Application of Numerical Methods to Selected Model Equations 119

4.1.7  tWo-steP laX–WenDroff methoD
For nonlinear equations such as the inviscid ow equations, a two-step variation of the original
Lax–Wendroff method can be used. When applied to the wave equation, this explicit two-step
three-time-level method becomes
Step 1:

u nj ++11//22 − u nj +1 + u nj /2
( ) u nj + − u nj
+c 1 =0 (4.48)
Δt / 2 Δx

Step 2:

u nj +1 − u nj u n +1/ 2 − u nj −+11//22
+ c j +1/ 2 =0 (4.49)
Δt Δx

This scheme is second-order accurate with a T.E. of O[(Δx)2 , (Δt)2] and is stable whenever |v| ≤ 1.
Step 1 is the Lax method applied at the midpoint j + 12 for a half time step, and Step 2 is the leap
frog method for the remaining half time step. When applied to the linear wave equation, the
two-step Lax–Wendroff scheme is equivalent to the original Lax–Wendroff scheme. This can
be readily shown by substituting Equation 4.48 into Equation 4.49. Since the two schemes are
equivalent, it follows that the modi ed equation and the ampli cation factor are the same for the
two methods.

4.1.8  maccormacK methoD
The MacCormack method (MacCormack, 1969) is a widely used scheme for solving uid ow
equations. It is a variation of the two-step Lax–Wendroff scheme that removes the necessity of
computing unknowns at the grid points j + 12 and j − 12 . Because of this feature, the MacCormack
method is particularly useful when solving nonlinear PDEs, as is shown in Section 4.4.3. When
applied to the linear wave equation, this explicit, predictor–corrector method becomes
Predictor:

Δt n
u nj +1 = u nj − c u j +1 − u nj
( ) (4.50)
Δx

Corrector: