Symbolic Algebra with Mathematica

In ref. 142 the authors are studied the Numerov-type ODE solvers for the numerical solution of second-order initial value problems. They present a powerful and efficient symbolic code in MATHEMATICA for the derivation of their order conditions and principal truncation error terms. They also present the relative tree theory for such order conditions along with the elements of combinatorial mathematics, partitions of integer numbers and computer algebra which are the basis of the implementation of the S5unbolic code. We must that one of the authors is an expert on this specific field. 

In a similar fashion one can proceed to the second order. However, the algebra becomes rather cumbersome and we performed the symbolic computations with the program Mathematica [19]. 

The Routh-Hurwitz conditions are well known and can be used to determine, in principle, the stability properties of the steady state of any n-variable system. This advantage is, however, balanced by the fact that in practice their use is very cumbersome, even for n as small as 3 or 4. The evaluation, by hand, of all the coefficients Cl of the characteristic polynomial and the Hurwitz determinants A constitutes a rather arduous task. It is for this reason that in the past this tool of linear stability analysis could hardly be found in the literature of nonlinear dynamics. The situation changed with the advent of computer-algebra systems or symbolic computation software. Software such as Mathematica (Wolfram Research, Inc., Champaign, IL) or Maple (Waterloo Maple Inc., Waterloo, Ontario) makes it easy to obtain exact, analytical expressions for the coefficients C/ of the characteristic polynomial (1.12) and the Hurwitz determinants A . 

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