Stability of multi-time step partitioned transient analysis for first- order systems of equations (Q1098242)

The authors suggest, test and partly analyze a technique for the time- integration of systems of the form \(Mdu/dt=Ku+s\) that arise from finite- element spatial discretization of parabolic equations. The suggested method is based on the operator splitting \(K=K_ A+K_ B,\quad s=s_ A+s_ B,\) where the subindices A and B refer to two subsets \(S_ A\), \(S_ B\) in which the whole set of elements S is divided. This division should cater for the presence of two subdomains with widely different material properties or element-sizes. After the splitting, the two fractional steps for \(S_ A\) and \(S_ B\) may be carried out with two different time-stepping methods and with different values of \(\Delta\) t.