Exact analysis of nonlinear instability in a discrete Burgers' equation (Q1181925)

The mechanism causing instabilities in linear evolution difference equations is quite well understood, and the von Neumann stability criterion allows to find conditions for stability of the difference schemes. The von Neumann analysis is often applied to nonlinear equations, although very little is known about instabilities in these cases. Numerical experience shows that blowup in nonlinear problems is local, sudden growing and dependent of the initial conditions. In order to get a better understanding of instabilities the authors construct a family of numerical schemes for Burgers' equation in the form of explicit difference equations. Exact nonlinear stability conditions for these schemes are then found and compared with the conventional linearized stability condition.