Non-overlapping block smoothers for the Stokes equations

Overlapping block smoothers efficiently damp the error contributions from highly oscillatory components within multigrid methods for the Stokes equations but they are computationally expensive. This paper is concentrated on the development and analysis of new block smoothers for the Stokes equations that are discretized on staggered grids. These smoothers are non-overlapping and therefore desirable due to reduced computational costs. Traditional geometric multigrid methods are based on simple pointwise smoothers. However, the efficiency of multigrid methods for solving more difficult problems such as the Stokes equations lead to computationally more expensive smoothers, e.g., overlapping block smoothers. Non-overlapping smoothers are less expensive, but have been considered less efficient in the literature. In this paper, we develop new non-overlapping smoothers, the so-called triad-wise smoothers, and show their efficiency within multigrid methods to solve the Stokes equations. In addition, we compare overlapping and non-overlapping smoothers by measuring their computational costs and analyzing their behavior by the use of local Fourier analysis.Comment: 17 pages, 34 figure

Robust multigrid methods for Isogeometric discretizations applied to poroelasticity problems

El análisis isogeométrico (IGA) elimina la barrera existente entre elementos finitos (FEA) y el diseño geométrico asistido por ordenador (CAD). Debido a esto, IGA es un método novedoso que está recibiendo una creciente atención en la literatura y recientemente se ha convertido en tendencia. Muchos esfuerzos están siendo puestos en el diseño de solvers eficientes y robustos para este tipo de discretizaciones. Dada la optimalidad de los métodos multimalla para elementos finitos, la aplicación de estosmétodos a discretizaciones isogeométricas no ha pasado desapercibida. Nosotros pensamos firmemente que los métodos multimalla son unos candidatos muy prometedores a ser solvers eficientes y robustos para IGA y por lo tanto en esta tesis apostamos por su aplicación. Para contar con un análisis teórico para el diseño de nuestros métodos multimalla, el análisis local de Fourier es propuesto como principal análisis cuantitativo. En esta tesis, a parte de considerar varios problemas escalares, prestamos especial atención al problema de poroelasticidad, concretamente al modelo cuasiestático de Biot para el proceso de consolidación del suelo. Actualmente, el diseño de métodos multimalla robustos para problemas poroelásticos respecto a parámetros físicos o el tamaño de la malla es un gran reto. Por ello, la principal contribución de esta tesis es la propuesta de métodos multimalla robustos para discretizaciones isogeométricas aplicadas al problema de poroelasticidad.La primera parte de esta tesis se centra en la construcción paramétrica de curvas y superficies dado que estas técnicas son la base de IGA. Así, la definición de los polinomios de Bernstein y curvas de Bézier se presenta como punto de partida. Después, introducimos los llamados B-splines y B-splines racionales no uniformes (NURBS) puesto que éstas serán las funciones base consideradas en nuestro estudio.La segunda parte trata sobre el análisis isogeométrico propiamente dicho. En esta parte, el método isoparamétrico es explicado al lector y se presenta el análisis isogeométrico de algunos problemas. Además, introducimos la formulación fuerte y débil de los problemas anteriores mediante el método de Galerkin y los espacios de aproximación isogeométricos. El siguiente punto de esta tesis se centra en los métodos multimalla. Se tratan las bases de los métodos multimalla y, además de introducir algunos métodos iterativos clásicos como suavizadores, también se introducen suavizadores por bloques como los métodos de Schwarz multiplicativos y aditivos. Llegados a esta parte, nos centramos en el LFA para el diseño de métodos multimalla robustos y eficientes. Además, se explican en detalle el análisis estándar y el análisis basado en ventanas junto al análisis de suavizadores por bloques y el análisis para sistemas de ecuaciones en derivadas parciales.Tras introducir las discretizaciones isogeométricas, los métodos multimalla y el LFA como análisis teórico, nuestro propósito es diseñar métodos multimalla eficientes y robustos respecto al grado polinomial de los splines para discretizaciones isogeométricas de algunos problemas escalares. Así, mostramos que el uso de métodos multimalla basados en suavizadores de tipo Schwarz multiplicativo o aditivo produce buenos resultados y factores de convergencia asintóticos robustos. La última parte de esta tesis está dedicada al análisis isogeométrico del problema de poroelasticidad. Para esta tarea, se introducen el modelo de Biot y su discretización isogeométrica. Además, presentamos una novedosa estabilización de masa para la formulación de dos campos de las ecuaciones de Biot que elimina todas las oscilaciones no físicas en la aproximación numérica de la presión. Después, nos centramos en dos tipos de solvers para estas ecuaciones poroelásticas: Solvers desacoplados y solvers monolíticos. En el primer grupo, le dedicamos una especial atención al método fixed-stress y a un método iterativo propuesto por