Runge-Kutta Defect Control Using Hermite-Birkhoff Interpolation

Two techniques for reliably controlling the defect (residual) in the numerical solution of nonstiff initial value problems were given in [D. This work describes an alternative approach based on Hermite-Birkhoff interpolation. The new approach has two main advantagesmit is applicable to Runge-Kutta schemes of any order, and it gives rise to a defect of the optimum asymptotic order of accuracy. For a particular Runge-Kutta formula the asymptotic analysis is verified numerically.