3.5: Chapter summary
- Page ID
- 219157
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Here are the important points made in this chapter:
- The backward Euler method is derived from the simple backward difference expression for the derivative, \(y' = (y_{n} - y_{n-1})/h\).
- The backward Euler method is an iterative method which starts at an initial point and walks the solution forward using the iteration \(y_{n+1} - h f(t_{n+1}, y_{n+1}) = y_{n}\).
- Since the future \(y_{n+1}\) appears as a function which must be inverted on the LHS, backward Euler is an implicit method.
- Like any implicit method, a rootfinder – such as Newton’s method – is required to find \(y_{n+1}\) at each step in time.
- The RMS error expected when using the backward Euler method scales as \(e \sim O(h)\).
- Solver stability is not guaranteed for all step sizes \(h\). The stability criterion depends upon the exact ODE under consideration, but backward Euler can be stable for larger step sizes than forward Euler.

