Preconditioning and convergence in the right norm

The convergence of numerical approximations to the solutions of differential equations is a key aspect of Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing. Iterative solution methods for the systems of linear(ised) equations which often result are also underpinned by analyses of convergence. In the function space setting, it is widely appreciated that there are appropriate ways in which to assess convergence and it is well-known that different norms are not equivalent. In the finite dimensional linear algebra setting, however, all norms are equivalent and little attention is often payed to the norms used. In this paper, we highlight this consideration in the context of preconditioning for minimum residual methods (MINRES and GMRES/GCR/ORTHOMIN) and argue that even in the linear algebra setting there is a ‘right’ norm in which to consider convergence: stopping an iteration which is rapidly converging in an irrelevant or highly scaled norm at some tolerance level may still give a poor answer

TV-Stokes And Its Variants For Image Processing

The total variational minimization with a Stokes constraint, also known as the TV-Stokes model, has been considered as one of the most successful models in image processing, especially in image restoration and sparse-data-based 3D surface reconstruction. This thesis studies the TV-Stokes model and its existing variants, proposes new and more effective variants of the model and their algorithms applied to some of the most interesting image processing problems. We first review some of the variational models that already exist, in particular the TV-Stokes model and its variants. Common techniques like the augmented Lagrangian and the dual formulation, are also introduced. We then present our models as new variants of the TV-Stokes. The main focus of the work has been on the sparse surface reconstruction of 3D surfaces. A model (WTR) with a vector fidelity, that is the gradient vector fidelity, has been proposed, applying it to both 3D cartoon design and height map reconstruction. The model employs the second-order total variation minimization, where the curl-free condition is satisfied automatically. Because the model couples both the height and the gradient vector representing the surface in the same minimization, it constructs the surface correctly. A variant of this model is then introduced, which includes a vector matching term. This matching term gives the model capability to accurately represent the shape of a geometry in the reconstruction. Experiments show a significant improvement over the state-of-the-art models, such as the TV model, higher order TV models, and the anisotropic third-order regularization model, when applied to some general applications. In another work, the thesis generalizes the TV-Stokes model from two dimensions to an arbitrary number of dimensions, introducing a convenient form for the constraint in order it to be extended to higher dimensions. The thesis explores also the idea of feature accumulation through iterative regularization in another work, introducing a Richardson-like iteration for the TV-Stokes. Thisis then followed by a more general model, a combined model, based on the modified variant of the TV-stokes. The resulting model is found to be equivalent to the well-known TGV model. The thesis introduces some interesting numerical strategies for the solution of the TV-Stokes model and its variants. Higher order PDEs are turned into inhomogeneous modified Helmholtz equations through transformations. These equations are then solved using the preconditioned conjugate gradients method or the fast Fourier transformation. The thesis proposes a simple but quite general approach to finding closed form solutions to a general L1 minimization problem, and applies it to design algorithms for our models.Doktorgradsavhandlin

Efficient numerical schemes for viscoplastic avalanches. Part 2: the 2D case

This paper deals with the numerical resolution of a shallow water viscoplastic flow model. Viscoplastic materials are characterized by the existence of a yield stress: below a certain critical threshold in the imposed stress, there is no deformation and the material behaves like a rigid solid, but when that yield value is exceeded, the material flows like a fluid. In the context of avalanches, it means that after going down a slope, the material can stop and its free surface has a non-trivial shape, as opposed to the case of water (Newtonian fluid). The model involves variational inequalities associated with the yield threshold: finite volume schemes are used together with duality methods (namely Augmented Lagrangian and Bermúdez–Moreno) to discretize the problem. To be able to accurately simulate the stopping behavior of the avalanche, new schemes need to be designed, involving the classical notion of well-balancing. In the present context, it needs to be extended to take into account the viscoplastic nature of the material as well as general bottoms with wet/dry fronts which are encountered in geophysical geometries. Here we derive such schemes in 2D as the follow up of the companion paper treating the 1D case. Numerical tests include in particular a generalized 2D benchmark for Bingham codes (the Bingham–Couette flow with two non-zero boundary conditions on the velocity) and a simulation of the avalanche path of Taconnaz in Chamonix—Mont-Blanc to show the usability of these schemes on real topographies from digital elevation models (DEM)

A well-balanced finite volume-augmented Lagrangian method for an integrated Herschel-Bulkley model

40 pages. 12 figures.International audienceWe are interested in the derivation of an integrated Herschel-Bulkley model for shallow flows, as well as in the design of a numerical algorithm to solve the resulting equations. The goal is to simulate the evolution of thin sheet of viscoplastic materials on inclined planes and, in particular, to be able to compute the evolution from dynamic to stationary states. The model involves a variational inequality and it is valid from null to moderate slopes. The proposed numerical scheme is well balanced and involves a coupling between a duality technique (to treat plasticity), a fixed point method (to handle the power law) and a finite volume discretization. Several numerical tests are done, including a comparison with an analytical solution, to confirm the well balanced property and the ability to cope with the various rheological regimes associated with the Herschel-Bulkley constitutive law

Viscoplastic Free-Surface Flows: The Herschel-Bulkley Case

International audienceIn this paper, we will describe consistent numerical methods for power-law viscoplastic free-surface flows. From the rheological viewpoint, associated models are of Herschel-Bulkley type, which is a generalization of the Bingham model. On the one hand, Bingham model is the simplest model when it comes to describe viscoplasticity. On the other hand, power-law model is a natural extension of a rate-of-shear dependant viscosity, as opposed to the canical case of the (often) constant viscosity used in the Navier-Stokes equations. After describing a shallow-water asymptotics of a 3D Navier-Stokes-Herschel-Bulkley model with free surface, we will end up with a model which has various mathematical difficulties. We will show how to handle optimization problems arising from the variational inequalities associated to the model, as well as their coupling with finite-volume discretization. Several numerical tests will be shown, including a comparison with an analytic solution, to confirm the well balanced property and the ability to cope with the various rheological regimes associated with the Herschel-Bulkley constitutive law. See : http://www.iccfd.org/iccfd7/assets/pdf/papers/ICCFD7-3302_paper.pd