View source for Courant number

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A term used in the consideration of difference schemes for integrating one-dimensional hyperbolic systems. If $\tau$ is the grid spacing with respect to $t$, $h$ the grid spacing with respect to $x$ and $\lambda$ the maximum inclination of the characteristics, then the Courant number of the difference scheme equals $\lambda\tau/h$.

====References====
<table><TR><TD valign="top">[1]</TD> <TD valign="top">  S.K. Godunov,   V.S. Ryaben'kii,   "The theory of difference schemes" , North-Holland  (1964)  (Translated from Russian)</TD></TR></table>



====Comments====
The Courant number plays a role in the [[Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy condition|Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy condition]]. References are given there.