arXiv subjects

Arnold Reusken

Publications and source records attributed to Arnold Reusken.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Well-posedness of the heat equation in domains with topological transitions

We analyze a linear parabolic equation with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions posed in domains whose evolution may involve topological transitions. The domains are described as sublevel sets of a smooth space-time level set function, allowing for transitions such as domain splitting and merging and the creation or vanishing of islands and holes. We introduce anisotropic space-time function spaces that extend the classical Bochner spaces used in cylindrical domains and establish key functional-analytic properties of these spaces, including the density of compactly supported smooth functions. This framework enables the application of the Babu\v{s}ka-Banach theorem, yielding existence, uniqueness, and a priori estimates for weak solutions. The analysis applies to domain evolutions generated by level set functions with isolated nondegenerate critical points, which correspond to the generic topology changes classified by Morse theory in two and three spatial dimensions.

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arXiv2025

Analysis of a Schwarz-Fourier domain decomposition method

The Schwarz domain decomposition method can be used for approximately solving a Laplace equation on a domain formed by the union of two overlapping discs. We consider an inexact variant of this method in which the subproblems on the discs are solved approximately using the projection on a Fourier subspace of the $L^2$ space on the boundary. This model problem is relevant for better understanding of the ddCOSMO solver that is used in computational chemistry. We analyze convergence properties of this Schwarz-Fourier domain decomposition method. The analysis is based on maximum principle arguments. We derive a new variant of the maximum principle and contraction number bounds in the maximum norm.

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arXiv2025

A comparative study of finite element methods for a class of harmonic map heat flow problems

In this paper, we review and systematically compare three finite element discretization methods for a harmonic map heat flow problem from the unit disk in $\mathbb{R}^2$ to the unit sphere in $\mathbb{R}^3$ in an unified framework. Numerical tests validate the convergence rates in a regime of smooth solutions and are used to compare the methods in terms of computational efficiency. For one of the methods a discrete inf-sup stability result is derived.

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arXiv2025

Error analysis for a Finite Element Discretization of a corotational harmonic map heat flow problem

We consider the harmonic map heat flow problem for a corotational case. For discretization of this problem we apply a $H^1$-conforming finite element method in space combined with a semi-implicit Euler time stepping. The semi-implicit Euler method results in a linear problem in each time step. We restrict to the regime of smooth solutions of the continuous problem and present an error analysis of this discretization method. This results in optimal order discretization error bounds. Key ingredients of the analysis are a discrete energy estimate, that mimics the energy dissipation of the continuous solution, and a convexity property that is essential for discrete stability and for control of the linearization error. We also present numerical results that validate the theoretical ones.

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arXiv2025

Analysis of a finite element method for PDEs in evolving domains with topological changes

The paper presents the first rigorous error analysis of an unfitted finite element method for a linear parabolic problem posed on an evolving domain $\Omega(t)$ that may undergo a topological change, such as, for example, a domain splitting. The domain evolution is assumed to be $C^2$-smooth away from a critical time $t_c$, at which the topology may change instantaneously. To accommodate such topological transitions in the error analysis, we introduce several structural assumptions on the evolution of $\Omega(t)$ in the vicinity of the critical time. These assumptions allow a specific stability estimate even across singularities. Based on this stability result we derive optimal-order discretization error bounds, provided the continuous solution is sufficiently smooth. We demonstrate the applicability of our assumptions with examples of level-set domains undergoing topological transitions and discuss cases where the analysis fails. The theoretical error estimate is confirmed by the results of a numerical experiment.

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arXiv2025

Discretization error analysis for a radially symmetric harmonic map heat flow problem

In this paper we study the harmonic map heat flow problem for a radially symmetric case. The corresponding partial dfferential equation plays a key role in many analyses of harmonic map heat flow problems. We consider a basic discretization method for this problem, namely a second order finite difference discretization in space combined with a semi-implicit Euler method in time. The semi-implicit Euler method results in a linear problem in each time step. We restrict to the regime of smooth solutions of the continuous problem and present an error analysis of this discretization method. This results in optimal order discretization error bounds (apart from a logarithmic term). We also present discrete energy estimates that mimic the decrease of the energy of the continuous solution.

