High-Order Methods for Computational Physics

The development of high-order accurate numerical discretization techniques for irregular domains and meshes is often cited as one of the remaining chal­ lenges facing the field of computational fluid dynamics. In structural me­ chanics, the advantages of high-order finite element approximation are widely recognized. This is especially true when high-order element approximation is combined with element refinement (h-p refinement). In computational fluid dynamics, high-order discretization methods are infrequently used in the com­ putation of compressible fluid flow. The hyperbolic nature of the governing equations and the presence of solution discontinuities makes high-order ac­ curacy difficult to achieve. Consequently, second-order accurate methods are still predominately used in industrial applications even though evidence sug­ gests that high-order methods may offer a way to significantly improve the resolution and accuracy for these calculations. To address this important topic, a special course was jointly organized by the Applied Vehicle Technology Panel of NATO's Research and Technology Organization (RTO), the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, and the Numerical Aerospace Simulation Division at the NASA Ames Research Cen­ ter. The NATO RTO sponsored course entitled "Higher Order Discretization Methods in Computational Fluid Dynamics" was held September 14-18,1998 at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in Belgium and September 21-25,1998 at the NASA Ames Research Center in the United States.

This book considers recent developments in very high-order accurate numerical discretization techniques for partial differential equations. Primary attention is given to the equations of computational fluid dynamics with additional consideration given to the Hamilton-Jacobi, Helmholtz, and elasticity equations. This book should be of particular relevance to those readers with an interest in numerical discretization techniques which generalize to very high-order accuracy. The volume consists of five articles prepared by leading specialists covering the following specific topics: high-order finite volume discretization via essentially non-oscillatory (ENO) and weighted essentially oscillatory (WENO) reconstruction, the discontinuous Galerkin method, the Galerkin least-squares method, spectral and $hp$-finite element methods, and the mortar finite element method. Implementational and efficiency issues associated with each method are discussed throughout the book.