Direct vs Iterative methods

Direct methods
Direct methods provide the exact solution in a finite number of steps and try to
solve the problem immediately.

Iterative methods
Iterative methods are not expected to terminate in a finite number of steps. Starting
from an initial guess, iterative methods form successive approximations that
converge to the exact solution only in the limit time. A convergence test is
specified in order to decide when a sufficiently accurate solution has been found.
Even using infinite precision arithmatic these methods would not reach the solution
within a finite number of steps (in general). Examples include Newton’s method,
the bisection method, and Jacobi iteration.
Iterative methods are suitable for solving problems with a large number of
variables.
Iterative methods
Iterative methods are not expected to terminate in a finite number of steps. Starting from an initial
guess, iterative methods form successive approximations that converge to the exact solution only
in the limit time. A convergence test is specified in order to decide when a sufficiently accurate
solution has been found.

Even using infinite precision arithmatic these methods would not reach the solution within a finite
number of steps (in general). Examples include Newton’s method, the bisection method, and
Jacobi iteration.

Iterative methods are suitable for solving problems with a large number of variables.

Iterative methods for non-linear equations:

The Newton-Raphson method is an Iterative method to solve non-linear equations.

Iterative methods for linear equations:

The standard iterative methods, which are used are the Gauss-Jacobi and the Gauss-Seidel
method.

Another iterative method is the Chebyshev method. This method is based on orthogonal
polynomials.

The Gauss-Jacobi and the Gauss-Seidel method use a very simple polynomial to approximate the
solution. In the Chebyshev methodan optimal polynomial is used.