A Local Radial Basis Function Method for Numerical Approximation of Multidimensional Multi-Term Time-Fractional Mixed Wave-Diffusion and Subdiffusion Equation Arising in Fluid Mechanics

Abstract

This article develops a simple hybrid localized mesh-free method (LMM) for the numerical modeling of new mixed subdiffusion and wave-diffusion equation with multi-term time-fractional derivatives. Unlike conventional multi-term fractional wave-diffusion or subdiffusion equations, this equation features a unique time–space coupled derivative while simultaneously incorporating both wave-diffusion and subdiffusion terms. Our proposed method follows three basic steps: (i) The given equation is transformed into a time-independent form using the Laplace transform (LT); (ii) the LMM is then used to solve the transformed equation in the LT domain; (iii) finally, the time domain solution is obtained by inverting the LT. We use the improved Talbot method and the Stehfest method to invert the LT. The LMM is used to circumvent the shape parameter sensitivity and ill-conditioning of interpolation matrices that commonly arise in global mesh-free methods. Traditional time-stepping methods achieve accuracy only with very small time steps, significantly increasing the computational time. To overcome these shortcomings, the LT is used to provide a more powerful alternative by removing the need for fine temporal discretization. Additionally, the Ulam–Hyers stability of the considered model is analyzed. Four numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and practical applicability of the method.