Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 69 1 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Apply the Runge-Kutta method to the Dahlquist test equation and put . Its stability function isSince is an invertible matrix, has polynomial degree . The adjugate matrix formula gives , but the additional condition givesso actually . The specified order of a numerical method implies near zero. Therefore the Padé identification of a Radau stability function makes the Padé approximant to the exponential function: its numerator and denominator have the required degrees, and its Taylor series agrees through degree .
In the permitted A-stability of near-diagonal exponential Padé approximants, take , . Then , so the scheme is A-stable. The same stability function also tends to zero at infinity, giving L-stability.