arXiv subjects

Ralf Hiptmair

Publications and source records attributed to Ralf Hiptmair.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A Mixed Finite Element Method for the Dirichlet Vector Laplacian in Three Dimensions

This work establishes the well-posedness and a priori error analysis for the mixed FEEC-type finite element approximation of the three-dimensional vector Laplace boundary value problem subject to the Dirichlet boundary condition. The Dirichlet condition disrupts the structure of the standard de Rham complex, requiring the vorticity to be sought in a non-standard function space to achieve well-posedness. We derive error estimates that confirm the numerically observed suboptimal convergence rates. In particular, by developing a discrete Caccioppoli-type inequality for discrete curl-harmonic functions, we prove $(k-1/2)$-th order convergence in the energy norm on general domains and $k$-th order convergence in $L^2$ on convex domains, where $k \ge 1$ denotes polynomial degree of the finite element spaces. These results extend the previous two-dimensional analysis developed in [Arnold, D.N., Falk, R.S. and Gopalakrishnan, J., 2012. Mixed finite element approximation of the vector Laplacian with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Mathematical Models and Methods in Applied Sciences, 22(9), p.1250024.]~to three-dimensional domains with general topology. As a direct application, a discretization of the Stokes problem in vorticity-velocity-pressure form is studied.

math.NA↗

arXiv2026

Convergence of Discrete Exterior Calculus for the Hodge-Dirac Operator

A short proof of convergence for the discretization of the Hodge-Dirac operator in the framework of discrete exterior calculus (DEC) is provided using the techniques established in [Johnny Guzmán and Pratyush Potu, A Framework for Analysis of DEC Approximations to Hodge-Laplacian Problems using Generalized Whitney Forms, arXiv:2505.08934, 2025]

math.NA↗

arXiv2026

H(curl)-based approximation of the Stokes problem with slip boundary conditions

Reformulating the incompressible Stokes equations with the velocity sought in H(curl) has recently emerged as a promising approach for the design of helicity-preserving schemes in magnetohydrodynamics and pressure-robust finite element methods on polygonal meshes. A key challenge in this setting, however, is the treatment of Navier slip boundary conditions. In this paper, we overcome this difficulty by recasting the slip condition as a Robin boundary condition and proving well-posedness of the resulting continuous problem. We further identify the geometric and regularity assumptions on the domain and the exact solution under which the classical Stokes solution is recovered. Finally, we study a conforming finite element Galerkin discretization, establishing stability and a priori error estimates. Numerical experiments validate the optimal convergence rates predicted by the theory.

math.NA↗

arXiv2025

Surrogate modeling of resonant behavior in scattering problems through adaptive rational approximation and sketching

This paper describes novel algorithms for the identification of (almost-)resonant behavior in scattering problems. Our methods, relying on rational approximation, aim at building surrogate models of what we call "field amplification", defined as the norm of the solution operator of the scattering problem, which we express through boundary-integral equations. To provide our techniques with theoretical foundations, we first derive results linking the field amplification to the spectral properties of the operator that defines the scattering problem. Such results are then used to justify the use of rational approximation in the surrogate-modeling task. Some of our proposed methods apply rational approximation in a "standard" way, building a rational approximant for either the solution operator directly or, in the interest of computational efficiency, for a randomly "sketched" version of it. Our other "hybrid" approaches are more innovative, combining rational-approximation-assisted root-finding with approximation using radial basis functions. Three key features of our methods are that (i) they are agnostic of the strategy used to discretize the scattering problem, (ii) they do not require any computations involving non-real wavenumbers, and (iii) they can adjust to different settings through the use of adaptive sampling strategies. We carry out some numerical experiments involving 2D scatterers to compare our approaches. In our tests, two of our approaches (one standard, one hybrid) emerge as the best performers, with one or the other being preferable, depending on whether emphasis is placed on accuracy or efficiency.

math.NA↗

arXiv2025

Floquet$-$Bloch analysis of wave propagation with time-periodic coefficients

This paper presents a numerical investigation of acoustic wave propagation in an obstacle with periodically time-modulated material parameters. We focus on the numerical construction of Floquet$-$Bloch solutions, which are quasi-periodic kernel elements of the hyperbolic operator appearing on the left-hand side of the acoustic wave equation. Using the temporal Fourier expansion yields a system of coupled harmonics, which can be truncated. Rewriting this system then provides different (generally nonlinear) eigenvalue formulations for discretized Floquet$-$Bloch solutions. Deriving energy estimates and the necessary conditions for Riesz$-$Schauder theory show basic properties of the occurring Floquet exponents. To derive fully discrete schemes, we employ a general Galerkin space discretization. Under assumptions on the relation of the temporal Fourier truncation and the Galerkin space discretization, we prove that the approximated Floquet exponents exhibit the same limitations as their continuous counterparts. Moreover, the approximated modes are shown to satisfy the defining properties of Floquet$-$Bloch solutions, with a defect that tends to zero as the number of harmonics approaches infinity. Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach and illustrate the theoretical findings.

math.NA↗

arXiv2025

Stable skeleton integral equations for general coefficient Helmholtz transmission problems

