12 Math HL

Unit 10 –Differential Equations

10.3 Euler’s Method
Objectives: Students will use Euler’s Method to approximate solutions of differential equations.
Consider any first-order equation of the form y ’=f ( x , y).

We found solution curves to differential equations graphically, using slope fields. We will find solutions
numerically, using Euler’s method to find points on solution curves.

When we use a slope field we start at an initial point, then move step by step so the slope segments are
always tangent to the solution curve. With Euler’s method, we again select a starting point; but now we
calculate the slope at that point (from the given differential equation), use the initial point and that
slope to locate a new point, use the new point and calculate the slope at it (again from the differential
equation) to locate still another point, and so on.

Euler’s method approximates the solution by substituting short line segments in place of the actual
curve. It can be quite accurate when the step sizes are small, but only if the curve does not have
discontinuities, cusps, or asymptotes.

To understand Euler’s method, let’s look at an example.

dy 3
  1, 0  . Solve this
Example: Consider the differential equation dx x that passes through the point
differential equation.
y  _________
dy 3

Given dx x , use Euler’s method to approximate the y-values with four steps, starting at
 1, 0  and letting x  0.5.

n xn yn actual
0
1
2
3
4
Let y ’=F(x , y). Using Euler’s method, x n+1=x n +h , y n+ 1= y n +h × f ( x n , y n ) ,where h is a constant
(step length)

dy
Example: If =2 x − y and if y=3 when x=2, use Euler’s method with five equal steps to
dx
approximate y when x=1.5.

Example: Assume that f and f ’ have the values given in the table. Use Euler’s method with two equal
steps to approximate the value of f ¿ ).

x 3 2.8 2.6
f ’ ( x) 0.4 0.7 0.9
f (x) 2
Homework: Options textbook Exercise Set M (p.110-111) #1, 2, 6, 7, 8