Didactic strategy for solution of higher order ordinary differential equations Estrategia didáctica para la solución numérica de ecuaciones diferenciales ordinarias de orden superior

Abstract

In the teaching of numerical analysis at university-level institutions, textbooks often neglect pedagogical aspects, which in some cases may hinder certain teaching-learning processes. Specifically, algorithms presented in textbooks for solving ordinary differential equations typically rely on the use of first-order differential equations, overlooking significant details required for solving higher-order differential equations. This educational article presents a generalized and didactic approach that enables students to formulate numerical solutions for initial value problems. By applying Euler's and Runge-Kutta methods to higher-order ordinary differential equations, students will be empowered to develop and implement their own solutions in programming languages. This study includes four case studies that illustrate the practical application of the proposed approach. In this work, the two strategies proposed in this paper were tested on a group of students, obtaining favorable results in student learning.