UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

COLLOQUIUM

 


SPRING 2017

Thursday,  February 9, 3:30-4:20 pm, room TLC 249

Refreshments in Brink 305 at 3:00 pm


On the accuracy and importance of a consistent mass matrix


 

Michael Joseph Brazell



Department of Mechanical Engineering 

University of Wyoming


The mass matrix is formed by integrating the outer product of two sets of basis functions. A mass matrix can appear in the discretization of an unsteady partial differential equation (PDE) using a finite element method (FEM). The accuracy, stability, and performance of a numerical method is tied to the handling of the mass matrix. In classical FEM, a common technique is to "lump" a mass matrix, summing the off-diagonals to the diagonal, resulting in a diagonal matrix. The simplification results in a trade-off between increased performance of the method and reduced accuracy. In this seminar, Dr. Brazell will discuss his work with mass matrices across four different topics. The first is lumping techniques for high-order streamline-upwind-Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) methods. The second is psuedo-transient continuation as a globalization technique for the Newton-Rhapson method for solving problems using a Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method. The third is an explicit DG method with applications in overset meshing and adaptive mesh refinement. Lastly, connections between high-order PADE schemes and a high-order B-spline FEM formulation. Some applications of these methods will include aerodynamics and wind energy.