141

13

Variational Iteration Method

13.1 Introduction
The variational iteration method (VIM) is one of the well-known semi-
analytical methods for solving linear and nonlinear ordinary as well as partial
differential equations. He [1, 2] developed the VIM and successfully applied
to ordinary and partial differential equations. Further, the method was used
by many researchers for solving linear, nonlinear, homogeneous, and inhomo-
geneous differential equations. The main advantage of the method lies in its
flexibility and ability to solve nonlinear equations easily. The method can be
used in bounded and unbounded domains as well. By this method one can find
the convergent successive approximations of the exact solution of the differ-
ential equations if such a solution exists. Wazwaz [3] used the VIM for solving
the linear and nonlinear Volterra integral and integro-differential equations
and explained clearly how to use this method for solving homogenous and
inhomogeneous partial differential equations in Ref. [4].

13.2 VIM Procedure

In order to illustrate the VIM, we address the general nonlinear system [1, 2, 5]
as
Lu + Nu = g(x, t), (13.1)
where L is the linear operator, N is the nonlinear operator, and g(x, t) is the
given continuous function.
The correction functional for Eq. (13.1) may directly be written as [1, 2, 5]
t
un+1 (x, t) = un (x, t) + 𝜆{Lun (x, 𝜉) + Ñ
un (x, 𝜉) − g (x, 𝜉)}d𝜉, n ≥ 0
∫0
(13.2)

Advanced Numerical and Semi-Analytical Methods for Differential Equations, First Edition.
Snehashish Chakraverty, Nisha Rani Mahato, Perumandla Karunakar, and Tharasi Dilleswar Rao.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
142 13 Variational Iteration Method

where 𝜆 is Lagrange multiplier, which can be identified optimally via the vari-
ational theory [1, 2, 5]. Here, ̃
un is a restricted variation [1, 2, 5] which means
𝛿̃
un = 0 and un is the nth approximate solution. The initial approximation u0
can be chosen freely if it satisfies the given conditions. The solution is approxi-
mated as
u(x, t) = lim un (x, t). (13.3)
n→∞

13.3 Numerical Examples

In this section, few test problems have been solved using the present method
to make the readers familiar with the method. As such, two linear nonhomoge-
neous partial differential equations are handled in Examples 13.1 and 13.2, and
a nonlinear partial differential equation has been solved in Example 13.3.

Example 13.1 We take a linear nonhomogeneous partial differential

equation as
ux − uy = 2, (13.4)
subject to conditions u(x, 0) = x, u(0, y) = − y.

Solution The correction functional for Eq. (13.4) may be obtained from Eq.
(13.2) as (in x-direction)
x ( )
𝜕 𝜕
un+1 (x, y) = un (x, y) + 𝜆 u (𝜉, y) − un (𝜉, y) − 2 d𝜉, n ≥ 0
∫0 𝜕𝜉 n 𝜕y
(13.5)
with stationary conditions [1, 2, 5]
1 + 𝜆|𝜉=x = 0,
𝜆′ |𝜉=x = 0
which give 𝜆 = − 1.
By substituting the value of the Lagrange multiplier 𝜆 = − 1 in Eq. (13.5), we
get
x( )
𝜕 𝜕
un+1 (x, y) = un (x, y) − un (𝜉, y) − un (𝜉, y) − 2 d𝜉, n ≥ 0
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕y
(13.6)
Next, we select u0 (x, y) = u(0, y) = − y from the given conditions. By using
u0 (x, y) = − y in Eq. (13.6), we obtain successive approximations as below
u0 (x, y) = − y
 13.3 Numerical Examples 143

x ( )
𝜕 𝜕
u1 (x, y) = u0 (x, y) − u0 (𝜉, y) − u0 (𝜉, y) − 2 d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕y
x( )
𝜕 𝜕
=−y− (−y) − (−y) − 2 d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕y
x
=−y− (0 + 1 − 2)d𝜉
∫0
x
=−y− (−1)d𝜉 = −y + (𝜉)x0
∫0
= − y + (𝜉)x0
= − y + x,
x ( )
𝜕 𝜕
u2 (x, y) = u1 (x, y) − u (𝜉, y) − u1 (𝜉, y) − 2 d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 1 𝜕y
x ( )
𝜕 𝜕
=−y+x− (−y + 𝜉) − (−y + 𝜉) − 2 d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕y
x
=−y+x− (1 + 1 − 2)d𝜉
∫0
= − y + x,
u3 (x, y) = − y + x,
⋮
un (x, y) = − y + x.
The solution of Eq. (13.4) subject to given conditions by the VIM is
u(x, y) = − y + x, which is the exact solution.