A novel variational formulation of layer potentials and boundary integral operators generalizes their classical construction by Green's functions, which are not explicitly available for Helmholtz problems with variable coefficients. Wavenumber explicit estimates and properties like jump conditions follow directly from their variational definition and enable a non-local (``integral'') formulation of acoustic transmission problems (TP) with piecewise Lipschitz coefficients. We obtain the well-posedness of the integral equations directly from the stability of the underlying TP. The simultaneous analysis for general dimensions and complex wavenumbers (in this paper) imposes an artificial boundary on the external Helmholtz problem and employs recent insights into the associated Dirichlet-to-Neumann map.

math.AP↗

arXiv2025

Frequency-Explicit Shape Holomorphy in Uncertainty Quantification for Acoustic Scattering

We consider frequency-domain acoustic scattering at a homogeneous star-shaped penetrable obstacle, whose shape is uncertain and modelled via a radial spectral parameterization with random coefficients. Using recent results on the stability of Helmholtz transmission problems with piecewise constant coefficients from [A. Moiola and E. A. Spence, Acoustic transmission problems: wavenumber-explicit bounds and resonance-free regions, Mathematical Models and Methods in Applied Sciences, 29 (2019), pp. 317-354] we obtain frequency-explicit statements on the holomorphic dependence of the scattered field and the far-field pattern on the stochastic shape parameters. This paves the way for applying general results on the efficient construction of high-dimensional surrogate models. We also take into account the effect of domain truncation by means of perfectly matched layers (PML). In addition, spatial regularity estimates which are explicit in terms of the wavenumber $k$ permit us to quantify the impact of finite-element Galerkin discretization using high-order Lagrangian finite-element spaces.

math.NA↗

arXiv2025

Convergence of Calderón residuals

In this paper, we describe a framework to compute expected convergence rates for residuals based on the Calderón identities for general second order differential operators for which fundamental solutions are known. The idea is that these rates could be used to validate implementations of boundary integral operators and allow to test operators separately by choosing solutions where parts of the Calderón identities vanish. Our estimates rely on simple vector norms, and thus avoid the use of hard-to-compute norms and the residual computation can be easily implemented in existing boundary element codes. We test the proposed Calderón residuals as debugging tool by introducing artificial errors into the Galerkin matrices of some of the boundary integral operators for the Laplacian and time-harmonic Maxwell's equations. From this, we learn that our estimates are not sharp enough to always detect errors, but still provide a simple and useful debugging tool in many situations.

math.NA↗

arXiv2024

Coupled Boundary and Volume Integral Equations for Electromagnetic Scattering

We study frequency domain electromagnetic scattering at a bounded, penetrable, and inhomogeneous obstacle $ Ω\subset \mathbb{R}^3 $. From the Stratton-Chu integral representation, we derive a new representation formula when constant reference coefficients are given for the interior domain. The resulting integral representation contains the usual layer potentials, but also volume potentials on $Ω$. Then it is possible to follow a single-trace approach to obtain boundary integral equations perturbed by traces of compact volume integral operators with weakly singular kernels. The coupled boundary and volume integral equations are discretized with a Galerkin approach with usual Curl-conforming and Div-conforming finite elements on the boundary and in the volume. Compression techniques and special quadrature rules for singular integrands are required for an efficient and accurate method. Numerical experiments provide evidence that our new formulation enjoys promising properties.

math.NA↗

arXiv2024

Holding the fields constant: A shape-calculus approach to electromagnetic forces

Using the mathematical theory of shape calculus as tool, we perform a rigorous investigation of the virtual work principle for the computation of electromagnetic forces in static settings. The main goal is to shed light on the widely held belief that the virtual work principle entails passively advecting the fields with the virtual displacement when computing deformation-dependent field energies gradients. The adjoint approach to differentiation of functionals under variational constraints provides a mathematical justification for this belief. However, it also shows that passively advecting the actual electromagnetic fields is sufficient only in the case of linear materials. In the general case, also fields arising as solutions of adjoint variational problems have to be taken into account.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2024

Skeleton Integral Equations for Acoustic Transmission Problems with Varying Coefficients

In this paper we will derive an non-local (``integral'') equation which transforms a three-dimensional acoustic transmission problem with \emph{variable} coefficients, non-zero absorption, and mixed boundary conditions to a non-local equation on a ``skeleton'' of the domain $Ω\subset\mathbb{R}^{3}$, where ``skeleton'' stands for the union of the interfaces and boundaries of a Lipschitz partition of $Ω$. To that end, we introduce and analyze abstract layer potentials as solutions of auxiliary coercive full space variational problems and derive jump conditions across domain interfaces. This allows us to formulate the non-local skeleton equation as a \emph{direct method} for the unknown Cauchy data of the solution of the original partial differential equation. We establish coercivity and continuity of the variational form of the skeleton equation based on auxiliary full space variational problems. Explicit expressions for Green's functions is not required and all our estimates are \emph{explicit} in the complex wave number.

