On the solution of MHD flow over a nonlinear stretching sheet by an efficient semi‐analytical technique

The problem of magneto‐hydrodynamic fluid flow past a nonlinear stretching sheet in the presence of a transverse magnetic field is analyzed. The governing equations are transformed into a nonlinear ordinary differential equation that is solved using a novel spectral homotopy analysis method and the Matlab in‐built numerical solverttbvp4c. The new technique removes some known limitations of the homotopy analysis method and offers a more systematic way of selecting initial approximations and the optimal auxiliary parameter ?. A comparison with the numerical solution confirms the robustness, the computational efficiency, and the accuracy of the technique. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.