Multidimensional difference schemes with fourth-order accuracy

An explicit finite-difference algorithm is presented for the solution of quasilinear divergence free multidimensional hyperbolic systems. The method consists of four steps per time level. The resulting scheme is fourth-order accurate in both space and time, though the intermediate steps are only first-order accurate. The family of schemes introduced is dissipative, and hence, suitable for both smooth flows and flows containing shocks. This method is compared, in several numerical examples, with both second-order schemes and others that are fourth order in space, but second order in time.