Analysis on a High Accuracy Fully Implicit Solution for Strong Nonlinear Diffusion Problem - Convergence, Stability, and Uniqueness

Abstract

Some fundamental properties are analyzed for a fully implicit finite difference (FIFD) solution of conservative strong nonlinear diffusion problem. The scheme is constructed by combining a second-order backward difference temporal discretization and a central finite difference spatial discretization, and therefore highly nonlinear. Theoretical analysis is carried out under a coercive condition according with the diffusion feature of the strong nonlinear diffusion model. Benefiting from the boundedness estimates of the FIFD solution itself and its first- and second-order spatial difference quotients, some novel argument techniques are developed to overcome the difficulties coming from the nonlinear approximation for the strong nonlinear conservative diffusion operator. Consequently, it is proved rigorously that the FIFD scheme is unconditionally stable, its solution is unique and convergent to the exact solution of the original problem with second-order space-time accuracy. Numerical examples are provided to confirm its advantages on precision and efficiency over its first-order time accurate counterpoint.