Difference equations versus differential equations

[Lynn37]

What is the difference between difference equations and differential equations?
One of these types of equations are often easier to work with but there can be problems with using these, such as they generate false answers, why is that?

 

[Deleted member 4993]

What is the difference between difference equations and differential equations?
One of these types of equations are often easier to work with but there can be problems with using these, such as they generate false answers, why is that?

Difference equations, in general, are algebraic equations and those are derived through approximations of differential equations.


Now for the part of - "why is that" - do some Google search.

 

[Lynn37]

I have searched online to find out whether difference equations or differential equations are easier to work with and why the one is easier than the other, and have not found an answer. I have been thinking that perhaps difference equations are easier to work with as they use previous values to calculate current values, but I am not sure if this would make them easier to work with.

I have also not been able to find out which of these two types of equations has the possibility of generating false answers.

Any ideas?

 

[Deleted member 4993]

What type of search words did you use?

I typed in:

"error in difference equations"

in google search box - and got several papers discussing errors in difference equations.

 

[Siyamala89]

Differential eq vs Difference eq

You can check on these 2 websites....

http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~mlewis/CSCI3352-S05/Lectures/Lect13.pdf

http://www.brookscole.com/math_d/special_features/stewart_shared/mathematica_labs/08-

But the part where they generate inaccurate answer, I'm not sure myself... the 2nd website i've coded have stated on anomalies that may occor when differential eq is converted into difference eq... hope that might help u...:-D