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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

User's view of solving stiff ordinary differential equations

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7327371
This report attempts to assist the person who needs to solve stiff ordinary differential equations. First, the problem area and the basic difficulty are identified by considering some fundamental questions: Why is it worthwhile to distinguish a special class of problems termed ''stiff.'' What are stiff problems. Where do they arise. How can they be recognized. Secondly, the characteristics shared by methods for the numerical solution of stiff problems are described. These characteristics have important implications as to the convenience and efficiency of solution of even routine problems. Understanding them is indispensable to the assembling of codes for the very efficient solution of special problems or for solving exceptionally large problems at all. Thirdly, what is meant by ''solving'' a differential equation numerically and what might be reasonably expected in the case of stiff problems are briefly discussed.
Research Organization:
Illinois Univ., Urbana (USA). Dept. of Computer Science
OSTI ID:
7327371
Report Number(s):
COO-2383-0036
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English