuncion["MonotonicInterpolation"] and pchip ( thanks to @J. M.'s lack of A.I. )

monotonic interpolation

Plot[ResourceFunction["CubicMonotonicInterpolation"][data][
  x], {x, .3, .35}, Axes -> None, 
 Epilog -> {Red, AbsolutePointSize[4], Point[data]}, Frame -> True
 , PlotRange -> {.05, .15}]

enter image description here

pchip

fcint[data_] := 
 Module[{del, slopes, tau}, del = #2/#1 & @@@ Differences[data];
  slopes = Flatten[{del[[1]], MovingAverage[del, 2], del[[-1]]}];
  tau = MapThread[Min, 
    Through[{Append, Prepend}[
      Min[#, 1] & /@ (3 del/(Norm /@ Partition[slopes, 2, 1])), 1]]];
  Interpolation[
   Transpose[{List /@ data[[All, 1]], data[[All, -1]], slopes tau}], 
   InterpolationOrder -> 3, Method -> "Hermite"]]

 Plot[fcint[data][x], {x, .3, .35}, Axes -> None, 
 Epilog -> {Red, AbsolutePointSize[4], Point[data]}, Frame -> True
 , PlotRange -> {0, .15}]

enter image description here

Both alternatives avoid valleys! Perhaps monotonic interpolation gives better extrapolation ...

Whether the additional effort of the two last variants is worthwhile compared with the first approach Hermite/InterpolationOrder->2 seems doubtful

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  • 2
    $\begingroup$ "Hermite" is the default method. The principal difference here is Interpolation -> 2 instead of 3. Also the large points raise the question whether there are kinks being hidden. $\endgroup$
    – Michael E2
    Jun 22 at 14:08
  • $\begingroup$ The "Hermite" method works better for the purpose I have. Interpolation->2 or 3 besides the "Hermite" method gives the same result, i.e., a smooth curve with no breaks and vallies. $\endgroup$
    – Kheeyal
    Jun 22 at 14:44
  • $\begingroup$ @MichaelE2 Thanks! Some years ago we were talking about pchip and monotone interpolation. Unforunately I couldn't find the link... $\endgroup$ Jun 23 at 7:55
  • $\begingroup$ I probably can't find it either (I've made over 15K comments). I may have been wrong: At some point, I was told Mma's Hermite and Matlab's pchip used the same algorithm. This turns out to be wrong. pchip adjusts the slopes at the data points to preserve monotonicity (there is an algorithm given here, based on the same reference given for pchip). Sorry, if I was in error before. $\endgroup$
    – Michael E2
    Jun 23 at 14:48
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ The monotonic interpolation is beautiful. It's nice to have an algorithm that does better the hack I tried by hand. The fcint[] looks too wiggly between -0.1 and 0.3, although it's good between 0.3 and 1/3. $\endgroup$
    – Michael E2
    Jun 24 at 21:40

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