V. J. Ervin

Xiangcheng Zheng, V. J. Ervin, Hong Wang

In this article we consider the approximation of a variable coefficient (two-sided) fractional diffusion equation (FDE), having unknown $u$. By introducing an intermediate unknown, $q$, the variable coefficient FDE is rewritten as a lower order, constant coefficient FDE. A spectral approximation scheme, using Jacobi polynomials, is presented for the approximation of $q$, $q_{N}$. The approximate solution to $u$, $u_{N}$, is obtained by post processing $q_{N}$. An a priori error analysis is given for $(q \, - \, q_{N})$ and $(u \, - \, u_{N})$. Two numerical experiments are presented whose results demonstrate the sharpness of the derived error estimates.

Xiangcheng Zheng, V. J. Ervin, Hong Wang

In this article a two-sided variable coefficient fractional diffusion equation (FDE) is investigated, where the variable coefficient occurs outside of the fractional integral operator. Under a suitable transformation the variable coefficient equation is transformed to a constant coefficient equation. Then, using the spectral decomposition approach with Jacobi polynomials, we proved the wellposedness of the model and the regularity of its solution. A spectral approximation scheme is proposed and the accuracy of its approximation studied. Two numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the derived error estimates.

Xiangcheng Zheng, V. J. Ervin, Hong Wang

In this article we study the numerical approximation of a variable coefficient fractional diffusion equation. Using a change of variable, the variable coefficient fractional diffusion equation is transformed into a constant coefficient fractional diffusion equation of the same order. The transformed equation retains the desirable stability property of being an elliptic equation. A spectral approximation scheme is proposed and analyzed for the transformed equation, with error estimates for the approximated solution derived. An approximation to the unknown of the variable coefficient fractional diffusion equation is then obtained by post processing the computed approximation to the transformed equation. Error estimates are also presented for the approximation to the unknown of the variable coefficient equation with both smooth and non-smooth diffusivity coefficient and right-hand side. Three numerical experiments are given whose convergence results are in strong agreement with the theoretically derived estimates.

T. Catoe, V. J. Ervin

Of primary interest in this paper is the numerical approximation of a time dependent fractional, in space, diffusion equation where the domain is assumed to be nonhomogeneous, having different axial diffusion coefficients. This work is motivated from the consideration of composite material which can exhibit different material properties along, and perpendicular to, internal planar structures. Careful attention is paid to accurately capture the boundary behavior of the solution. A spectral approximation scheme is used for the spatial discretization and a backward Euler approximation used for the temporal discretization. Following an error analysis for the approximation scheme, numerical experiments are given to demonstrate the effects of the nonhomogeneous domain and to support the theoretical analysis.

V. J. Ervin, N. Heuer, J. P. Roop

In this article we investigate the solution of the steady-state fractional diffusion equation on a bounded domain in $\real^{1}$. From an analysis of the underlying model problem, we postulate that the fractional diffusion operator in the modeling equations is neither the Riemann-Liouville nor the Caputo fractional differential operators. We then find a closed form expression for the kernel of the fractional diffusion operator which, in most cases, determines the regularity of the solution. Next we establish that the Jacobi polynomials are pseudo eigenfunctions for the fractional diffusion operator. A spectral type approximation method for the solution of the steady-state fractional diffusion equation is then proposed and studied.