Construction dʼun champ continu de métriques

Adaptive computation using adaptive meshes is now recognized as essential for solving complex PDE problems. This computation requires, at each step, the definition of a continuous metric field to govern the generation of the adapted meshes. In practice, via an appropriate a posteriori error estimation, metrics are calculated at the vertices of the computational domain mesh. In order to obtain a continuous metric field, the discrete field is interpolated in the whole domain mesh. In this Note, a new method for interpolating discrete metric fields, based on a so-called “natural decomposition” of metrics, is introduced. The proposed method is based on known matrix decompositions and is computationally robust and efficient. Some qualitative comparisons with classical methods are made to show the relevance of this methodology.     

A Finite Difference Scheme on a Priori Adapted Meshes for a Singularly Perturbed Parabolic Convection-Diffusion Equation

A boundary value problem is considered for a singularly perturbed parabolic convection-diffusion equation;we construct a finite difference scheme on a priori (se-quentially) adapted meshes and study its convergence.The scheme on a priori adapted meshes is constructed using a majorant function for the singular component of the discrete solution,which allows us to find a priori a subdomain where the computed solution requires a further improvement.This subdomain is defined by the perturbation parameterε,the step-size of a uniform mesh in x,and also by the required accuracy of the discrete solution and the prescribed number of refinement iterations K for im- proving the solution.To solve the discrete problems aimed at the improvement of the solution,we use uniform meshes on the subdomains.The error of the numerical so- lution depends weakly on the parameterε.The scheme converges almostε-uniformly, precisely,under the condition N~(-1)=o(ε~v),where N denotes the number of nodes in the spatial mesh,and the value v=v(K) can be chosen arbitrarily small for suitable K.     

A spatial domain decomposition method for parabolic optimal control problems

We present a non-overlapping spatial domain decomposition method for the solution of linear–quadratic parabolic optimal control problems. The spatial domain is decomposed into non-overlapping subdomains. The original parabolic optimal control problem is decomposed into smaller problems posed on space–time cylinder subdomains with auxiliary state and adjoint variables imposed as Dirichlet boundary conditions on the space–time interface boundary. The subdomain problems are coupled through Robin transmission conditions. This leads to a Schur complement equation in which the unknowns are the auxiliary state adjoint variables on the space-time interface boundary. The Schur complement operator is the sum of space–time subdomain Schur complement operators. The application of these subdomain Schur complement operators is equivalent to the solution of an subdomain parabolic optimal control problem. The subdomain Schur complement operators are shown to be invertible and the application of their inverses is equivalent to the solution of a related subdomain parabolic optimal control problem. We introduce a new family of Neumann–Neumann type preconditioners for the Schur complement system including several different coarse grid corrections. We compare the numerical performance of our preconditioners with an alternative approach recently introduced by Benamou.     

Numerical simulation of blowup in nonlocal reaction–diffusion equations using a moving mesh method

In this paper we implement the moving mesh PDE method for simulating the blowup in reaction–diffusion equations with temporal and spacial nonlinear nonlocal terms. By a time-dependent transformation, the physical equation is written into a Lagrangian form with respect to the computational variables. The time-dependent transformation function satisfies a parabolic partial differential equation — usually called moving mesh PDE (MMPDE). The transformed physical equation and MMPDE are solved alternately by central finite difference method combined with a backward time-stepping scheme. The integration time steps are chosen to be adaptive to the blowup solution by employing a simple and efficient approach. The monitor function in MMPDEs plays a key role in the performance of the moving mesh PDE method. The dominance of equidistribution is utilized to select the monitor functions and a formal analysis is performed to check the principle. A variety of numerical examples show that the blowup profiles can be expressed correctly in the computational coordinates and the blowup rates are determined by the tests.     

A fictitious domain approach to the numerical solution of PDEs in stochastic domains

We present an efficient method for the numerical realization of elliptic PDEs in domains depending on random variables. Domains are bounded, and have finite fluctuations. The key feature is the combination of a fictitious domain approach and a polynomial chaos expansion. The PDE is solved in a larger, fixed domain (the fictitious domain), with the original boundary condition enforced via a Lagrange multiplier acting on a random manifold inside the new domain. A (generalized) Wiener expansion is invoked to convert such a stochastic problem into a deterministic one, depending on an extra set of real variables (the stochastic variables). Discretization is accomplished by standard mixed finite elements in the physical variables and a Galerkin projection method with numerical integration (which coincides with a collocation scheme) in the stochastic variables. A stability and convergence analysis of the method, as well as numerical results, are provided. The convergence is “spectral” in the polynomial chaos order, in any subdomain which does not contain the random boundaries.     

Analysis of a nonoverlapping domain decomposition method for elliptic partial differential equations

In this study we analyze a nonoverlapping domain decomposition method for the solution of elliptic Partial Differential Equation (PDE) problems. This domain decomposition method involves the solution of Dirichlet and Neumann PDE problems on each subdomain, coupled with smoothing operations on the interfaces of the subdomains. The convergence analysis of the method at the differential equation level is presented. The numerical results confirm the theoretical ones and exhibit the computational efficiency of the method.     

