A reaction–diffusion problem with a reaction front

We state a 1D model with quasi-stationary gas flows approximation for a carbon reactivity test in the production of silicon. The mathematical problem we formulate is a non-linear boundary value problem for a third-order ordinary differential equation with non-linear boundary conditions, which are non-local in time. We prove existence and uniqueness of a classical solution and provide a numerical example. © 1998 B. G. Teubner Stuttgart–John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Positive solutions and dynamics of a finite difference reaction–diffusion system

We investigate the dynamics and methods of computation for some nonlinear finite difference systems that are the discretized equations of a time-dependent and a steady-state reaction–diffusion problem. The formulation of the discrete equations for the time-dependent problem is based on the implicit method for parabolic equations, and the computational algorithm is based on the method of monotone iterations using upper and lower solutions as the initial iterations. The monotone iterative method yields improved upper and lower bounds of the solution in each iteration, and the sequence of iterations converges monotonically to a solution for both the time-dependent and the steady-state problems. An important consequence of this method is that it leads to a bifurcation point that determines the dynamic behavior of the time-dependent problem in relation to the corresponding steady-state problem. This bifurcation point also determines whether the steady-state problem has one or two non-negative solutions, and is explicitly given in terms of the physical parameters of the system and the type of boundary conditions. Numerical results are presented for both the time-dependent and the steady-state problems under various boundary conditions, including a test problem with known analytical solution. These numerical results exhibit the predicted dynamic behavior of the time-dependent solution given by the theoretical analysis. Also discussed are the numerical stability of the computational algorithm and the convergence of the finite difference solution to the corresponding continuous solution of the reaction–diffusion problem. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Stationary solutions to the drift–diffusion model in the whole spaces

We study the stationary problem in the whole space ?ⁿ for the drift–diffusion model arising in semiconductor device simulation and plasma physics. We prove the existence and uniqueness of stationary solutions in the weighted L^p spaces. The proof is based on a fixed point theorem of the Leray–Schauder type. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Convergence of an implicit Voronoi finite volume method for reaction–diffusion problems

We investigate the convergence of an implicit Voronoi finite volume method for reaction–diffusion problems including nonlinear diffusion in two space dimensions. The model allows to handle heterogeneous materials and uses the chemical activities of the involved species as primary variables. The numerical scheme works with boundary conforming Delaunay meshes and preserves positivity and the dissipative property of the continuous system. Starting from a result on the global stability of the scheme (uniform, mesh‐independent global upper, and lower bounds), we prove strong convergence of the chemical activities and their gradients to a weak solution of the continuous problem. To illustrate the preservation of qualitative properties by the numerical scheme, we present a long‐term simulation of the Michaelis–Menten–Henri system. Especially, we investigate the decay properties of the relative free energy over several magnitudes of time, and obtain experimental orders of convergence for this quantity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 32: 141–174, 2016     

A supercloseness result for the discontinuous Galerkin stabilization of convection–diffusion problems on Shishkin meshes

We consider a convection–diffusion problem with Dirichlet boundary conditions posed on a unit square. The problem is discretized using a combination of the standard Galerkin FEM and an h–version of the nonsymmetric discontinuous Galerkin FEM with interior penalties on a layer–adapted mesh with linear/bilinear elements. With specially chosen penalty parameters for edges from the coarse part of the mesh, we prove uniform convergence (in the perturbation parameter) in an associated norm. In the same norm we also establish a supercloseness result. Numerical tests support our theoretical estimates.© 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2007     

On a convection–diffusion problem with a weak layer

In this article we consider a model linear convection–diffusion problem with a weak layer. We analyze the singular-perturbation nature of the problem and show that no special precautions are required to cope with the weak layer: a standard upwind scheme on a (quasi-)uniform mesh is sufficient. We give a simple analysis for the method. Thus highlighting that not all problems with a small parameter multiplying the highest-order derivative are suitable for studying boundary-layer phenomena.     