math.AP↗

arXiv2024

Semi-Lagrangian Finite-Element Exterior Calculus for Incompressible Flows

We develop a mesh-based semi-Lagrangian discretization of the time-dependent incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with free boundary conditions recast as a non-linear transport problem for a momentum 1-form. A linearly implicit fully discrete version of the scheme enjoys excellent stability properties in the vanishing viscosity limit and is applicable to inviscid incompressible Euler flows. Conservation of energy and helicity are enforced separately.

math.NA↗

arXiv2023

Boundary Element Methods for the Laplace Hypersingular Integral Equation on Multiscreens: a two-level Substructuring Preconditioner

We present a preconditioning method for the linear systems arising from the boundary element discretization of the Laplace hypersingular equation on a $2$-dimensional triangulated surface $Γ$ in $\mathbb{R}^3$. We allow $Γ$ to belong to a large class of geometries that we call polygonal multiscreens, which can be non-manifold. After introducing a new, simple conforming Galerkin discretization, we analyze a substructuring domain-decomposition preconditioner based on ideas originally developed for the Finite Element Method. The surface $Γ$ is subdivided into non-overlapping regions, and the application of the preconditioner is obtained via the solution of the hypersingular equation on each patch, plus a coarse subspace correction. We prove that the condition number of the preconditioned linear system grows poly-logarithmically with $H/h$, the ratio of the coarse mesh and fine mesh size, and our numerical results indicate that this bound is sharp. This domain-decomposition algorithm therefore guarantees significant speedups for iterative solvers, even when a large number of subdomains is used.

math.NA↗

arXiv2022

Fractured Meshes

This work introduces ``generalized meshes", a type of meshes suited for the discretization of partial differential equations in non-regular geometries. Generalized meshes extend regular simplicial meshes by allowing for overlapping elements and more flexible adjacency relations. They can have several distinct ``generalized" vertices (or edges, faces) that occupy the same geometric position. These generalized facets are the natural degrees of freedom for classical conforming spaces of discrete differential forms appearing in finite and boundary element applications. Special attention is devoted to the representation of fractured domains and their boundaries. An algorithm is proposed to construct the so-called {\em virtually inflated mesh}, which correspond to a ``two-sided" mesh of a fracture. Discrete $d$-differential forms on the virtually inflated mesh are characterized as the trace space of discrete $d$-differential forms in the surrounding volume.

math.NA↗

arXiv2022

Spurious Quasi-Resonances in Boundary Integral Equations for the Helmholtz Transmission Problem

We consider the Helmholtz transmission problem with piecewise-constant material coefficients, and the standard associated direct boundary integral equations. For certain coefficients and geometries, the norms of the inverses of the boundary integral operators grow rapidly through an increasing sequence of frequencies, even though this is not the case for the solution operator of the transmission problem; we call this phenomenon that of spurious quasi-resonances. We give a rigorous explanation of why and when spurious quasi-resonances occur, and propose modified boundary integral equations that are not affected by them.

math.AP↗

arXiv2022

Traces for Hilbert Complexes

We study a new notion of trace operators and trace spaces for abstract Hilbert complexes. We introduce trace spaces as quotient spaces/annihilators. We characterize the kernels and images of the related trace operators and discuss duality relationships between trace spaces. We elaborate that many properties of the classical boundary traces associated with the Euclidean de Rham complex on bounded Lipschitz domains are rooted in the general structure of Hilbert complexes. We arrive at abstract trace Hilbert complexes that can be formulated using quotient spaces/annihilators. We show that, if a Hilbert complex admits stable "regular decompositions" with compact lifting operators, then the associated trace Hilbert complex is Fredholm. Incarnations of abstract concepts and results in the concrete case of the de Rham complex in three-dimensional Euclidean space will be discussed throughout.

math.FA↗

arXiv2022

Spurious Resonances in Coupled Domain-Boundary Variational Formulations of Transmission Problems in Electromagnetism and Acoustics

We develop a framework shedding light on common features of coupled variational formulations arising in electromagnetic scattering and acoustics. We show that spurious resonances haunting coupled domain-boundary formulations based on direct boundary integral equations of the first kind originate from the formal structure of their Calderon identities. Using this observation, the kernel of the coupled problem is characterized explicitly and we show that it completely vanishes under the exterior representation formula.

math.AP↗

arXiv2021

Coupled Domain-Boundary Variational Formulations For Hodge-Helmholtz Operators

We couple the mixed variational problem for the generalized Hodge-Helmholtz or Hodge-Laplace equation posed on a bounded three-dimensional Lipschitz domain with the first-kind boundary integral equation arising from the latter when constant coefficients are assumed in the unbounded complement. Recently developed Calderon projectors for the relevant boundary integral operators are used to perform a symmetric coupling. We prove stability of the coupled problem away from resonant frequencies by establishing a generalized Garding inequality (T-coercivity). The resulting system of equations describes the scattering of monochromatic electromagnetic waves at a bounded inhomogeneous isotropic body possibly having a "rough" surface. The low-frequency robustness of the potential formulation of Maxwell's equations makes this model a promising starting point for Galerkin discretization.

math.AP↗