Example 13.2 We now consider a linear nonhomogeneous partial differen-

tial equation with three independent variables
ux + uy + uz = 3 (13.7)
subject to the conditions: u(0, y, z) = y + z, u(x, 0, z) = x + z, and u(x, y, 0) = x + y.
Solution Here, the correction functional for Eq. (13.7) may be written as (in
x-direction)
x (
𝜕 𝜕
un+1 (x, y, z) = un (x, y, z) + 𝜆 un (𝜉, y, z) + un (𝜉, y, z)
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕y
)
𝜕
+ u (𝜉, y, z) − 3 d𝜉, n ≥ 0 … (13.8)
𝜕z n
with stationary conditions [1, 2, 5]
1 + 𝜆|𝜉=x = 0,
𝜆′ |𝜉=x = 0
144 13 Variational Iteration Method

which yield 𝜆 = − 1.
By substituting the above Lagrange multiplier 𝜆 = − 1 in Eq. (13.8), we have
x(
𝜕 𝜕
un+1 (x, y, z) = un (x, y, z) − un (𝜉, y, z) + un (𝜉, y, z)
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕y
)
𝜕
+ u (𝜉, y, z) − 3 d𝜉, n ≥ 0 … . (13.9)
𝜕z n
Now, we select u0 (x, y, z) = u(0, y, z) = y + z from the given conditions. Using
this in Eq. (13.9), we obtain successive approximations as
u0 (x, y, z) = y + z,
x( )
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
u1 (x, y, z) = u0 (x, y, z) − u0 (𝜉, y, z) + u0 (𝜉, y, z) + u0 (𝜉, y, z) − 3 d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕y 𝜕z
x( )
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
=y+z− (y + z) + (y + z) + (y + z) − 3 d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕y 𝜕z
x
=y+z− (0 + 1 + 1 − 3)d𝜉,
∫0
x
=y+z− (−1)d𝜉 = y + z + (𝜉)x0
∫0
= y + z + (𝜉)x0
= x + y + z,
x( )
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
u2 (x, y, z) = u1 (x, y, z) − u (𝜉, y, z) + u1 (𝜉, y, z) + u1 (𝜉, y, z) − 3 d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 1 𝜕y 𝜕z
x( )
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
= x+y+z − (𝜉 + y + z) + (𝜉 + y + z) + (𝜉 + y + z) − 3 d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕y 𝜕z
x
=x+y+z− (1 + 1 + 1 − 3)d𝜉
∫0
= x + y + z,
u3 (x, y, z) = x + y + z,
⋮
un (x, y, z) = x + y + z.
Thus, the exact solution of Eq. (13.7) by the VIM is u(x, y, z) = x + y + z.

Example 13.3 Finally, we consider a nonlinear nonhomogeneous partial

differential equation
ut + uux = x (13.10)
subject to the initial condition u(x, 0) = 2.
 13.3 Numerical Examples 145

Solution The correction functional for Eq. (13.10) is (in t-direction)

