Graphic Solution of a First-Order Differential Equation

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This Demonstration presents Euler's method for the approximate (or graphics) solution of a first-order differential equation with initial condition , .

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The method consists of calculating the approximation of by

,

,

where .

These coordinates determine points , , …, . These points form Euler's polygonal line that is an approximate solution of the problem. The Demonstration compares it with a better solution provided by Mathematica's built-in NDSolve function (brown line).

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Contributed by: Izidor Hafner (January 2014)
Open content licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


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Reference

[1] L. Euler, "De Integratione Aequationum Differentialium Per Approximationem," Institutionum Calculi Integralis Volumen Primum, 1768. www.math.dartmouth.edu/~euler/docs/originals/E342sec2ch7.pdf.



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