arXiv subjects

Siyu Cen

Publications and source records attributed to Siyu Cen.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Pollutant Concentration Reconstruction in Porous Media from Localized Measurements

Reliable environmental monitoring and groundwater protection heavily rely on the ability to reconstruct full pollutant concentration fields from sparse, partial field measurements. In porous media, dissolved contaminants are transported by groundwater flow while undergoing hydrodynamic dispersion and complex chemical or biological reactions. To address practical contamination challenges, this work investigates the reconstruction of pollutant distributions using water samples collected at discrete locations in unsaturated or saturated soils via sampling tubes equipped with ceramic tips. While these suction samplers provide critical local data, they inherently capture only a fraction of the subsurface environment, leaving wide areas unmonitored. Motivated by this real-world monitoring procedure, we propose steady and time-dependent advection-diffusion-reaction models to simulate contaminant transport. Our main contribution is a generalized unique continuation result demonstrating that, under appropriate physical and mathematical assumptions, two concentration fields coinciding on a non-empty observation region must match throughout the entire space-time domain, even when originating from different source configurations. We investigate this problem from both theoretical and numerical perspectives, backing our mathematical uniqueness results with numerical simulations that validate the efficiency and practical utility of our approach. The theoretical proofs combine regularity properties away from source singularities with unique-continuation principles for parabolic and elliptic partial differential equations, providing a robust framework for environmental risk assessment and site remediation.

math.AP↗

arXiv2026

Numerical Analysis of Space-Time Dependent Source Identification in Subdiffusion Equations

In this work, we propose an easy-to-implement fixed-point algorithm for reconstructing a space-time dependent source in a subdiffusion model from lateral boundary measurements. The numerical scheme combines a Galerkin finite element method for spatial discretization with a finite difference method for temporal discretization. We establish the linear convergence of the fixed-point iteration and derive an error bound that depends explicitly on the discretization parameters and the noise level. The error analysis relies on stability properties of the continuous inverse problem and technical estimates for the associated direct problem with limited-regularity data. Numerical experiments are presented to support and complement the theoretical analysis.

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arXiv2026

Recovery of a Measure-valued Source in the Heat Equation from Sparse Boundary Measurements

This article is devoted to the inverse source problem of uniquely determining a measure-valued source from sparse boundary measurements. The measurements considered consist of flux observations over a time interval at two distinct points on the boundary of the domain. The main objective of this work is to extend the existing literature on inverse source problems from sparse boundary measurements, which has so far been limited to point sources or L2 sources, to the identification of a general class of Radon measures. Our approach combines several analytical tools, including regularity properties, boundary representations, and the time analyticity of solutions to the diffusion equation with singular sources. Our theoretical analysis is complemented by a numerical study of the problem. In particular, we investigate the reconstruction of point sources and of a source supported on a curve, and present numerical experiments illustrating the recovery of such sources from sparse boundary flux measurements.

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arXiv2026

Finite element approximation for quantitative photoacoustic tomography in a diffusive regime

In this paper, we focus on the numerical analysis of quantitative photoacoustic tomography. Our goal is to reconstruct the optical coefficients, i.e., the diffusion and absorption coefficients, using multiple internal observational data. The foundation of our numerical algorithm lies in solving an inverse diffusivity problem and a direct problem associated with elliptic equations. The stability of the inverse problem depends critically on a non-zero condition in the internal observations, a condition that can be met using randomly chosen boundary excitation data. Utilizing these randomly generated boundary data, we implement an output least squares formulation combined with finite element discretization to solve the inverse problem. In this scenario, we provide a rigorous error estimate in $L^2(Ω)$ norm for the numerical reconstruction using a weighted energy estimate, inspired by the analysis of a newly proposed conditional stability result. The resulting error estimate serves as a valuable guide for selecting appropriate regularization parameters and discretization mesh sizes according to the noise levels present in the data. Several numerical experiments are presented to support our theoretical results and illustrate the effectiveness of our numerical scheme.

