Finite difference and Runge–Kutta methods for solving vibration problems

Abstract

The vibration of a storey building can be modelled into a system of second order ordinary differential equations. If the number of floors of a building is large, then the result is a large scale system of second order ordinary differential equations. The large scale system is difficult to solve, and if it can be solved, the solution may not be accurate. Therefore, in this paper, we seek for accurate methods for solving vibration problems. We compare the performance of numerical finite difference and Runge–Kutta methods for solving large scale systems of second order ordinary differential equations. The finite difference methods include the forward and central differences. The Runge–Kutta methods include the Euler and Heun methods. Our research results show that the central finite difference and the Heun methods produce more accurate solutions than the forward finite difference and the Euler methods do.