On the performance of adaptive mesh refinement computation

A finite difference scheme for the unsteady Euler equations using an adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) algorithm was applied to the time-dependent flowfield of shock diffraction problems. The effectiveness of the AMR algorithm was evaluated against a uniform mesh algorithm. Computational results showed that to obtain solutions with equivalent resolution, the AMR algorithm requires much less processing time, when compared with a uniform mesh algorithm.This article was processed using Springer-Verlag T_EX Shock Waves macro package 1.0 and the AMS fonts, developed by the American Mathematical Society.