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arXiv2025

Numerical Analysis of Unsupervised Learning Approaches for Parameter Identification in PDEs

Identifying parameters in partial differential equations (PDEs) represents a very broad class of applied inverse problems. In recent years, several unsupervised learning approaches using (deep) neural networks have been developed to solve PDE parameter identifications. These approaches employ neural networks as ansatz functions to approximate the parameters and / or the states, and have demonstrated impressive empirical performance. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey on these unsupervised learning techniques on one model problem, diffusion coefficient identification, from the classical numerical analysis perspective, and outline a general framework for deriving rigorous error bounds on the discrete approximations obtained using the Galerkin finite element method, hybrid method and deep neural networks. Throughout we highlight the crucial role of conditional stability estimates in the error analysis.

math.NA↗

arXiv2025

Numerical Approximation and Analysis of the Inverse Robin Problem Using the Kohn-Vogelius Method

In this work, we numerically investigate the inverse Robin problem of recovering a piecewise constant Robin coefficient in an elliptic or parabolic problem from the Cauchy data on a part of the boundary, a problem that commonly arises in applications such as non-destructive corrosion detection. We employ a Kohn-Vogelius type variational functional for the regularized reconstruction, and discretize the resulting optimization problem using the Galerkin finite element method on a graded mesh. We establish rigorous error estimates on the recovered Robin coefficient in terms of the mesh size, temporal step size and noise level. This is achieved by combining the approximation error of the direct problem, a priori estimates on the functional, and suitable conditional stability estimates of the continuous inverse problem. We present several numerical experiments to illustrate the approach and to complement the theoretical findings.

math.NA↗

arXiv2024

Imaging Anisotropic Conductivity from Internal Measurements with Mixed Least-Squares Deep Neural Networks

In this work we develop a novel algorithm, termed as mixed least-squares deep neural network (MLS-DNN), to recover an anisotropic conductivity tensor from the internal measurements of the solutions. It is based on applying the least-squares formulation to the mixed form of the elliptic problem, and approximating the internal flux and conductivity tensor simultaneously using deep neural networks. We provide error bounds on the approximations obtained via both population and empirical losses. The analysis relies on the canonical source condition, approximation theory of deep neural networks and statistical learning theory. We also present multiple numerical experiments to illustrate the performance of the method, and conduct a comparative study with the standard Galerkin finite element method and physics informed neural network. The results indicate that the method can accurately recover the anisotropic conductivity in both two- and three-dimensional cases, up to 10\% noise in the data.

math.NA↗

arXiv2024

Determining a Time-Varying Potential in Time-Fractional Diffusion from Observation at a Single Point

We discuss the identification of a time-dependent potential in a time-fractional diffusion model from a boundary measurement taken at a single point. Theoretically, we establish a conditional Lipschitz stability for this inverse problem. Numerically, we develop an easily implementable iterative algorithm to recover the unknown coefficient, and also derive rigorous error bounds for the discrete reconstruction. These results are attained by using the (discrete) solution theory of direct problems, and applying error estimates that are optimal with respect to problem data regularity. Numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the theoretical results.

math.NA↗

arXiv2024

Inverse Coefficient Problem for One-Dimensional Subdiffusion with Data on Disjoint Sets in Time

In this work we investigate an inverse coefficient problem for the one-dimensional subdiffusion model, which involves a Caputo fractional derivative in time. The inverse problem is to determine two coefficients and multiple parameters (the order, and length of the interval) from one pair of lateral Cauchy data. The lateral Cauchy data are given on disjoint sets in time with a single excitation and the measurement is made on a time sequence located outside the support of the excitation. We prove two uniqueness results for different lateral Cauchy data. The analysis is based on the solution representation, analyticity of the observation and a refined version of inverse Sturm-Liouville theory due to Sini [35]. Our results heavily exploit the memory effect of fractional diffusion for the unique recovery of the coefficients in the model. Several numerical experiments are also presented to complement the analysis.