t ( )
𝜕 𝜕
un+1 (x, t) = un (x, t) + 𝜆 un (x, 𝜉) + un (x, 𝜉) un (x, 𝜉) − x d𝜉, n ≥ 0 …
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕x
(13.11)
Here, the stationary conditions [1, 2, 5] are
1 + 𝜆|𝜉=x = 0,
𝜆′ |𝜉=x = 0
from which we get 𝜆 = −1.
Substituting Lagrange multiplier 𝜆 = −1 in Eq. (13.11) results in
t( )
𝜕 𝜕
un+1 (x, t) = un (x, t) − un (x, 𝜉) + un (x, 𝜉) un (x, 𝜉) − x d𝜉, n≥0
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕x
(13.12)
Now, we select u0 (x, t) = u(x, 0) = 2 from the given conditions. Using this in
Eq. (13.12), we obtain successive approximations as
u0 (x, t) = 2
t( )
𝜕 𝜕
u1 (x, t) = un (x, t) − u0 (x, 𝜉) + u0 (x, 𝜉) u0 (x, 𝜉) − x d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕x
t( )
𝜕 𝜕
=2− (2) + 2 (2) − x d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕x
t
=2− (−x)d𝜉
∫0
= 2 + xt
t ( )
𝜕 𝜕
u2 (x, t) = u1 (x, t) − u1 (x, 𝜉) + u1 (x, 𝜉) u1 (x, 𝜉) − x d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕x
t( )
𝜕 𝜕
= 2 + xt − (2 + x𝜉) + (2 + x𝜉) (2 + x𝜉) − x d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕x
t
= 2 + xt − (x + (2 + x𝜉)𝜉 − x)d𝜉
∫0
t
= 2 + xt − (2𝜉 + x𝜉 2 )d𝜉
∫0
1
= 2 + xt − t 2 − xt 3
3
t( )
𝜕 𝜕
u3 (x, t) = u2 (x, t) − u2 (x, 𝜉) + u2 (x, 𝜉) u2 (x, 𝜉) − x d𝜉
∫0 𝜕𝜉 𝜕x
1
= 2 + xt − t 2 − xt 3
3
146 13 Variational Iteration Method

t (( ) ( )
𝜕 1 1
− 2 + x𝜉 − 𝜉 2 − x𝜉 3 + 2 + x𝜉 − 𝜉 2 − x𝜉 3
∫0 𝜕𝜉 3 3
( ) )
𝜕 1
× 2 + x𝜉 − 𝜉 2 − x𝜉 3 − x d𝜉
𝜕x 3
t( ( )
1 1
= 2 + xt − t 2 − xt 3 − x − 2𝜉 − x𝜉 2 + 2 + x𝜉 − 𝜉 2 − x𝜉 3
3 ∫ 3
( ) ) 0
1 3
× 𝜉 − 𝜉 − x d𝜉
3
t( )
1 5 2 1 1
= 2 + xt − t 2 − xt 3 − − 𝜉 3 − x𝜉 4 + 𝜉 5 − x𝜉 6 d𝜉
3 ∫0 3 3 3 3
( )t
1 5 2 1 1
= 2 + xt − t 2 − xt 3 − − 𝜉 4 − x𝜉 5 + 𝜉 6 + x𝜉 7
3 12 15 18 21 0
2 1 3 5 4 2 5 1 6 1 7
= 2 + xt − t − xt + t + xt − t − xt
3 12 15 18 21
and so on.
In general, we have
1 5 2 61 6 17 7
un (x, t) = 2 + xt − t 2 − xt 3 + t 4 + xt 5 − t − xt · · ·
3 12 15 360 315
( ) ( )
1 5 61 6 1 2 5 17 7
= 2 1 − t2 + t4 − t · · · + x t − t3 + t − xt · · ·
2 24 720 3 15 315
= 2 sech x + x tanh x.
As such, the exact solution of the nonlinear differential equation is
u(x, t) = 2 sech x + x tanh x.

Exercise
1 Apply the VIM to find the solution differential equation ut − uux = 0, subject
x
to initial condition u(x, 0) = 10 .

2 Solve ut + uux = 2x, x ∈ ℜ, t ≥ 0 subject to initial condition u(x, 0) = x using

the VIM.

3 Solve the homogenous Burger’s equation ut + uux − uxx = 0 subject to initial

condition u(x, 0) = x using the VIM.

References
1 He, J.H. (1998). Approximate analytical solution for seepage flow with frac-
tional derivatives in porous media. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics
and Engineering 167 (1–2): 57–68.
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2 He, J.H. and Wu, X.H. (2007). Variational iteration method: new develop-
ment and applications. Computers and Mathematics with Applications 54
(7/8): 881–894.
3 Wazwaz, A.M. (2010). The variational iteration method for solving linear and
nonlinear Volterra integral and integro-differential equations. International
Journal of Computer Mathematics 87 (5): 1131–1141.
4 Wazwaz, A.M. (2010). Partial Differential Equations and Solitary Waves The-
ory. Beijing: Springer Science & Business Media, Higher Education Press.
5 He, J.H. (2000). Variational iteration method for autonomous ordinary differ-
ential systems. Applied Mathematics and Computation 114 (2): 115–123.