New implicit and implicit-explicit time-stepping methods for the wave equation in second-order form are described with application to two and three-dimensional problems discretized on overset grids. The implicit schemes are single step, three levels in time, and based on the modified equation approach. Second and fourth-order accurate schemes are developed and they incorporate upwind dissipation for stability on overset grids. The fully implicit schemes are useful for certain applications such as the WaveHoltz algorithm for solving Helmholtz problems where very large time-steps are desired. Some wave propagation problems are geometrically stiff due to localized regions of small grid cells, such as grids needed to resolve fine geometric features, and for these situations the implicit time-stepping scheme is combined with an explicit scheme: the implicit scheme is used for component grids containing small cells while the explicit scheme is used on the other grids such as background Cartesian grids. The resulting partitioned implicit-explicit scheme can be many times faster than using an explicit scheme everywhere. The accuracy and stability of the schemes are studied through analysis and numerical computations. 
                        more » 
                        « less   
                    This content will become publicly available on June 30, 2026
                            
                            Third-Order Sectorially A-Stable Alternating Implicit Runge–Kutta Schemes
                        
                    
    
            We design pairs of six-stage, third-order, alternating implicit Runge–Kutta (RK) schemes that can be used to integrate in time two stiff operators by an operator-splitting technique. We also design for each pair a companion explicit RK scheme to be used for a third, nonstiff oper- ator in an implicit-explicit (IMEX) fashion. The main application we have in mind is (non)linear parabolic problems, where the two stiff operators represent diffusion processes (for instance, in two spatial directions) and the nonstiff operator represents (non)linear transport. We identify necessary conditions for linear sectorial A( )-stability by considering a scalar ODE with two (complex) ei- genvalues lying in some fixed cone of the half-complex plane with nonpositive real part. We show numerically that it is possible to achieve A(0)-stability when combining two operators with negative eigenvalues, irrespective of their relative magnitude. Finally, we show by numerical examples includ- ing two-dimensional nonlinear transport problems discretized in space using finite elements that the proposed schemes behave well. 
        more » 
        « less   
        
    
                            - Award ID(s):
- 2110868
- PAR ID:
- 10640471
- Publisher / Repository:
- SIAM J. SCI. COMPUT. © 2025 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. A1579–A1603
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing
- Volume:
- 47
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 1064-8275
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- A1579 to A1603
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
- 
            
- 
            Abstract Unconditionally stable time stepping schemes are useful and often practically necessary for advancing parabolic operators in multi-scale systems. However, serious accuracy problems may emerge when taking time steps that far exceed the explicit stability limits. In our previous work, we compared the accuracy and performance of advancing parabolic operators in a thermodynamic MHD model using an implicit method and an explicit super time-stepping (STS) method. We found that while the STS method outperformed the implicit one with overall good results, it was not able to damp oscillatory behavior in the solution efficiently, hindering its practical use. In this follow-up work, we evaluate an easy-to-implement method for selecting a practical time step limit (PTL) for unconditionally stable schemes. This time step is used to ‘cycle’ the operator-split thermal conduction and viscosity parabolic operators. We test the new time step with both an implicit and STS scheme for accuracy, performance, and scaling. We find that, for our test cases here, the PTL dramatically improves the STS solution, matching or improving the solution of the original implicit scheme, while retaining most of its performance and scaling advantages. The PTL shows promise to allow more accurate use of unconditionally stable schemes for parabolic operators and reliable use of STS methods.more » « less
- 
            In this paper, we discuss the stability and error estimates of the fully discrete schemes for linear conservation laws, which consists of an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian discontinuous Galerkin method in space and explicit total variation diminishing Runge–Kutta (TVD-RK) methods up to third order accuracy in time. The scaling arguments and the standard energy analysis are the key techniques used in our work. We present a rigorous proof to obtain stability for the three fully discrete schemes under suitable CFL conditions. With the help of the reference cell, the error equations are easy to establish and we derive the quasi-optimal error estimates in space and optimal convergence rates in time. For the Euler-forward scheme with piecewise constant elements, the second order TVD-RK method with piecewise linear elements and the third order TVD-RK scheme with polynomials of any order, the usual CFL condition is required, while for other cases, stronger time step restrictions are needed for the results to hold true. More precisely, the Euler-forward scheme needs τ ≤ ρh 2 and the second order TVD-RK scheme needs $$ \tau \le \rho {h}^{\frac{4}{3}}$$ for higher order polynomials in space, where τ and h are the time and maximum space step, respectively, and ρ is a positive constant independent of τ and h .more » « less
- 
            Implicit-explicit (IMEX) time integration schemes are well suited for non-linear structural dynamics because of their low computational cost and high accuracy. However, the stability of IMEX schemes cannot be guaranteed for general non-linear problems. In this article, we present a scalar auxiliary variable (SAV) stabilization of high-order IMEX time integration schemes that leads to unconditional stability. The proposed IMEX-BDFk-SAV schemes treat linear terms implicitly using kth-order backward difference formulas (BDFk) and non-linear terms explicitly. This eliminates the need for iterations in non-linear problems and leads to low computational costs. Truncation error analysis of the proposed IMEX-BDFk-SAV schemes confirms that up to kth-order accuracy can be achieved and this is verified through a series of convergence tests. Unlike existing SAV schemes for first-order ordinary differential equations (ODEs), we introduce a novel SAV for the proposed schemes that allows direct solution of the second-order ODEs without transforming them into a system of first-order ODEs. Finally, we demonstrate the performance of the proposed schemes by solving several non-linear problems in structural dynamics and show that the proposed schemes can achieve high accuracy at a low computational cost while maintaining unconditional stability.more » « less
- 
            We consider high-order discretizations of a Cauchy problem where the evolution operator comprises a hyperbolic part and a parabolic part with diffusion and stiff relaxation terms. We propose a technique that makes every implicit-explicit (IMEX) time stepping scheme invariant-domain preserving and mass conservative. Following the ideas introduced in Part I on explicit Runge--Kutta schemes, the IMEX scheme is written in incremental form. At each stage, we first combine a low-order and a high-order hyperbolic update using a limiting operator, then we combine a low-order and a high-order parabolic update using another limiting operator. The proposed technique, which is agnostic to the space discretization, allows one to optimize the time step restrictions induced by the hyperbolic substep. To illustrate the proposed methodology, we derive four novel IMEX methods with optimal efficiency. All the implicit schemes are singly diagonal. One of them is A-stable and the other three are L-stable. The novel IMEX schemes are evaluated numerically on systems of stiff ordinary differential equations and nonlinear conservation equations.more » « less
 An official website of the United States government
An official website of the United States government 
				
			 
					 
					
