An optimization-based approach for high-order accurate discretization of conservation laws with discontinuous solutions

This work introduces a novel discontinuity-tracking framework for resolving discontinuous solutions of conservation laws with high-order numerical discretizations that support inter-element solution discontinuities, such as discontinuous Galerkin methods. The proposed method aims to align inter-element boundaries with discontinuities in the solution by deforming the computational mesh. A discontinuity-aligned mesh ensures the discontinuity is represented through inter-element jumps while smooth basis functions interior to elements are only used to approximate smooth regions of the solution, thereby avoiding Gibbs' phenomena that create well-known stability issues. Therefore, very coarse high-order discretizations accurately resolve the piecewise smooth solution throughout the domain, provided the discontinuity is tracked. Central to the proposed discontinuity-tracking framework is a discrete PDE-constrained optimization formulation that simultaneously aligns the computational mesh with discontinuities in the solution and solves the discretized conservation law on this mesh. The optimization objective is taken as a combination of the the deviation of the finite-dimensional solution from its element-wise average and a mesh distortion metric to simultaneously penalize Gibbs' phenomena and distorted meshes. We advocate a gradient-based, full space solver where the mesh and conservation law solution converge to their optimal values simultaneously and therefore never require the solution of the discrete conservation law on a non-aligned mesh. The merit of the proposed method is demonstrated on a number of one- and two-dimensional model problems including 2D supersonic flow around a bluff body. We demonstrate optimal $\mathcal{O}(h^{p+1})$ convergence rates in the $L^1$ norm for up to polynomial order $p=6$ and show that accurate solutions can be obtained on extremely coarse meshes.Comment: 40 pages, 23 figures, 1 tabl

Implicit shock tracking using an optimization-based high-order discontinuous Galerkin method

A novel framework for resolving discontinuous solutions of conservation laws, e.g., contact lines, shock waves, and interfaces, using implicit tracking and a high-order discontinuous Galerkin (DG) discretization was introduced in [38]. Central to the framework is an optimization problem whose solution is a discontinuity-aligned mesh and the corresponding high-order approximation to the flow that does not require explicit meshing of the unknown discontinuity surface. The method was shown to deliver highly accurate solutions on coarse, high-order discretizations without nonlinear stabilization and recover optimal convergence rates even for problems with discontinuous solutions. This work extends the implicit tracking framework such that robustness is improved and convergence accelerated. In particular, we introduce an improved formulation of the central optimization problem and an associated sequential quadratic programming (SQP) solver. The new error-based objective function penalizes violation of the DG residual in an enriched test space and is shown to have excellent tracking properties. The SQP solver simultaneously converges the nodal coordinates of the mesh and DG solution to their optimal values and is equipped with a number of features to ensure robust, fast convergence: Levenberg-Marquardt approximation of the Hessian with weighted elliptic regularization, backtracking line search, and rigorous convergence criteria. We use the proposed method to solve a range of inviscid conservation laws of varying difficulty. We show the method is able to deliver accurate solutions on coarse, high-order meshes and the SQP solver is robust and usually able to drive the first-order optimality system to tight tolerances.Comment: 35 pages, 20 figure