A sparse spectral method on a class of domains bounded by planar algebraic curves
Provides an efficient numerical method for solving PDEs on complex 2D geometries, which is important for computational science and engineering applications.
Developed a sparse spectral method for PDEs on domains bounded by algebraic curves, achieving optimal linear complexity and sparse matrices. Numerical experiments show exponential convergence for smooth boundaries and algebraic convergence for corners.
We develop a sparse spectral method for solving partial differential equations on a class of two-dimensional geometries bounded by algebraic curves. The numerical method uses generalised bivariate Koornwinder polynomials which form a complete orthogonal basis, but one which is not graded in terms of polynomial degree. The polynomials are built from new families of univariate semiclassical orthogonal polynomials whose associated operator matrices (Jacobi matrices, raising matrices and differentiation matrices) are computed with optimal linear complexity in the number of basis functions. When used to discretise partial differential equations the resulting matrices are sparse enabling efficient numerical solution. Moreover, we develop fast transforms from values on a grid to expansion coefficients. The efficiency and accuracy of the resulting spectral method are illustrated through a series of numerical experiments on geometries whose boundaries are smooth and piecewise smooth including non-convex geometries. We observe algebraic convergence for geometries with corners, which accelerates to exponentially fast (spectral) convergence when the boundary is smooth.