Convergence analysis of a discontinuous Galerkin method for a sub-diffusion equation (Q841156)

The paper is concerned with the initial-boundary value problem \({\partial}_t u + {\partial}_t^{-\alpha}Au = f \quad \text{for } 0<t<T\) where \(u=u_0\) at \(t=0\), and where the fractional operator of order \(-1 < \alpha < 0\) is a Riemann-Liouville operator. The authors present a Galerkin-type method which is based on a modified implicit Euler approach for the time variation, and prove sub-optimal convergence in a general setting and optimal convergence under more restrictions that require, in practice, the adoption of variable step sizes. The later part of the paper considers how the spatial discretization error combines with the time discretization error and the paper concludes with a numerical example.