The method of solving initial value problems by means of standard punched‐card equipment is illustrated on the equation: ∂2u/∂t2—c2∂2u/∂x2=0 with given initial conditionsu(0,x) andut(0,x) as well as boundary conditionsu(t, x0)=f1(t) andu(t, xn)=f2(t). The plane continuum is replaced by a rectangular net and the differential equation by a finite difference equation. In this manner a value of the functionu(t, x)in a given point of the net is expressed by its values on two lower rows of the net. The punched‐card method consists of two phases: the work scheme which depends only on the equation (and can be used over and over for a given equation), and the instructions for the several operations involved. This method brings about substantial time savings for problems involving a large number of net points and can be extended to non‐linear problems and to several dimensions.