Iterative methods for the boundary value problem of a fourth-order differential-difference equation (Q1908251)

This paper deals with the following fourth-order equation \[ y^{(4)}(t)= f(t; \overline y(t), \overline y(t- \tau_1), \overline y(t+ \tau_2)),\quad a< t< b, \] where \(y(t)= \phi(t)\) for \(a- \tau_1\leq t\leq a\), \(y(t)= \psi(t)\) for \(b\leq t\leq b+ \tau_2\), \(y'(a+ 0)= m\), \(y'(b- 0)= n\), \(\overline y(t)= (y(t), y'(t), y''(t), y^{(3)}(t))\), \(\tau_1\), \(\tau_2\) are positive numbers, \(\phi\in C^3([a- \tau_1, a], \mathbb{R})\), \(\psi\in C^3([b, b+ \tau_2], \mathbb{R})\) and \(f\) is continuous in \(t\). Using Schauder's fixed point theorem, the author obtains existence and uniqueness of the solution for this boundary value problem. Using Picard's iterative method an approximate solution is searched. Also an error estimation is given.