What could we gain, by using the locally divergence-free solution spaces in discontinuous Galerkin methods? (Fengyan Li, University of South Carolina)

Abstract: There are many partial differential equations with solutions which have divergence-free components. Examples include the incompressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations, the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations, and the Maxwell equations. For some of the problems, such as the MHD equations and the Maxwell equations, the divergence constraints seem to be redundant, as in the continuous model, the solutions will automatically satisfy the divergence-free conditions if the initial data is divergence-free. However, many works in literature show that the actual negligence in dealing with the divergence-free condition numerically can lead to serious defects of the schemes.

We here try to explore the capabilities of a new type of methods, the locally divergence-free discontinuous Galerkin Methods, through intensive theoretical and numerical studies. In particular, we focus on their applications in Maxwell equations and MHD equations in this presentation.


This is an abstract of a talk to be presented at the 2004 SEAMS Workshop in Charleston, SC. For more information, visit the workshop's homepage at math.cofc.edu/SEAMS.