On VIM-Pad`e Method for Boundary Layer Flow over an Exponentially Stretching Surface

The problem of steady boundary layer flow over an exponentially stretching surface is studied. The governing partial differential equations are converted to yield a system of non-linear, coupled, ordinary differential equations by a similarity transformation group. These equations are analytically solved via VIM-Pad`e technique which is a combination of the Variational Iteration Method (VIM) and the Pad`e approximation for a benchmark testing of alternative numerical solutions. The physical parameters of interest (Prandtl number, Pr and stretching parameter, k ) sensitively influence the local Nusselt number, ) 0 (    , thereby affecting the thermal boundary layer thickness. It is found that the rate of heat transfer from the fluid to the surface increases with increasing physical parameters. The VIM-Pad`e is implemented without requiring linearization, discretization, or perturbation. The results demonstrated reasonable degree of agreement when compared to other techniques and numerical methods reported in the literature. This suggests that the VIM with the enhancement of Pad'e; approximation is a very effective, convenient and quite accurate tool that requires further investigations by its application to viable technological and engineering problems that lead to nonlinear partial or differential equations.