Polynomials for numerical solutions of space-time fractional differential equations (of the Fokker–Planck type)

Abstract

Purpose Fokker–Planck equation appears in various areas in natural science, it is used to describe solute transport and Brownian motion of particles. This paper aims to present an efficient and convenient numerical algorithm for space-time fractional differential equations of the Fokker–Planck type. Design/methodology/approach The main idea of the presented algorithm is to combine polynomials function approximation and fractional differential operator matrices to reduce the studied complex equations to easily solved algebraic equations. Findings Based on Taylor basis, simple and useful fractional differential operator matrices of alternative Legendre polynomials can be quickly obtained, by which the studied space-time fractional partial differential equations can be transformed into easily solved algebraic equations. Numerical examples and error date are presented to illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of this technique. Originality/value Various numerical methods are proposed in complex steps and are computationally expensive. However, the advantage of this paper is its convenient technique, i.e. using the simple fractional differential operator matrices of polynomials, numerical solutions can be quickly obtained in high precision. Presented numerical examples can also indicate that the technique is feasible for this kind of fractional partial differential equations.