Example 4.  Determine how much the solutions in Example 2 and 3 differ.

Solution 4.

We cannot merely form the difference between the solutions, because they do not have the same dimension.  

[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_116.gif]

[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_117.gif]
[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_118.gif]

 

We will need to extract every other point from points2 and make a list which contains the same length as points1.

[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_119.gif]

[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_120.gif]
[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_121.gif]


[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_122.gif]

[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_123.gif]

[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_124.gif]

[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_125.gif]

[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_126.gif]

[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_127.gif]

[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_128.gif]

[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_129.gif]


[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_130.gif]


[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_131.gif]

[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_132.gif]
[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_133.gif]
[Graphics:../Images/FiniteDifferenceMod_gr_134.gif]

    Does the error look small? Large? Can it be improved?

    We now use Richardson's improvement scheme and extrapolate the seemingly inaccurate solutions in examples 2 and 3.
We should discover the joy of understanding the order of a numerical method.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(c) John H. Mathews 2004