A numerical shock profile in a slowly relaxing medium (Q1081354)

A numerical solution of the equation which governs the shock solution in a viscoelastic medium displaying stress relaxation is obtained. This equation has been found to be the one which defines the lowest-order approximation to the inner solution of a ''generalized Burgers' equation''. The case when the stress relaxation function is algebraically decaying is considered and the results are shown to be consistent with the expected behaviour of the solution.