A comparison of digital computer programs for the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations
Recently the determination of the best technique for numerically solving systems of ordinary differential equations on a digital computer has received much attention. The use of these formulas in conjunction with a stepsize control developed is explained, and one of the formulas is chosen for comparison with other integration techniques. This comparison of one of the best of Fehlberg's formulas with the different numerical techniques described in previous studies on a variety of test problems clearly shows the superiority of Fehlberg's formula. That is, on each of the test problems, the chosen Fehlberg formula is able to achieve a given accuracy in less computer time than any of the other techniques tested. Also, the computer program for the chosen Fehlberg formula is less complex and easier to use than the computer programs for most of the other techniques. To illustrate the use of the chosen Fehlberg formula, a computer listing of its application to several example problems is included along with a sample of the computer output from these applications.