A nonstandard finite difference scheme for nonlinear heat transfer in a thin finite rod

A nonstandard finite difference scheme is constructed to solve an initial-boundary value problem involving a quartic nonlinearity that arises in heat transfer involving conduction with thermal radiation. It is noted that the positivity condition is equivalent to the usual linear stability criteria and it is shown that the representation of the nonlinear term in the finite difference scheme, in addition to the magnitudes of the equation parameters, has a direct bearing on the scheme's stability. Finally, solution profiles are plotted and avenues of further inquiry are discussed.