Additional results for the problem of MHD boundary-layer flow past a stretching/shrinking surface

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reinvestigate the problem of multiple similarity solutions of the two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic boundary-layer flow of an incompressible, viscous and electrically conducting fluid past a stretching/shrinking permeable surface studied by Aly et al. (2007). Design/methodology/approach The transformed ordinary (similarity) differential equation was solved numerically using the function bvp4c from MATLAB. The relative tolerance was set to 10^(−10). Findings Dual solutions were found and a stability analysis was performed to show which solutions are stable and which are not stable. On the other hand, Aly et al. (2007) have shown that for each value of the power index and magnetic parameter in the range and for any specific values of the stretching/shrinking parameter and suction parameter the problem has only a solution. Originality/value The paper describes how multiple (dual) solutions for the flow reversals were obtained. The stability analysis has shown that the lower solution branches are unstable, while the upper solution branches are stable.