Spectral Methods

Along with finite differences and finite elements, spectral methods are one of the three main methodologies for solving partial differential equations on computers. This book provides a detailed presentation of basic spectral algorithms, as well as a systematical presentation of basic convergence theory and error analysis for spectral methods. Readers of this book will be exposed to a unified framework for designing and analyzing spectral algorithms for a variety of problems, including in particular high-order differential equations and problems in unbounded domains. The book contains a large number of figures which are designed to illustrate various concepts stressed in the book. A set of basic matlab codes has been made available online to help the readers to develop their own spectral codes for their specific applications.

This is a book about spectral methods for partial differential equations: when to use them, how to implement them, and what can be learned from their of spectral methods has evolved rigorous theory. The computational side vigorously since the early 1970s, especially in computationally intensive of the more spectacular applications are applications in fluid dynamics. Some of the power of these discussed here, first in general terms as examples of the methods have been methods and later in great detail after the specifics covered. This book pays special attention to those algorithmic details which are essential to successful implementation of spectral methods. The focus is on algorithms for fluid dynamical problems in transition, turbulence, and aero dynamics. This book does not address specific applications in meteorology, partly because of the lack of experience of the authors in this field and partly because of the coverage provided by Haltiner and Williams (1980). The success of spectral methods in practical computations has led to an increasing interest in their theoretical aspects, especially since the mid-1970s. Although the theory does not yet cover the complete spectrum of applications, the analytical techniques which have been developed in recent years have facilitated the examination of an increasing number of problems of practical interest. In this book we present a unified theory of the mathematical analysis of spectral methods and apply it to many of the algorithms in current use.

Since the publication of "Spectral Methods in Fluid Dynamics" 1988, spectral methods have become firmly established as a mainstream tool for scientific and engineering computation. The authors of that book have incorporated into this new edition the many improvements in the algorithms and the theory of spectral methods that have been made since then. This latest book retains the tight integration between the theoretical and practical aspects of spectral methods, and the chapters are enhanced with material on the Galerkin with numerical integration version of spectral methods. The discussion of direct and iterative solution methods is also greatly expanded.

Mathematics of Computing -- Numerical Analysis.

Completely revised text focuses on use of spectral methods to solve boundary value, eigenvalue, and time-dependent problems, but also covers Hermite, Laguerre, rational Chebyshev, sinc, and spherical harmonic functions, as well as cardinal functions, linear eigenvalue problems, matrix-solving methods, coordinate transformations, methods for unbounded intervals, spherical and cylindrical geometry, and much more. 7 Appendices. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. Over 160 text figures.

This book explains how to solve partial differential equations numerically using single and multidomain spectral methods. It shows how only a few fundamental algorithms form the building blocks of any spectral code, even for problems with complex geometries.

This book deals with the application of spectral methods to problems of uncertainty propagation and quanti?cation in model-based computations. It speci?cally focuses on computational and algorithmic features of these methods which are most useful in dealing with models based on partial differential equations, with special att- tion to models arising in simulations of ?uid ?ows. Implementations are illustrated through applications to elementary problems, as well as more elaborate examples selected from the authors’ interests in incompressible vortex-dominated ?ows and compressible ?ows at low Mach numbers. Spectral stochastic methods are probabilistic in nature, and are consequently rooted in the rich mathematical foundation associated with probability and measure spaces. Despite the authors’ fascination with this foundation, the discussion only - ludes to those theoretical aspects needed to set the stage for subsequent applications. The book is authored by practitioners, and is primarily intended for researchers or graduate students in computational mathematics, physics, or ?uid dynamics. The book assumes familiarity with elementary methods for the numerical solution of time-dependent, partial differential equations; prior experience with spectral me- ods is naturally helpful though not essential. Full appreciation of elaborate examples in computational ?uid dynamics (CFD) would require familiarity with key, and in some cases delicate, features of the associated numerical methods. Besides these shortcomings, our aim is to treat algorithmic and computational aspects of spectral stochastic methods with details suf?cient to address and reconstruct all but those highly elaborate examples.

This collection of essays explores the ancient affinity between the mathematical and the aesthetic, focusing on fundamental connections between these two modes of reasoning and communicating. From historical, philosophical and psychological perspectives, with particular attention to certain mathematical areas such as geometry and analysis, the authors examine ways in which the aesthetic is ever-present in mathematical thinking and contributes to the growth and value of mathematical knowledge.