A uniform optimal‐order estimate for an Eulerian‐Lagrangian discontinuous Galerkin method for transient advection–diffusion equations

We prove an optimal‐order error estimate in a weighted energy norm for the Eulerian‐Lagrangian discontinuous Galerkin method for unsteady‐state advection–diffusion equations with general inflow and outflow boundary conditions. It is well‐known that these problems admit dynamic fronts with interior and boundary layers. The estimate holds uniformly with respect to the vanishing diffusion coefficient. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2009     

Kronecker product approximation preconditioners for convection–diffusion model problems

We consider the iterative solution of linear systems arising from four convection–diffusion model problems: scalar convection–diffusion problem, Stokes problem, Oseen problem and Navier–Stokes problem. We design preconditioners for these model problems that are based on Kronecker product approximations (KPAs). For this we first identify explicit Kronecker product structure of the coefficient matrices, in particular for the convection term. For the latter three model cases, the coefficient matrices have a 2 × 2 block structure, where each block is a Kronecker product or a summation of several Kronecker products. We then use this structure to design a block diagonal preconditioner, a block triangular preconditioner and a constraint preconditioner. Numerical experiments show the efficiency of the three KPA preconditioners, and in particular of the constraint preconditioner that usually outperforms the other two. This can be explained by the relationship that exists between these three preconditioners: the constraint preconditioner can be regarded as a modification of the block triangular preconditioner, which at its turn is a modification of the block diagonal preconditioner based on the cell Reynolds number. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High‐order characteristic‐tracking strategy for simulation of a nonlinear advection–diffusion equation

In this study, new high‐order backward semi‐Lagrangian methods are developed to solve nonlinear advection–diffusion type problems, which are realized using high‐order characteristic‐tracking strategies. The proposed characteristic‐tracking strategies are second‐order L‐stable and third‐order L(α)‐stable methods, which are based on a classical implicit multistep method combined with a error‐correction method. We also use backward differentiation formulas and the fourth‐order finite‐difference scheme for diffusion problem discretization in the temporal and spatial domains, respectively. To demonstrate the adaptability and efficiency of these time‐discretization strategies, we apply these methods to nonlinear advection–diffusion type problems such as the viscous Burgers' equation. Through simulations, not only the temporal and spatial accuracies are numerically evaluated but also the proposed methods are shown to be superior to the compared existing characteristic‐tracking methods under the same rates of convergence in terms of accuracy and efficiency. Finally, we have shown that the proposed method well preserves the energy and mass when the viscosity coefficient becomes zero.     

Fractional Crank–Nicolson–Galerkin finite element scheme for the time‐fractional nonlinear diffusion equation

This article presents a finite element scheme with Newton's method for solving the time‐fractional nonlinear diffusion equation. For time discretization, we use the fractional Crank–Nicolson scheme based on backward Euler convolution quadrature. We discuss the existence‐uniqueness results for the fully discrete problem. A new discrete fractional Gronwall type inequality for the backward Euler convolution quadrature is established. A priori error estimate for the fully discrete problem in L²(Ω) norm is derived. Numerical results based on finite element scheme are provided to validate theoretical estimates on time‐fractional nonlinear Fisher equation and Huxley equation.     

Quasi‐optimal preconditioners for finite element approximations of diffusion dominated convection–diffusion equations on (nearly) equilateral triangle meshes

The paper is devoted to the spectral analysis of effective preconditioners for linear systems obtained via a finite element approximation to diffusion‐dominated convection–diffusion equations. We consider a model setting in which the structured finite element partition is made by equilateral triangles. Under such assumptions, if the problem is coercive and the diffusive and convective coefficients are regular enough, then the proposed preconditioned matrix sequences exhibit a strong eigenvalue clustering at unity, the preconditioning matrix sequence and the original matrix sequence are spectrally equivalent, and under the constant coefficients assumption, the eigenvector matrices have a mild conditioning. The obtained results allow to prove the conjugate gradient optimality and the generalized minimal residual quasi‐optimality in the case of structured uniform meshes. The interest of such a study relies on the observation that automatic grid generators tend to construct equilateral triangles when the mesh is fine enough. Numerical tests, both on the model setting and in the non‐structured case, show the effectiveness of the proposal and the correctness of the theoretical findings. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Global existence to a reaction–diffusion equation through a self‐similar‐like upper solution