nosotros que puede ser aplicado de forma automática a partir de la estabilización de masa ya mencionada.Por otro lado, realizamos un análisis de von Neumann para este método iterativo aplicado al problema de Terzaghi y demostramos su estabilidad y convergencia para los pares de elementos Q1 Q1, Q2 Q1 y Q3 Q2 (con suavidad global C1). Respecto al grupo de solvers monolíticos, nosotros proponemos métodos multimalla basados en suavizadores acoplados y desacoplados. En esta parte, métodosIsogeometric analysis (IGA) eliminates the gap between finite element analysis (FEA) and computer aided design (CAD). Due to this, IGA is an innovative approach that is receiving an increasing attention in the literature and it has recently become a trending topic. Many research efforts are being devoted to the design of efficient and robust solvers for this type of discretization. Given the optimality of multigrid methods for FEA, the application of these methods to IGA discretizations has not been unnoticed. We firmly think that they are a very promising approach as efficient and robust solvers for IGA and therefore in this thesis we are concerned about their application. In order to give a theoretical support to the design of multigrid solvers, local Fourier analysis (LFA) is proposed as the main quantitative analysis. Although different scalar problems are also considered along this thesis, we make a special focus on poroelasticity problems. More concretely, we focus on the quasi-static Biot's equations for the soil consolidation process. Nowadays, it is a very challenging task to achieve robust multigrid solvers for poroelasticity problems with respect physical parameters and/or the mesh size. Thus, the main contribution of this thesis is to propose robust multigrid methods for isogeometric discretizations applied to poroelasticity problems. The first part of this thesis is devoted to the introduction of the parametric construction of curves and surfaces since these techniques are the basis of IGA. Hence, with the definition of Bernstein polynomials and B\'ezier curves as a starting point, we introduce B-splines and non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) since these will be the basis functions considered for our numerical experiments. The second part deals with the isogeometric analysis. In this part, the isoparametric approach is explained to the reader and the isogeometric analysis of some scalar problems is presented. Hence, the strong and weak formulations by means of Galerkin's method are introduced and the isogeometric approximation spaces as well. The next point of this thesis consists of multigrid methods. The basics of multigrid methods are explained and, besides the presentation of some classical iterative methods as smoothers, block-wise smoothers such as multiplicative and additive Schwarz methods are also introduced. At this point, we introduce LFA for the design of efficient and robust multigrid methods. Furthermore, both standard and infinite subgrids local Fourier analysis are explained in detail together with the analysis for block-wise smoothers and the analysis for systems of partial differential equations. After the introduction of isogeometric discretizations, multigrid methods as our choice of solvers and LFA as theoretical analysis, our goal is to design efficient and robust multigrid methods with respect to the spline degree for IGA discretizations of some scalar problems. Hence, we show that the use of multigrid methods based on multiplicative or additive Schwarz methods provide a good performance and robust asymptotic convergence rates. The last part of this thesis is devoted to the isogeometric analysis of poroelasticity. For this task, Biot's model and its isogeometric discretization are introduced. Moreover, we present an innovative mass stabilization of the two-field formulation of Biot's equations that eliminates all the spurious oscillations in the numerical approximation of the pressure. Then, we deal with two types of solvers for these poroelastic equations: Decoupled and monolithic solvers. In the first group we devote special attention to the fixed-stress split method and a mass stabilized iterative scheme proposed by us that can be automatically applied from the mass stabilization formulation mentioned before. In addition, we perform a von Neumann analysis for this iterative decoupled solver applied to Terzaghi's problem and demonstrate that it is stable and convergent for pairs Q1-Q1, Q2-Q1 and Q3-Q2 (with global smoothness C1). Regarding the group of monolithic solvers, we propose multigrid methods based on coupled and decoupled smoothers. Coupled additive Schwarz methods are proposed as coupled smoothers for isogeometric Taylor-Hood elements. More concretely, we propose a 51-point additive Schwarz method for the pair Q2-Q1. In the last part, we also propose to use an inexact version of the fixed-stress split algorithm as decoupled smoother by applying iterations of different additive Schwarz methods for each variable. For the latter approach, we consider the pairs of elements Q2-Q1 and Q3-Q2 (with global smoothness C1). Finally, thanks to LFA we manage to design efficient and robust multigrid solvers for the Biot's equations and some numerical results are shown.<br /

