An adaptive local mesh refinement method for time-dependent partial differential equations (Q1122346)

Adaptive local mesh refinement procedures for solving time-dependent initial boundary value problems for vector systems of partial differential equations on rectangular spatial domains are considered. The proposed method identifies and groups regions having large local error indicators into rectangular clusters. The time step and computational cells within the clustered rectangles are recursively divided until a prescribed tolerance is achieved. The refined mesh are properly nested within coarser mesh boundaries, thus simplifying the prescription of interface conditions at boundaries between fine and coarse meshes. The proposed method may be used with several numerical solution strategies and error indicators. The meshes may be nonuniform and either stationary or moving. The proposed refinement procedure is illustrated by the example of hyperbolic conservation law, solved using a MacCormack finite difference method.