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Numerical Solutions of Differential Equations

Part 5: Summary Questions

  1. Describe in your own words Euler's Method for approximating the solution of a first-order initial value problem.
  2. Why do you think Euler's Method failed to produce a good approximation when the number of steps was too small? Why did you get the particular approximation you saw at the end of Part 2?
  3. Why does the solution of

    dy/dt = sin(y), with y(0) = 0.1.

    look similar to the solution of

    dy/dt = y (1 - y), with y(0) = 0.1?

  4. Describe all equilibrium solutions of the Logistic Equation.
  5. In what ways are the solutions of the Logistic Equation and of dy/dt = sin(y) similar? In what ways are they different? [Ignore numerical differences and concentrate on differences of shape.]

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