A Robust Multigrid Solver for Isogeometric Analysis Based on Multiplicative Schwarz Smoothers

The design of fast solvers for isogeometric analysis is receiving a lot of attention due to the challenge that offers to find an algorithm with a robust convergence with respect to the spline degree. Here, we analyze the application of geometric multigrid methods to this type of discretization, and we propose a multigrid approach based on overlapping multiplicative Schwarz methods as smoothers. The size of the blocks considered within these relaxation procedures is adapted to the spline degree. A simple multigrid V-cycle with only one step of presmoothing results in a very efficient algorithm, whose convergence is independent on the spline degree and the spatial discretization parameter. Local Fourier analysis is shown to be very useful for the understanding of the problems encountered in the design of a robust multigrid method for IGA, and it is performed to support the good convergence properties of the proposed solver. In fact, an analysis for any spline degree and an arbitrary size of the blocks within the Schwarz smoother is presented for the one-dimensional case. The efficiency of the solver is also demonstrated through several numerical experiments, including a two-dimensional problem on a nontrivial computational domain

An algebraic multigrid method for Q2−Q1Q_2-Q_1 mixed discretizations of the Navier-Stokes equations

Algebraic multigrid (AMG) preconditioners are considered for discretized systems of partial differential equations (PDEs) where unknowns associated with different physical quantities are not necessarily co-located at mesh points. Specifically, we investigate a $Q_2-Q_1$ mixed finite element discretization of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations where the number of velocity nodes is much greater than the number of pressure nodes. Consequently, some velocity degrees-of-freedom (dofs) are defined at spatial locations where there are no corresponding pressure dofs. Thus, AMG approaches leveraging this co-located structure are not applicable. This paper instead proposes an automatic AMG coarsening that mimics certain pressure/velocity dof relationships of the $Q_2-Q_1$ discretization. The main idea is to first automatically define coarse pressures in a somewhat standard AMG fashion and then to carefully (but automatically) choose coarse velocity unknowns so that the spatial location relationship between pressure and velocity dofs resembles that on the finest grid. To define coefficients within the inter-grid transfers, an energy minimization AMG (EMIN-AMG) is utilized. EMIN-AMG is not tied to specific coarsening schemes and grid transfer sparsity patterns, and so it is applicable to the proposed coarsening. Numerical results highlighting solver performance are given on Stokes and incompressible Navier-Stokes problems.Comment: Submitted to a journa

A two-level method for isogeometric discretizations based on multiplicative Schwarz iterations

Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) is a computational technique for the numerical approximation of partial differential equations (PDEs). This technique is based on the use of spline-type basis functions, that are able to hold a global smoothness and allow to exactly capture a wide set of common geometries. The current rise of this approach has encouraged the search of fast solvers for isogeometric discretizations and nowadays this topic is receiving a lot of attention. In this framework, a desired property of the solvers is the robustness with respect to both the polynomial degree p and the mesh size h. For this task, in this paper we propose a two-level method such that a discretization of order p is considered in the first level whereas the second level consists of a linear or quadratic discretization. On the first level, we suggest to apply one single iteration of a multiplicative Schwarz method. The choice of the block-size of such an iteration depends on the spline degree p, and is supported by a local Fourier analysis (LFA). At the second level one is free to apply any given strategy to solve the problem exactly. However, it is also possible to get an approximation of the solution at this level by using an h-multigrid method. The resulting solver is efficient and robust with respect to the spline degree p. Finally, some numerical experiments are given in order to demonstrate the good performance of the proposed solver