Numerical experiments on compact computational schemes for solving the first biharmonic problem in rectangles (Q1339943)

Compact computational schemes for the first biharmonic problem in a retangle \(a\times b\) with fourth- and second-order truncation errors and expressed in matrix form are presented. The matrix formulation of the fourth-order schemes is based on some non- coupled approach, which is an extension of the known non-coupled \((p,q)\) method. The final matrix equation, which serves as a fourth-order discrete equivalent of the problem may be expressed as a symmetric system with \(\ell\times m\) unknowns. For the second-order schemes, the matrix equation in its initial form is based on the non-coupled \((p,q)\) approach employing 5-point stencils to approximate the Laplacian at the \(\ell\times m\) interior grid nodes, while the final system in its conventional formulation is again symmetric. For the specific values of \(p\), \(g\), \(r\) and \(s\) used in the paper, namely \(p=1\), \(q= 2\), \(r= 3\) and \(s= 4\), it is possible to solve the problem by means of a quasi-direct method after reducing the solution of both fourth- and second-order schemes to the solution of two symmetric and positive definite linear systems each of order equal to \(\min(\ell,m)\). The experimentally observed accuracy of the schemes with fourth-order truncation error, at least for the problems considered in the paper, is also of order four.