| Abstract: | The aim of this article is to present several computational algorithms for numerical solutions of a nonlinear finite difference system that represents a finite difference approximation of a class of fourth‐order elliptic boundary value problems. The numerical algorithms are based on the method of upper and lower solutions and its associated monotone iterations. Three linear monotone iterative schemes are given, and each iterative scheme yields two sequences, which converge monotonically from above and below, respectively, to a maximal solution and a minimal solution of the finite difference system. This monotone convergence property leads to upper and lower bounds of the solution in each iteration as well as an existence‐comparison theorem for the finite difference system. Sufficient conditions for the uniqueness of the solution and some techniques for the construction of upper and lower solutions are obtained, and numerical results for a two‐point boundary‐value problem with known analytical solution are given. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 17:347–368, 2001 |
