Approximate solutions for a fractional thermostat model boundary value problem via Bernstein's collocation method with Legendre polynomials

Abstract

Numerous classical models of thermostats have been analyzed in the literature, and while existence and uniqueness results have been established, the investigation of other properties, such as stability, can present significant challenges. Therefore, there is a need for fractional mathematical models that are nonlocal problems and allow for the straightforward study of the asymptotic behavior of their solutions. However, solving these problems is often exceedingly complex or even impossible, necessitating the use of numerical methods to obtain approximate solutions. The focus of this research is a generalized boundary value problem that is based on a classical thermostat model. Our initial step involves determining the associated integral equation for the problem at hand. The properties of existence and uniqueness are proved by exploiting the classical contraction principle of Banach together with another kind called ‐ ‐contraction. Afterwards, thanks to the Bernstein polynomials and fractional matrix of derivative, the approximate solutions of our nonlinear fractional thermostat model problem are obtained. This approach utilizes the Legendre operational matrix of fractional derivatives in combination with a truncated Legendre series for the numerical integration of fractional differential equations. By doing so, the problem can be reduced to solving a system of algebraic equations, resulting in significant simplification. This method has been successfully used to solve both linear and nonlinear fractional differential equations. Finally, an example on this type of problem have been studied and the approximate solution are plotted.