math.AP↗

arXiv2023

Electrical Impedance Tomography with Deep Calderón Method

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a noninvasive medical imaging modality utilizing the current-density/voltage data measured on the surface of the subject. Calderón's method is a relatively recent EIT imaging algorithm that is non-iterative, fast, and capable of reconstructing complex-valued electric impedances. However, due to the regularization via low-pass filtering and linearization, the reconstructed images suffer from severe blurring and under-estimation of the exact conductivity values. In this work, we develop an enhanced version of Calderón's method, using {deep} convolution neural networks (i.e., U-net) {as an effective targeted post-processing step, and term the resulting method by deep Calderón's method.} Specifically, we learn a U-net to postprocess the EIT images generated by Calderón's method so as to have better resolutions and more accurate estimates of conductivity values. We simulate chest configurations with which we generate the current-density/voltage boundary measurements and the corresponding reconstructed images by Calderón's method. With the paired training data, we learn the deep neural network and evaluate its performance on real tank measurement data. The experimental results indicate that the proposed approach indeed provides a fast and direct (complex-valued) impedance tomography imaging technique, and substantially improves the capability of the standard Calderón's method.

math.NA↗

arXiv2023

Numerical Reconstruction of Diffusion and Potential Coefficients from Two Observations: Decoupled Recovery and Error Estimates

The focus of this paper is on the concurrent reconstruction of both the diffusion and potential coefficients present in an elliptic/parabolic equation, utilizing two internal measurements of the solutions. A decoupled algorithm is constructed to sequentially recover these two parameters. In the first step, we implement a straightforward reformulation that results in a standard problem of identifying the diffusion coefficient. This coefficient is then numerically recovered, with no requirement for knowledge of the potential, by utilizing an output least-square method coupled with finite element discretization. In the second step, the previously recovered diffusion coefficient is employed to reconstruct the potential coefficient, applying a method similar to the first step. Our approach is stimulated by a constructive conditional stability, and we provide rigorous a priori error estimates in $L^2(Ω)$ for the recovered diffusion and potential coefficients. Our approach is stimulated by a constructive conditional stability, and we provide rigorous a priori error estimates in $L^2(Ω)$ for the recovered diffusion and potential coefficients. To derive these estimates, we develop a weighted energy argument and suitable positivity conditions. These estimates offer a beneficial guide for choosing regularization parameters and discretization mesh sizes, in accordance with the noise level. Some numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the numerical scheme and support our theoretical results.

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arXiv2023

Recovery of Multiple Parameters in Subdiffusion from One Lateral Boundary Measurement

This work is concerned with numerically recovering multiple parameters simultaneously in the subdiffusion model from one single lateral measurement on a part of the boundary, while in an incompletely known medium. We prove that the boundary measurement corresponding to a fairly general boundary excitation uniquely determines the order of the fractional derivative and the polygonal support of the diffusion coefficient, without knowing either the initial condition or the source. The uniqueness analysis further inspires the development of a robust numerical algorithm for recovering the fractional order and diffusion coefficient. The proposed algorithm combines small-time asymptotic expansion, analytic continuation of the solution and the level set method. We present extensive numerical experiments to illustrate the feasibility of the simultaneous recovery. In addition, we discuss the uniqueness of recovering general diffusion and potential coefficients from one single partial boundary measurement, when the boundary excitation is more specialized.

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arXiv2023

Hybrid Neural-Network FEM Approximation of Diffusion Coefficient in Elliptic and Parabolic Problems

In this work we investigate the numerical identification of the diffusion coefficient in elliptic and parabolic problems using neural networks. The numerical scheme is based on the standard output least-squares formulation where the Galerkin finite element method (FEM) is employed to approximate the state and neural networks (NNs) act as a smoothness prior to approximate the unknown diffusion coefficient. A projection operation is applied to the NN approximation in order to preserve the physical box constraint on the unknown coefficient. The hybrid approach enjoys both rigorous mathematical foundation of the FEM and inductive bias / approximation properties of NNs. We derive \textsl{a priori} error estimates in the standard $L^2(Ω)$ norm for the numerical reconstruction, under a positivity condition which can be verified for a large class of problem data. The error bounds depend explicitly on the noise level, regularization parameter and discretization parameters (e.g., spatial mesh size, time step size, and depth, upper bound and number of nonzero parameters of NNs). We also provide extensive numerical experiments, indicating that the hybrid method is very robust for large noise when compared with the pure FEM approximation.

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