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arXiv2024

Numerical analysis of a constrained strain energy minimization problem

We consider a setting in which an evolving surface is implicitly characterized as the zero level of a level set function. Such an implicit surface does not encode any information about the path of a single point on the evolving surface. In the literature different approaches for determining a velocity that induces corresponding paths of points on the surface have been proposed. One of these is based on minimization of the strain energy functional. This then leads to a constrained minimization problem, which has a corresponding equivalent formulation as a saddle point problem. The main topic of this paper is a detailed analysis of this saddle point problem and of a finite element discretization of this problem. We derive well-posedness results for the continuous and discrete problems and optimal error estimates for a finite element discretization that uses standard $H^1$-conforming finite element spaces.

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arXiv2024

A narrow band finite element method for the level set equation

A finite element method is introduced to track interface evolution governed by the level set equation. The method solves for the level set indicator function in a narrow band around the interface. An extension procedure, which is essential for a narrow band level set method, is introduced based on a finite element $L^2$- or $H^1$-projection combined with the ghost-penalty method. This procedure is formulated as a linear variational problem in a narrow band around the surface, making it computationally efficient and suitable for rigorous error analysis. The extension method is combined with a discontinuous Galerkin space discretization and a BDF time-stepping scheme. The paper analyzes the stability and accuracy of the extension procedure and evaluates the performance of the resulting narrow band finite element method for the level set equation through numerical experiments.

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arXiv2024

Analysis of the Taylor-Hood Surface Finite Element Method for the surface Stokes equation

We consider the surface Stokes equation on a smooth closed hypersurface in three-dimensional space. For discretization of this problem a generalization of the surface finite element method (SFEM) of Dziuk-Elliott combined with a Hood-Taylor pair of finite element spaces has been used in the literature. We call this method Hood-Taylor-SFEM. This method uses a penalty technique to weakly satisfy the tangentiality constraint. In this paper we present a discretization error analysis of this method resulting in optimal discretization error bounds in an energy norm. We also address linear algebra aspects related to (pre)conditioning of the system matrix.

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arXiv2024

Analysis of a space-time unfitted finite element method for PDEs on evolving surfaces

In this paper we analyze a space-time unfitted finite element method for the discretization of scalar surface partial differential equations on evolving surfaces. For higher order approximations of the evolving surface we use the technique of (iso)parametric mappings for which a level set representation of the evolving surface is essential. We derive basic results in which certain geometric characteristics of the exact space-time surface are related to corresponding ones of the numerical surface approximation. These results are used in an error analysis of a higher order space-time TraceFEM.

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arXiv2023

An Eulerian finite element method for tangential Navier-Stokes equations on evolving surfaces

The paper introduces a geometrically unfitted finite element method for the numerical solution of the tangential Navier--Stokes equations posed on a passively evolving smooth closed surface embedded in $\mathbb{R}^3$. The discrete formulation employs finite difference and finite elements methods to handle evolution in time and variation in space, respectively. A complete numerical analysis of the method is presented, including stability, optimal order convergence, and quantification of the geometric errors. Results of numerical experiments are also provided.

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arXiv2023

Diffusion of tangential tensor fields: numerical issues and influence of geometric properties

We study the diffusion of tangential tensor-valued data on curved surfaces. For this purpose, several finite-element-based numerical methods are collected and used to solve a tangential surface n-tensor heat flow problem. These methods differ with respect to the surface representation used, the geometric information required, and the treatment of the tangentiality condition. We emphasize the importance of geometric properties and their increasing influence as the tensorial degree changes from n=0 to n>=1. A specific example is presented that illustrates how curvature drastically affects the behavior of the solution.

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arXiv2022

Analysis of optimal preconditioners for CutFEM

In this paper we consider a class of unfitted finite element methods for scalar elliptic problems. These so-called CutFEM methods use standard finite element spaces on a fixed unfitted triangulation combined with the Nitsche technique and a ghost penalty stabilization. As a model problem we consider the application of such a method to the Poisson interface problem. We introduce and analyze a new class of preconditioners that is based on a subspace decomposition approach. The unfitted finite element space is split into two subspaces, where one subspace is the standard finite element space associated to the background mesh and the second subspace is spanned by all cut basis functions corresponding to nodes on the cut elements. We will show that this splitting is stable, uniformly in the discretization parameter and in the location of the interface in the triangulation. Based on this we introduce an efficient preconditioner that is uniformly spectrally equivalent to the stiffness matrix. Using a similar splitting, it is shown that the same preconditioning approach can also be applied to a fictitious domain CutFEM discretization of the Poisson equation. Results of numerical experiments are included that illustrate optimality of such preconditioners for the Poisson interface problem and the Poisson fictitious domain problem.