Numerical solution of a mixed singularly perturbed parabolic-elliptic problem

A one-dimensional singularly perturbed problem of mixed type is considered. The domain under consideration is partitioned into two subdomains. In the first subdomain a parabolic reaction-diffusion problem is given and in the second one an elliptic convection-diffusion-reaction problem. The solution is decomposed into regular and singular components. The problem is discretized using an inverse-monotone finite volume method on condensed Shishkin meshes. We establish an almost second-order global pointwise convergence in the space variable, that is uniform with respect to the perturbation parameter.     

Two different approaches for matching nonconforming grids: The Mortar Element method and the Feti Method

When using domain decomposition in a finite element framework for the approximation of second order elliptic or parabolic type problems, it has become appealing to tune the mesh of each subdomain to the local behaviour of the solution. The resulting discretization being then nonconforming, different approaches have been advocated to match the admissible discrete functions. We recall here the basics of two of them, the Mortar Element method and the Finite Element Tearing and Interconnecting (FETI) method, and aim at comparing them. The conclusion, both from the theoretical and numerical point of view, is in favor of the mortar element method.     

Adaptive finite element analysis of structures under transient dynamic loading using modal superposition

In this paper, the error estimation and adaptive strategy developed for the linear elastodynamic problem under transient dynamic loading based on the Z–Z criterion is utilized for 2D and plate bending problems. An automatic mesh generator based on “growth meshing” is utilized effectively for adaptive mesh refinement. Optimal meshes are obtained iteratively corresponding to the prescribed domain discretization error limit and for a chosen number of basis modes satisfying modal truncation errors. Numerous examples show the effectiveness of the integrated approach in achieving the target accuracy in finite element transient dynamic analysis.     

A simple numerical approach for assessing coupled transport processes in partitioning systems

Recent concepts in the solution of multidomain equation systems are applied to the problem of distinct transport processes coupled over geometrically disjoint domains. The (time dependent) transport equations for the composite system are solved using a simple domain decomposition approach, with parallel implementations of detailed Schwarz balances for the system subdomain interfaces. An existing numerical partial differential equation (PDE) solver is coupled with the interface algorithms to provide a code capable of handling a wide range of dynamical equations within the subdomains. Interface partitioning conditions corresponding to sharply discontinuous Dirichlet constraints, and to (discontinuous) rate-limited Neumann constraints are also incorporated into the code. A variety of transport operators can be handled simply by altering the equation system code block. The code is validated against analytical solutions for representative parabolic transport equations including recent solutions for diffusive transport in partitioning laminates, useful for describing the movement of chemical species in composite materials. The code is then applied to an example problem of coupled multiphase chemical transport in a variably saturated soil column with a low-permeability capping.     

Pollution-error in the h-version of the finite-element method and the local quality of a-posteriori error estimators

In this paper we study the pollution-error in the h-version of the finite element method and its effect on the local quality of a-posteriori error estimators. We show that the pollution-effect in an interior subdomain depends on the relationship between the mesh inside and outside the subdomain and the smoothness of the exact solution. We also demonstrate that it is possible to guarantee the quality of local error estimators in any mesh-patch in the interior of a finite-element mesh by employing meshes which are sufficiently refined outside the patch.     

A parallel finite element variational multiscale method based on fully overlapping domain decomposition for incompressible flows

Based on fully overlapping domain decomposition and a recent variational multiscale method, a parallel finite element variational multiscale method for convection dominated incompressible flows is proposed and analyzed. In this method, each processor computes a local finite element solution in its own subdomain using a global mesh that is locally refined around its own subdomain, where a stabilization term based on two local Gauss integrations is adopted to stabilize the numerical form of the Navier–Stokes equations. Using the technical tool of local a priori estimate for the finite element solution, error bounds of the discrete solution are estimated. Algorithmic parameter scalings are derived. Numerical tests are also given to verify the theoretical predictions and demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 31: 856–875, 2015     

Convergence Analysis of Weighted Difference Approximations on Piecewise Uniform Grids to a Class of Singularly Perturbed Functional Differential Equations

We consider the numerical approximation of a singularly perturbed time delayed convection diffusion problem on a rectangular domain. Assuming that the coefficients of the differential equation be smooth, we construct and analyze a higher order accurate finite difference method that converges uniformly with respect to the singular perturbation parameter. The method presented is a combination of the central difference spatial discretization on a Shishkin mesh and a weighted difference time discretization on a uniform mesh. A?priori explicit bounds on the solution of the problem are established. These bounds on the solution and its derivatives are obtained using a suitable decomposition of the solution into regular and layer components. It is shown that the proposed method is $L_{2}^{h}$ -stable. The analysis done permits its extension to the case of adaptive meshes which may be used to improve the solution. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. The convergence obtained in practical satisfies the theoretical predictions.     