A demonstration method is presented, which will ensure the existence of positive global solutions in time to the reaction–diffusion equation ?u_t+Δu+u^p=0 in ?ⁿ×[0, ∞), for exponents p?3 and space dimensions n?3. This method does not require the initial value to have a specific uniform smallness condition, but rather to satisfy a bell‐like form. The method is based on a specific upper solution, which models the diffusion process of the heat equation. The upper solution is not self‐similar, but does have a self‐similar‐like form. After transforming the reaction–diffusion problem into an equivalent one, whose initial value is uniformly very small, a local solution is obtained in the time interval [0, 1] by the use of this upper solution. This local solution is then extended to [0, ∞) through an infinite sequence of extensions. At each step, an appropriate change of variables will transform the extension into a problem nearly identical to the local problem in [0, 1]. These transformations exploit the diffusive and self‐similar‐like nature of the upper solution. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A combined finite volume–finite element scheme for the discretization of strongly nonlinear convection–diffusion–reaction problems on nonmatching grids

We propose and analyze in this paper a numerical scheme for nonlinear degenerate parabolic convection–diffusion–reaction equations in two or three space dimensions. We discretize the time evolution, convection, reaction, and source terms on a given grid, which can be nonmatching and can contain nonconvex elements, by means of the cell‐centered finite volume method. To discretize the diffusion term, we construct a conforming simplicial mesh with the vertices given by the original grid and use the conforming piecewise linear finite element method. In this way, the scheme is fully consistent and the discrete solution is naturally continuous across the interfaces between the subdomains with nonmatching grids, without introducing any supplementary equations and unknowns or using any interpolation at the interfaces. We allow for general inhomogeneous and anisotropic diffusion–dispersion tensors, propose two variants corresponding respectively to arithmetic and harmonic averaging, and use the local Péclet upstream weighting in order to only add the minimal numerical diffusion necessary to avoid spurious oscillations in the convection‐dominated case. The scheme is robust, efficient since it leads to positive definite matrices and one unknown per element, locally conservative, and satisfies the discrete maximum principle under the conditions on the simplicial mesh and the diffusion tensor usual in the finite element method. We prove its convergence using a priori estimates and the Kolmogorov relative compactness theorem and illustrate its behavior on a numerical experiment. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2010     

One‐level Newton–Krylov–Schwarz algorithm for unsteady non‐linear radiation diffusion problem

In this paper, we present a parallel Newton–Krylov–Schwarz (NKS)‐based non‐linearly implicit algorithm for the numerical solution of the unsteady non‐linear multimaterial radiation diffusion problem in two‐dimensional space. A robust solver technology is required for handling the high non‐linearity and large jumps in material coefficients typically associated with simulations of radiation diffusion phenomena. We show numerically that NKS converges well even with rather large inflow flux boundary conditions. We observe that the approach is non‐linearly scalable, but not linearly scalable in terms of iteration numbers. However, CPU time is more important than the iteration numbers, and our numerical experiments show that the algorithm is CPU‐time‐scalable even without a coarse space given that the mesh is fine enough. This makes the algorithm potentially more attractive than multilevel methods, especially on unstructured grids, where course grids are often not easy to construct. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parallel characteristic finite element method for time‐dependent convection–diffusion problem

