Direct method of solution for general boundary value problem of the Laplace equation

Abstract

A general boundary value problem for two-dimensional Laplace equation in the domain enclosed by a piecewise smooth curve is considered. The Dirichlet and the Neumann data are prescribed on respective parts of the boundary, while there is the second part of the boundary on which no boundary data are given. There is the third part of the boundary on which the Robin condition is prescribed. This problem of finding unknown values along the whole boundary is ill posed. In this sense we call our problem an inverse boundary value problem. In order for a solution to be identified the inverse problem is reformulated in terms of a variational problem, which is then recast into primary and adjoint boundary value problems of the Laplace equation in its conventional form. A direct method for numerical solution of the inverse boundary value problem using the boundary element method is presented. This method proposes a non-iterative and unified treatment of conventional boundary value problem, the Cauchy problem, and under- or over-determined problems.