Title: Numerical Methods for Interface Problems: From Finite Element Methods to Immersed Finite Element Methods
Speaker: Ruchi Guo, Zassenhaus Assistant Professor
Abstract: Interface problems have wide applications in many science and engineering fields. These problems in general involve multiple materials coupled through interfaces which cause challenges to numerical methods. In this talk, I will start from the basic 1D elliptic equation and the related finite element methods including the basic concepts of mesh and basis functions. For this typical problem, as long as the coefficient in the equation is smooth enough, optimal accuracy of finite element solutions can be guaranteed. Interface problems appear when the coefficient has some discontinuity, and the location of discontinuity is so called the interface. For interface problems, traditional finite element methods can be used when the mesh is generated to fit the interface. But in many situations, interface may be moving, and generating meshes to fit moving interface is very time-consuming. Immersed finite element methods are a special type of finite element methods designed to solve interface problems on a fixed mesh. In this talk, I will give an introduction to this method.
A tea reception will be held starting at 4:00pm in the alcove just outside CH240.
