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The method of normal modes is frequently used to solve acoustic propagation problems in stratified oceans. The propagation numbers for the modes are the eigenvalues of the boundary value problem to determine the depth dependent normal modes. Errors in the numerical determination of these eigenvalues appear as phase shifts in the range dependence of the acoustic field. Such errors can severely degrade the accuracy of the normal mode representation, particularly at long ranges. In this paper we present a fast finite difference method to accurately determine these propagation numbers and the corresponding normal modes. It consists of a combination of well-known numerical procedures such as Sturm sequences, the bisection method, Newton’s and Brent’s methods, Richardson extrapolation, and inverse iteration. We also introduce a modified Richardson extrapolation procedure that substantially increases the speed and accuracy of the computation.
Porter et al. (1984) studied this question.