Modeling, Mesh Generation, and Adaptive Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations

Abstract

Mesh generation is one of the most time consuming aspects of computational solutions of problems involving partial differential equations. It is, furthermore, no longer acceptable to compute solutions without proper verification that specified accuracy criteria are being satisfied. Mesh generation must be related to the solution through computable estimates of discretization errors. Thus, an iterative process of alternate mesh and solution generation evolves in an adaptive manner with the end result that the solution is computed to prescribed specifications in an optimal, or at least efficient, manner. While mesh generation and adaptive strategies are becoming available, major computational challenges remain. One, in particular, involves moving boundaries and interfaces, such as free-surface flows and fluid-structure interactions. A 3-week program was held from July 5 to July 23, 1993 with 173 participants and 66 keynote, invited, and contributed presentations. This volume represents written versions of 21 of these lectures. These proceedings are organized roughly in order of their presentation at the workshop. Thus, the initial papers are concerned with geometry and mesh generation and discuss the representation of physical objects and surfaces on a computer and techniques to use this data to generate, principally, unstructured meshes of tetrahedral or hexahedral elements. Themore » remainder of the papers cover adaptive strategies, error estimation, and applications. Several submissions deal with high-order p- and hp-refinement methods where mesh refinement/coarsening (h-refinement) is combined with local variation of method order (p-refinement). Combinations of mathematically verified and physically motivated approaches to error estimation are represented. Applications center on fluid mechanics. Selected papers are indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.« less