Optimal homotopy analysis method for nonlinear differential equations in the boundary layer

Optimal homotopy analysis method is a powerful tool for nonlinear differential equations. In this method, the convergence of the series solutions is controlled by one or more parameters which can be determined by minimizing a certain function. There are several approaches to determine the optimal values of these parameters, which can be divided into two categories, i.e. global optimization approach and step‐by‐step optimization approach. In the global optimization approach, all the parameters are optimized simultaneously at the last order of approximation. However, this process leads to a system of coupled, nonlinear algebraic equations in multiple variables which are very difficult to solve. In the step‐by‐step approach, the optimal values of these parameters are determined sequentially, that is, they are determined one by one at different orders of approximation. In this way, the computational efficiency is significantly improved, especially when high order of approximation is needed. In this paper, we provide extensive examples arising in similarity and non‐similarity boundary layer theory to investigate the performance of these approaches. The results reveal that with the step‐by‐step approach, convergent solutions of high order of approximation can be obtained within much less CPU time, compared with the global approach and the traditional HAM.