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arXiv2022

An Accurate and Robust Eulerian Finite Element Method for Partial Differential Equations on Evolving Surfaces

In this paper we present a new Eulerian finite element method for the discretization of scalar partial differential equations on evolving surfaces. In this method we use the restriction of standard space-time finite element spaces on a fixed bulk mesh to the space-time surface. The structure of the method is such that it naturally fits to a level set representation of the evolving surface. The higher order version of the method is based on a space-time variant of a mesh deformation that has been developed in the literature for stationary surfaces. The discretization method that we present is of (optimal) higher order accuracy for smoothly varying surfaces with sufficiently smooth solutions. Without any modifications the method can be used for the discretization of problems with topological singularities. A numerical study demonstrates both the higher order accuracy for smooth cases and the robustness with respect to toplogical singularities.

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arXiv2022

Tangential Navier-Stokes equations on evolving surfaces: Analysis and simulations

The paper considers a system of equations that models a lateral flow of a Boussinesq--Scriven fluid on a passively evolving surface embedded in $\mathbb{R}^3$. For the resulting Navier-Stokes type system, posed on a smooth closed time-dependent surface, we introduce a weak formulation in terms of functional spaces on a space-time manifold defined by the surface evolution. The weak formulation is shown to be well-posed for any finite final time and without smallness conditions on data. We further extend an unfitted finite element method, known as TraceFEM, to compute solutions to the fluid system. Convergence of the method is demonstrated numerically. In another series of experiments we visualize lateral flows induced by smooth deformations of a material surface.

math.AP↗

arXiv2022

Finite element discretization methods for velocity-pressure and stream function formulations of surface Stokes equations

In this paper we study parametric TraceFEM and parametric SurfaceFEM (SFEM) discretizations of a surface Stokes problem. These methods are applied both to the Stokes problem in velocity-pressure formulation and in stream function formulation. A class of higher order methods is presented in a unified framework. Numerical efficiency aspects of the two formulations are discussed and a systematic comparison of TraceFEM and SFEM is given. A benchmark problem is introduced in which a scalar reference quantity is defined and numerically determined.

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arXiv2021

On derivations of evolving surface Navier-Stokes equations

In recent literature several derivations of incompressible Navier-Stokes type equations that model the dynamics of an evolving fluidic surface have been presented. These derivations differ in the physical principles used in the modeling approach and in the coordinate systems in which the resulting equations are represented. This paper has overview character in the sense that we put five different derivations of surface Navier-Stokes equations into one framework. This then allows a systematic comparison of the resulting surface Navier-Stokes equations and shows that some, but not all, of the resulting models are the same. Furthermore, based on a natural splitting approach in tangential and normal components of the velocity we show that all five derivations that we consider yield the same tangential surface Navier-Stokes equations.

math-ph↗

arXiv2021

Optimal preconditioners for a Nitsche stabilized fictitious domain finite element method

In this paper we consider a class of fictitious domain finite element methods known from the literature. These methods use standard finite element spaces on a fixed unfitted triangulation combined with the Nitsche technique and a ghost penalty stabilization. As a model problem we consider the application of such a method to the Poisson equation. We introduce and analyze a new class of preconditioners that is based on a subspace decomposition approach. The finite element space is split into two subspaces, where one subspace is spanned by all nodal basis functions corresponding to nodes on the boundary of the fictitious domain and the other space is spanned by all remaining nodal basis functions. We will show that this splitting is stable, uniformly in the discretization parameter and in the location of the problem boundary in the triangulation. We also prove that the Galerkin discretization in the first subspace leads to a uniformly well-conditioned matrix and that the Galerkin discretization in the second subspace is uniformly equivalent to a standard finite element discretization of a Poisson equation on the fictitious domain with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. Results of numerical experiments that illustrate optimality of such a preconditioner are included.

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