Fourth-order finite difference methods for three-dimensional general linear elliptic problems with variable coefficients

In this article, we give a simple method for deriving finite difference schemes on a uniform cubic grid. We consider a general, three-dimensional, second-order, linear, elliptic partial differential equation with variable coefficients. We derive two simple fourth-order schemes. When the coefficients of the second-order mixed derivatives are equal to zero, the fourth-order scheme requires only 19 grid points. When the coefficients of the mixed derivatives are not equal to zero and the coefficients of U_xx, U_yy, and U_zz are equal, we require the 27 points of the cubic grid. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the performance of the two schemes derived. There does not exist a fourth-order scheme involving 27 grid points for the general case.