Based on the overlapping‐domain decomposition and parallel subspace correction method, a new parallel algorithm is established for solving time‐dependent convection–diffusion problem with characteristic finite element scheme. The algorithm is fully parallel. We analyze the convergence of this algorithm, and study the dependence of the convergent rate on the spacial mesh size, time increment, iteration times and sub‐domains overlapping degree. Both theoretical analysis and numerical results suggest that only one or two iterations are needed to reach to optimal accuracy at each time step. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large‐time behavior of a two‐scale semilinear reaction–diffusion system for concrete sulfatation

We study the large‐time behavior of (weak) solutions to a two‐scale reaction–diffusion system coupled with a nonlinear ordinary differential equations modeling the partly dissipative corrosion of concrete (or cement)‐based materials with sulfates. We prove that as t → ∞ , the solution to the original two‐scale system converges to the corresponding two‐scale stationary system. To obtain the main result, we make use essentially of the theory of evolution equations governed by subdifferential operators of time‐dependent convex functions developed combined with a series of two‐scale energy‐like time‐independent estimates. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Transcendental Bernstein series for solving reaction–diffusion equations with nonlocal boundary conditions through the optimization technique

In this paper, we apply transcendental Bernstein series (TBS) for solving reaction–diffusion equations with nonlocal boundary conditions which is the novel approximation tool. To carry out the method, we firstly expand the solution of the system in the term of TBS through the operational matrix scheme. To determine the unknown free coefficients and control parameters appeared in TBS expansion, we define an optimization problem which combines the reaction–diffusion equation with its nonlocal boundary conditions. Then we use the Lagrange multipliers technique for converting the problem under study into a system of algebraic equations. High accuracy and simplicity in reducing the integral boundary conditions are some privileges of the proposed scheme. We emphasize that Bernstein polynomials is the particular case of transcendental Bernstein series. Theoretical discussion about convergence confirms the reliability of the proposed method. Some test problems are chosen to investigate the applicability and computational efficiency. The experimental results confirm that the obtained results are in good agreement with the exact solutions with high rate of convergence.     

Least-squares finite element approximation of Fisher's reaction–diffusion equation

Fisher's equation is a classical diffusion–reaction type of problem describing diffusion and nonlinear reproduction of a species. In the present study we develop a least-squares finite element formulation of Fisher's equation and carry out supporting numerical studies. Of particular interest are questions associated with the approximation of progressive wave solutions with minimum speed and the viability of the least-squares approach for this class of problem. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Entropy solution theory for fractional degenerate convection–diffusion equations

We study a class of degenerate convection-diffusion equations with a fractional non-linear diffusion term. This class is a new, but natural, generalization of local degenerate convection-diffusion equations, and include anomalous diffusion equations, fractional conservation laws, fractional porous medium equations, and new fractional degenerate equations as special cases. We define weak entropy solutions and prove well-posedness under weak regularity assumptions on the solutions, e.g. uniqueness is obtained in the class of bounded integrable solutions. Then we introduce a new monotone conservative numerical scheme and prove convergence toward the entropy solution in the class of bounded integrable BV functions. The well-posedness results are then extended to non-local terms based on general Lévy operators, connections to some fully non-linear HJB equations are established, and finally, some numerical experiments are included to give the reader an idea about the qualitative behavior of solutions of these new equations.     

Tikhonov regularization method for a backward problem for the inhomogeneous time-fractional diffusion equation

Fractional (nonlocal) diffusion equations replace the integer-order derivatives in space and time by their fractional-order analogs and they are used to model anomalous diffusion, especially in physics. In this paper, we study a backward problem for an inhomogeneous time-fractional diffusion equation with variable coefficients in a general bounded domain. Such a backward problem is of practically great importance because we often do not know the initial density of substance, but we can observe the density at a positive moment. The backward problem is ill-posed and we propose a regularizing scheme by using Tikhonov regularization method. We also prove the convergence rate for the regularized solution by using an a priori regularization parameter choice rule. Numerical examples illustrate applicability and high accuracy of the proposed method.