Abstract: | We propose a new high‐order finite difference discretization strategy, which is based on the Richardson extrapolation technique and an operator interpolation scheme, to solve convection diffusion equations. For a particular implementation, we solve a fine grid equation and a coarse grid equation by using a fourth‐order compact difference scheme. Then we combine the two approximate solutions and use the Richardson extrapolation to compute a sixth‐order accuracy coarse grid solution. A sixth‐order accuracy fine grid solution is obtained by interpolating the sixth‐order coarse grid solution using an operator interpolation scheme. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficacy of the proposed finite difference discretization strategy, compared to the sixth‐order combined compact difference (CCD) scheme, and the standard fourth‐order compact difference (FOC) scheme. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 20: 18–32, 2004. |