The finite element method for parabolic equations

Summary In this first of two papers, computable a posteriori estimates of the space discretization error in the finite element method of lines solution of parabolic equations are analyzed for time-independent space meshes. The effectiveness of the error estimator is related to conditions on the solution regularity, mesh family type, and asymptotic range for the mesh size. For clarity the results are limited to a model problem in which piecewise linear elements in one space dimension are used. The results extend straight-forwardly to systems of equations and higher order elements in one space dimension, while the higher dimensional case requires additional considerations. The theory presented here provides the basis for the analysis and adaptive construction of time-dependent space meshes, which is the subject of the second paper. Computational results show that the approach is practically very effective and suggest that it can be used for solving more general problems.The work was partially supported by ONR Contract N00014-77-C-0623     

Substructured two-grid and multi-grid domain decomposition methods

Two-level Schwarz domain decomposition methods are very powerful techniques for the efficient numerical solution of partial differential equations (PDEs). A two-level domain decomposition method requires two main components: a one-level preconditioner (or its corresponding smoothing iterative method), which is based on domain decomposition techniques, and a coarse correction step, which relies on a coarse space. The coarse space must properly represent the error components that the chosen one-level method is not capable to deal with. In the literature, most of the works introduced efficient coarse spaces obtained as the span of functions defined on the entire space domain of the considered PDE. Therefore, the corresponding two-level preconditioners and iterative methods are defined in volume. In this paper, we use the excellent smoothing properties of Schwarz domain decomposition methods to define, for general elliptic problems, a new class of substructured two-level methods, for which both Schwarz smoothers and coarse correction steps are defined on the interfaces (except for the application of the smoother that requires volumetric subdomain solves). This approach has several advantages. On the one hand, the required computational effort is cheaper than the one required by classical volumetric two-level methods. On the other hand, our approach does not require, like classical multi-grid methods, the explicit construction of coarse spaces, and it permits a multilevel extension, which is desirable when the high dimension of the problem or the scarce quality of the coarse space prevents the efficient numerical solution. Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed new numerical framework.

     

Mesh-dependent stability for finite element approximations of parabolic equations with mass lumping

In this paper, based on some mesh-dependent estimates on the extreme eigenvalues of a general finite element system defined on a simplicial mesh, novel and sharp bounds on the permissible time step size are derived for the mass lumping finite element approximations of parabolic equations. The bounds are dependent not only on the mesh size but also on the mesh shape. These results provide guidance to the stability of numerical solutions of parabolic problems in relation to the unstructured geometric meshing. Numerical experiments on both uniform meshes and adaptive meshes are presented to validate the theoretical analysis.     

Mesh-dependent stability for finite element approximations of parabolic equations with mass lumping

In this paper, based on some mesh-dependent estimates on the extreme eigenvalues of a general finite element system defined on a simplicial mesh, novel and sharp bounds on the permissible time step size are derived for the mass lumping finite element approximations of parabolic equations. The bounds are dependent not only on the mesh size but also on the mesh shape. These results provide guidance to the stability of numerical solutions of parabolic problems in relation to the unstructured geometric meshing. Numerical experiments on both uniform meshes and adaptive meshes are presented to validate the theoretical analysis.     

Conservative domain decomposition procedure with unconditional stability and second-order accuracy

A new derivation of the conservative domain decomposition procedure for solving the parabolic equation is presented. In this procedure, fluxes at subdomain interfaces are calculated from the solution at the previous time level, then these fluxes serve as Neumann boundary data for implicit, block-centered discretization in the subdomain. The unconditional stability and the second-order accuracy of solution values as well as fluxes are proved. Numerical results examining the stability, accuracy, and parallelism of the procedure are also presented.     

A domain decomposition and mixed method for a linear parabolic boundary value problem

In this paper, we discuss the convergence of a domain decompositionmethod for the solution of linear parabolic equations in theirmixed formulations. The subdomain meshes need not be quasi-uniform;they are composed of triangles or quadrilaterals that do notmatch at interfaces. For the ease of computation, this lackof continuity is compensated by a mortar technique based onpiecewise constant (discontinuous) multipliers. It is shownthat the method on triangles, parallelograms or slightly distortedparallelograms is convergent at the expense of a half-orderloss of accuracy compared with mortar methods based on piecewiselinear multipliers.     

A higher order difference method for singularly perturbed parabolic partial differential equations

This paper studies a higher order numerical method for the singularly perturbed parabolic convection-diffusion problems where the diffusion term is multiplied by a small perturbation parameter. In general, the solutions of these type of problems have a boundary layer. Here, we generate a spatial adaptive mesh based on the equidistribution of a positive monitor function. Implicit Euler method is used to discretize the time variable and an upwind scheme is considered in space direction. A higher order convergent solution with respect to space and time is obtained using the postprocessing based extrapolation approach. It is observed that the convergence is independent of perturbation parameter. This technique enhances the order of accuracy from first order uniform convergence to second order uniform convergence in space as well as in time. Comparative study with the existed meshes show the highly effective behavior of the present method.